This is a lovely easy walk from the top end of Skipton, taking you well away from the bustle of the town.
The walk starts from Mill Bridge, dropping down to the footpath which runs along side of the old Corn Mill. This leads to a raised walkway with the canal on the right and Eller Beck on the left and runs beneath Skipton Castle. This is one of the best views of the castle. Crossing a footbridge over the Eller Beck and climbing a few steps leads to the entrance to Skipton Castle Woodlands.
This is an area of natural woodland dominated by ash, which provided fuel, building materials and food for the castle. The stream also provided power for wool, corn and saw mills. Now it is a peaceful woodland walk with birdsong drowning out traffic noise.
A good track leads along the side of the stream and past a small dammed lake before climbing up at the end of the woodland. The wild garlic was long past its best but there was still a strong smell of garlic in the air. If you are lucky you may spot a heron or kingfisher. At dusk five different species of bat can be seen.
You can either return the way you came or climb up out of the woodland for a longer trip back to Skipton. “Details here.”:https://where2walk.co.uk/walk/skipton-woods-and-castle/
The paths are suitable for wheelchairs apart from the few steps after the footbridge. These can be avoided by walking up Chapel Hill on the far side of the old Corn Mill leads to the entrance to the woods. There is no parking here, although there is plenty of parking in Skipton itself. There is a map of the woodlands “here.”:http://www.skiptoncastle.co.uk/skiptonwoods.asp?page=13
The nearest post code for the start of the walk is BD23 1NJ and the grid reference is SD 990519.