Walking Routes

Hell Wath Nature Trail

Hell Wath Nature Trail

Wander down Hell Wath path in Ripon, along the River Skell, through woodland glade, meadows and hedgerows.

Elevation: 410 ft
Accesibility Rating: 6/10
Terrain:  Off road paths
Parking: Hell Wath Car Park

 

Stage 1

The name Hell Wath comes from the old Norse language and means ‘flat stone ford’. Look for this convenient river crossing nearby.

Stage 2

Over 400 species of plants, big and small, call Hell Wath their home.

Stage 3

It’s hard to imagine now, but Hell Wath was part of an enormous army camp during the First World War. It grew from an existing summer camp used by the territorial army into part of a vast army camp with 2000 timber huts housing 42,000 men and 10,000 horses. Wilfred Owen, a famous war poet, was one of the soldiers. He and 1.5 million other men passed through the camp between 1914 and 1919.

Stage 4

Before World War One farmers grazed cattle here when this land belonged to the Fountains Abbey estate. After the war, Ripon Racecourse took over part of this site, while a nearby gravel quarry employed local men.

 

 
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Hell Wath Nature Trail
Wander down Hell Wath path in Ripon, along the River Skell, through woodland glade, meadows and hedgerows.