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Peackock butterfly, on wooden gate by Swinsty Reservoir
Earlier this summer I was preparing for a photography workshop at Washburn Heritage Centre. Every workshop and photo walk I do, I always use local examples and imagery, so in June I found myself wandering the banks of Swinsty reservoir and exploring one of Yorkshire’s hidden gems!

Swinsty reservoir is located in the Washburn Valley near Blubberhouses. It was built in 1879 and forms the overflow reservoir for Fewston Reservoir, which lies adjacent. I first heard about the reservoir from a neighbour who goes jogging there, however I wasn’t expecting to discover such a charming location.

With well-built and very accessible walking paths as well as numerous picnic tables, benches and a cafe (at Washburn Heritage Centre), Swinsty Reservoir holds its own amongst the numerous superb Yorkshire destinations!

Maybe it’s the understated nature of Swinsty that is so appealing, it doesn’t boast the spectacular views of the Yorkshire Dales or the natural history of the moors, it’s just really rather pleasant and sometimes that’s just what you need! That’s not to say the reservoir isn’t surrounded by beauty because it is. It’s abundant in wildlife and nature and there is plenty of enchanting scenery too.

The reservoir is owned by Yorkshire Water, who along with their Blue Print for Yorkshire plan, have made many of their sites accessible to walkers and other leisure seekers. It’s so great to see such a valuable location open and readily accessible to the public.

You can find and plan a walk using Yorkshire Water’s Walking and Leisure micro site here. In the meantime here are some of my pics from the Swinsty Photo Walk…