2016 Dates: Thursday 22nd - Sunday 25th September 2016.

The sixth PBWF took place in September 2015. As usual, the weather was still FANTASTIC (it hardly ever rains in Yorkshire, y'know.....)!  For 2016, we've kept a few of the most popular routes from previous festivals and added some exciting new options, such as Walk 1 (Pateley Bridge to Bolton Abbey, with added sustenance from some of Pateley's finest Pork Pies) and Walk 8 (a night walk around Upper Nidderdale).  Check out the Walks Plan pages for all the details.  If you want a flavour of the area, have a gander in the Gallery which has a range of photos from the 2010 - 2015 festivals.

These are exciting times at PBWF! The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that the address and telephone number on the 'Contact Us' page has changed. This is because, after 6 years of chairing the festival, Pete has stepped down. He has been replaced by Ian Deakin (ably assisted by Gill Deakin as Treasurer). Pete (and Freya) will still be involved (eg. leading walks), so 2016 will be 'handover year'! We will all be working hard to make this as smooth as possible, but please bear with us if there are any 'glitches'. The new committee will be doing its best to make PBWF better than ever.

Here are a few quotes from recent festival goers if you still need convincing:

"Many thanks for all your hard work in organising such a successful Walking Festival. Everyone from or group thoroughly enjoyed their weekend away, which was due to your superb organisation."

"What a super time the four of us have spent at the Walking Festival! Very many thanks to you and all the team who made this such a memorable event. We thoroughly enjoyed every aspect - the walks, the company, the carvery and quiz."

"Just a quick note to say thank you for the 2 walks we did last weekend. They were well organised & everyone was very friendly. If you could, please add us onto your email list for any future events."

"Just a quick email to thank you both for the lovely 4 day`s walking in Pateley Bridge. The walks were excellent (especially the Grimwith and Trollers Gill one with the pub stop) and the guides were very informative.  It was good chatting to all the people on the walks from all corners of the UK. I will definitely be joining you next year."

"I just wanted to say what a fantastic day I had on Sat 28^th on the Colsterdale walk.The walk itself was wonderful, and thankfully the weather was on our side and the views fabulous. Also a big Thank you to the ladies that guided us around and kept the group together, interesting bits of information about the area, and just good company, as were thankfully the rest of the group. Also  I’d like to thank you and the team that put the festival together, looking forward to next year."

"I was lucky to be among the number that enjoyed the superb high level walk on Sunday last called The Gouthwaite Circular. The day was magnificent and the company great. Many thanks to John for his fine leadership and research and to all who made such an event possible."

"Great walk on Sunday, I really enjoyed it.  Thanks for organising it.  How did you get the weather to turn on the sunshine too?  I'll definitely do another next year."

"Thank you for your hard work in co-ordinating such a wonderful event.  Please pass on our thanks to all the team.  My husband and I only went on two walks but what a lovely weekend we had - and blessed with such glorious weather as well. Both our walk leaders were excellent.  Very knowledgeable and interesting.  We've been in the area over many years and such an opportunity to walk with people who have "the knowledge" enables us to see things very differently. We look forward to next year!!"

"Just a brief note to thank you again for organising a superb weekend, good walks, good company, good weather - an unbeatable combination. I am certainly planning to return next year."

"I had a fantastic time at my first Pateley Bridge Walking Festival and I just wanted to say a big thank you for all the effort that you put in to the four day event. The variety of walks was terrific and the knowledge that the local guides imparted during the walks made them all the more interesting. I met loads of very friendly fellow walkers and hope that the Festival continues in the future - as I intend to travel back down from Scotland again for it next year."

"I really enjoyed your festival and only wish I could have stayed longer. I particularly enjoyed the community element - I loved the way you all pulled together to provide this event. And everyone was really friendly."

"I really enjoyed my 2 days of walking and I met some really nice people"

"Everyone was friendly, relaxed and knowledgeable, so we would definitely love to join more walks next year."

"I came home feeling like I'd had a great day out, in good company, with a plenty of exercise, so 9.75 out of 10 would be my rating!"

"The Pateley to Jervaulx walk was absolutely excellent with the special bonus of having the man who put it all together as the leader. Can’t think of how you could better it."

We hope to see you in Pateley Bridge in September!

Without the enthusiasm and help of local people and organisations, there wouldn't be a PBWF. Thanks are due to those ‘on the ground’ who kindly pledged their support and helped gain “Walkers are Welcome” status (http://www.walkersarewelcome.org.uk/) to local organisations such as the Pateley Bridge Town Council, Nidderdale Business Association and the Nidderdale AONB (www.nidderdaleaonb.org.uk) who were the first to see the potential of the event and provide funding towards it. As ever, there are just too many people to thank! We must of course thank all our marvellous walk leaders who do such a fantastic job guiding the walks and getting all the walkers back safe and sound. Also, A S Coaches (www.ascoaches.co.uk) who provide transport for a number of the walks. Finally, we are grateful to the local traders and national organisations who supply raffle prizes. We just could not do it without you.

The fact that Nidderdale (http://www.nidderdale.co.uk/) has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty gives you some idea of why it is such a perfect place for walkers. With beautiful diverse scenery offering both easy-going and more challenging routes and the friendly market town of Pateley Bridge at its heart, it really does offer something for everyone. Whether you decide to come for one day or four, we look forward to offering you a warm walkers welcome in September 2016!