Nidd Gorge

[2] During the 18th century and the advent of the Industrial Revolution, mills began to operate along this stretch of the river, using the force of the water to drive the machinery.

In 1982, Harrogate Borough Council set up the Nidd Gorge Management Project in a bid to make the 68 acres (28 ha) area more accessible to hikers and cyclists, as the path along the river became treacherous and often impassable when there had been heavy rain.

[7] The Nidd viaduct at the western end of the gorge, used to carry a railway between Harrogate and Pateley Bridge, Northallerton and Thirsk, and was closed in 1967.

[1] It now carries the Nidderdale Greenway, a tarmac path that allows walkers, cyclists, and those in wheelchairs or mobility scooters to travel the 4 miles (6.4 km) between the Bilton area of Harrogate and Ripley.

There are also many species of birds that live in the mixture of deciduous and coniferous woodland, such as treecreepers, nuthatches, and even the lesser spotted woodpecker.

The Nidd Viaduct at Bilton which stands at 104 feet above the river was built in 1848 and was part of the now defunct railway line which used to run to Ripley, Ripon and Thirsk, carrying freight (mainly coal and later gas) and passengers until it closed in 1967. [ 1 ]
Nidd Gorge looking downstream from the Bilton viaduct. The path which runs alongside the river can be seen in the middle right of the photograph.