Harewood House is the focal point of Harewood Village and an attractive destination for a trip out. Set above the lower reaches of the River Wharfe there are woods and views to suit most folk. Do not let this signpost from the garden put you off. The charms of the house, bird garden, planetarium and even the special visiting events shouldn’t stop you exploring a bit further afield on foot. The Leeds Country Way skirts parts of the Harewood Estate and Harrogate walks also promote walking trips around Harewood.
Walking the Harewood Village by the ‘Walking Englishman’ offers one route and a chatty photographic record of his trip. For a rainy blog on a similar theme try Yorkshire Walks.org Ordnance survey Pathfinder map 672 covers the area at 2½ inches to 1 mile and I find this scale is easy to navigate at the slow pace I walk. Eccup reservoir and Golden Acre Park are all within walking distance and Harewood was the base for the recent 20 mile charity walk in aid of Breast Cancer. Ebor Way from Ilkley to York passes through the Harewood Estate and the Dales Way Leeds Link is close by.
For a walk of a length to suit yourself I would just recommend strolling around the gardens and grounds at Harewood House. There is an entry fee but that is much lower than going around the house itself and it if free for members of the Royal Horticultural Society and other organisations probably have similar arrangements. The new Himilayan garden the ponds and the bird garden are all worth exploring in some detail, yet you are never far away from a cup of tea.
