Crackpots Mosaic Walk: Plus Lumley Moor Reservoir Extension

Discover Art, Wildlife and a Victorian Reservoir on This Scenic Crackpots Mosaic Walk

This Crackpots Mosaic Walk is an extended take on the well-loved Crackpots Mosaic Trail, offering a longer circuit of just over ten miles through the quiet landscape of Dallowgill in Nidderdale. As well as all 22 illuminated mosaics that have made the original trail so popular, this longer version adds an optional loop around Lumley Moor Reservoir, giving the walk a welcome change of character partway through.

The mosaics date back to 1997, the year Nidderdale was granted its Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) status. A local community project was set up to mark the occasion, with the aim of encouraging people out to explore the area on foot. The result was a series of artworks designed to double as creative expression and a bit of fun for walkers to seek out along the way.

The group behind the artwork is known as The Crackpots, made up of talented volunteers from the nearby village of Kirkby Malzeard. Working under the guidance of Margaret Murphy of Rural Arts North Yorkshire, the collective created all 22 mosaics you’ll find along this Crackpots Mosaic Walk. Each piece is full of local character, with real care and attention running through every design.

Subjects range widely across the collection. There’s plenty of wildlife, from a delicate wild rose to a majestic deer, alongside a curlew, a barn owl and other creatures you might spot out in the landscape. Scenes drawn from the surrounding countryside feature too, and there are nods to local heritage, including a Roman Soldier mosaic that links the area’s distant past to the present day.

The reservoir loop brings a contrasting, tranquil feel to this Crackpots Mosaic Walk. Lumley Moor Reservoir was built in the mid-19th century by Ripon Corporation Water Works to supply the city of Ripon with clean drinking water. Constructed from local stone in a rusticated Victorian style, the site still retains much of its original infrastructure, including stone bridges, a causeway, the spillway, and the remains of filter beds. It’s now owned by Yorkshire Water and used to top up Swinsty Reservoir when needed. The reservoir is also recognised locally for its aquatic and marsh flora, which makes the loop a rewarding diversion for anyone interested in wildlife or heritage.

Location of this Crackpots Mosaic Walk

This Crackpots Mosaic Walk sits in the quiet, scenic area of Dallowgill, which lies within the Nidderdale AONB in North Yorkshire. It’s within easy reach of several nearby towns and cities, such as Harrogate, Ripon and Pateley Bridge. The walk begins from a small car parking area on Kirkby Malzeard Moor near Tom Corner, just off the junction of Kirkby Moor Road and Greystone Head.

About this Crackpots Mosaic Walk

This Crackpots Mosaic Walk is a circular route that leads you through the lovely landscape of Dallowgill in Nidderdale. You’ll find all 22 mosaics from the original trail along the way, along with a loop around Lumley Moor Reservoir that slots in between the Curlew and Boots & Beer mosaics. The walk is best tackled clockwise, beginning at the small car parking area on Kirkby Malzeard moor near Tom Corner. Some of the mosaics are tucked away and take a bit of hunting to find, which adds to the fun.

The ten-mile-plus route takes in a good mix of terrain, including gravel tracks, field paths, minor roads and a bridleway leading down towards the reservoir. It’s moderate in difficulty and takes around five and a half hours at a steady pace, giving you plenty of time to enjoy the scenery, appreciate the craftsmanship of the mosaics, and take in the peaceful surroundings of the reservoir loop. If you’d prefer the shorter version without the reservoir detour, the original seven-mile Crackpots Mosaic Trail is covered on its own page, complete with a printable PDF to take along with you.

Crackpots Mosaic Walk Summary

• Location: Dallowgill, Nidderdale, North Yorkshire.
• Map: Ordnance Survey map of Nidderdale, reference OS Explorer 298.
• Distance: Just over ten miles.
• Time to Complete: About five and a half hours.
• Starting Point: Car parking area on Kirkby Malzeard moor near Tom Corner.
• Terrain: Moderate route with tarmac roads, gravel tracks, fields and a bridleway.
• Highlights: 22 illuminated mosaics depicting local scenes, flora and fauna, plus a loop around the Victorian-built Lumley Moor Reservoir.
• Mosaics: 1 Sheep; 2 Red Grouse; 3 Dragonfly; 4 Adder; 5 Potato House; 6 Sighting Tower; 7 Wild Rose; 8 Great Spotted Woodpecker; 9 Friesian Cow; 10 Flag Iris & Tadpoles; 11 Brown Trout; 12 Leaves; 13 Curlew; 14 Boots & Beer; 15 Bluebells; 16 Fungi; 17 Deer; 18 Rabbits; 19 Barn Owl; 20 Bents House; 21 Pheasant; 22 Roman Soldier.

Crackpots Mosaic Walk Step-by-Step Directions

1. Sheep

Head east from the car park along the minor road until you reach a forked junction. Look for the Sheep mosaic at this point.

2. Red Grouse

Take the left-hand fork and continue north-east along the road to a dry stone wall on your left. Here, you’ll find the Red Grouse mosaic.

3. Dragonfly

Head north-west on the track initially alongside the wall until you arrive at a sheep pen where you’ll see the Dragonfly mosaic.

4. Adder

Go east and uphill towards the dry stone wall where the Adder mosaic is situated.

5. Potato House

Walk east along the lane past Carlesmoor House Farm and through the hamlet of Carlesmoor. Look out for the Potato House mosaic shortly after.

6. Sighting Tower

A little further along the lane, you’ll come across the Sighting Tower mosaic.

7. Wild Rose on the Crackpots Mosaic Walk

Continue heading east along the lane until you reach a minor road where the Wild Rose mosaic is located.

8. Great Spotted Woodpecker

Take a left and head uphill briefly to the east along the road before making a right turn onto the Ripon Rowel Walk. You’ll see the Great Spotted Woodpecker mosaic.

9. Friesian Cow

Head south along the Ripon Rowel Walk, cross the footbridge, and go uphill to find the Friesian Cow mosaic.

10. Flag Iris & Tadpoles

Head east along the track until you reach the point where it bears right. Here, you’ll find the Flag Iris & Tadpoles mosaic.

11. Brown Trout

Walk south along the lane and use the footbridge to cross the stream, then continue uphill until you find the Brown Trout mosaic.

12. Leaves

Continue south-east along Belford Lane until you reach a minor road with a farm on your left, where the Leaves mosaic is situated.

13. Curlew

Walk further south-east along the minor road until you reach the junction with the main road (Dallowgill Road), where the Curlew mosaic can be found.

Lumley Moor Reservoir Extension

At the Curlew mosaic, turn right onto Dallowgill Road and head south-west. Before reaching the Boots & Beer mosaic, take the bridleway on your left, which heads south down Wetshod Lane. This is the point at which this Crackpots Mosaic Walk diverges from the original trail.

Follow the bridleway south and then east, before picking up a footpath that crosses fields towards Lumley Moor Reservoir. Walk a clockwise loop around the reservoir, taking your time to enjoy the water’s edge and the Victorian stonework along the way. Once you’ve rounded the reservoir, retrace your steps back across the fields, onto the bridleway, and north along Wetshod Lane until you reach the junction with Dallowgill Road.

14. Boots & Beer

Turn left onto the main road and head south-west until you reach the Boots & Beer mosaic near a house with a large lawned garden.

15. Bluebells

Continue along the main road in a south-west direction, then take a right turn at Castiles Farm into Dallow Lane. Here, you’ll see the Bluebells mosaic.

16. Fungi

Follow Dallow Lane through the hamlet of Dallow and along the side of the woodland until you find the Fungi mosaic.

17. Deer on the Crackpots Mosaic Walk

Walk down through the woods and cross the footbridge to reach a woodland clearing where the Deer mosaic can be found.

18. Rabbits

Bear right and walk uphill along the track heading north-east, then turn north and enter the field on your left to see the Rabbits mosaic.

19. Barn Owl

Head west across the field into the bottom left-hand corner and enter the woodland to find the Barn Owl mosaic.

20. Bents House

Follow the path through the woods until you emerge into open fields, then head north-west until you reach Bents House where the Bents House mosaic is located.

21. Pheasant

Walk past the buttressed barn and past another set of buildings, then head north-west across the fields towards Potter Lane Farm. Turn right at Potter Lane and walk north-east to a barn where the Pheasant mosaic can be found.

22. Roman Soldier on the Crackpots Mosaic Walk

Follow the sunken path lined with gorse bushes north-east until you reach a minor road at the top. Turn right and head east towards the car park to find the Roman Soldier mosaic.