Walking The Wharfe: An Ode to a Yorkshire River

by Johno Ellison

In a world of globetrotting explorers and record-breaking journeys – of which he has been part himself – Johno Ellison decided to return to his roots and walk the entire length of the River Wharfe, the Yorkshire waterway beside which he grew up. In his new book for Bradt, Walking the Wharfe , Ellison retraces the steps of Victorian author Edmund Bogg to investigate how the riverscape and its communities have evolved during the intervening 120 years. While wild camping, meeting modern-day Vikings, wartime ghosts and the fearless ‘Dales Dippers', and learning how not to deal with a herd of over-inquisitive cows, Ellison encounters a microcosm of English history and culture. Starting in the Vale of York, Ellison walks upstream to explore the region's Viking and Roman heritage, as well as more modern developments such as Tadcaster's disastrous bridge collapse in 2015. He examines a profusion of Victorian spa towns, considers the impact of the Industrial Revolution and enjoys rare wildlife such as red kites and an otter, creatures that have returned to the area following successful conservation initiatives. Traversing the Yorkshire Dales National Park, including along the Dales Way long-distance footpath, Ellison is first bewitched by local legends of giants, trolls and witches, then seduced into wild swimming in a chilly river – albeit not the Strid, a section of the Wharfe notorious worldwide for reportedly drowning everyone who has ever tumbled into it – before seeking refuge in a candlelit pub during a storm that caused a power blackout. During his ascent, Ellison learns from a family who have farmed the Yorkshire hills for five generations before reaching the Wharfe's trickling source amid a vast boggy moorland. This enchanting travelogue is a must-read for anyone interested in nature, ‘the great outdoors', or English history and culture. Residents and fans of Yorkshire will love it, as will anyone who has hiked the Dales Way. Above all, by combining personal connections with journalistic curiosity and a nose for a story, Walking the Wharfe affirms that even lesser-known parts of the small island of Britain can hold their own against renowned tourist sites the world over.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Walking

208 pages, Paperback

Published August 10, 2023

About the author

Johno Ellison joined the Royal Air Force as a teenager and trained as a helicopter pilot. He left in his twenties to attend university and travel the world. He has since visited over eighty countries and now works as a freelance product designer.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a lot of people think about travel, the thought of pristine beaches in subtropical climes springs to mind or the hardy travel writer who is battling through some unexplored part of the globe. But travel writing can be just as relevant and interesting much closer to home.

In this book, Johno Ellison is very close to his home, in fact, he grew up alongside the River Wharf that is the subject of the book. It is a journey he had undertaken before many years ago, but for this, he wanted to retrace the route taken by Victorian author Edmund Bogg to see what had changed in the 120 years.

It is a fairly short river and he decides to wild cam for some of the route as well as popping in to see family and friends en route. He samples many beers in the pubs he passes including some that he frequented in his youth. As he was a local resident when growing up, there are lots of personal anecdotes that add depth to the walk and he explores the local folklore of the places that he walks through.

I really liked this. Learning about a tiny part of the UK that I knew almost nothing about was fascinating. He is an engaging writer too, filling the pages with the history of the river, an account of his walk. I did like that he made it clear in the text when he returned to fill in the gaps in the narrative; not all travel writers do that and sometimes it is glaringly obvious that they returned later. If you want a well-written book about a tiny part of Yorkshire then this is a good place to start.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book melds together the natural landscape and the human history of the river Wharfe to create a beautiful account of the author's love for this area of the world. The historical links and changes over time are captured through comparison with his companion- Bogg, writing in the late 19th century, on the very same walk. This book makes me want to revisit places I already know and venture to spots on the river I've never been before, looking at them through fresh eyes with the historical context that I've learnt here. The book is about so much more than the river, it is just as much about human warmth and humour.

[Claire Cherrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Browsing round Waterstones I spotted this book on a table and picked it up thinking it was a walking book of walks to do, to my utter delight I read the back and realised it was about The Wharfe.
The Wharfe is very special to me, lovely childhood memories of Otley Park, Bolton Abbey and school trip to see the source at Buckden and in later years walks with my husband spanning from Collingham to Tadcaster and new memories made.
Thank you for writing such a fantastic book about the history and stories of the river can’t wait to now read your other book about the taxi

[Sophy H · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I'm finally stepping away from this one.

There is a jovial easiness to Ellison's writing which makes reading fairly easy but the subject matter is a little too repetitive. Over the course of him walking the length of an entire river, there are obviously themes that come up time and again, which start to get a little wearing.

As a nature journal style book, this is ok, but just that, ok.

I wouldn't particularly recommend and I certainly wouldn't re-read so it's off for donation with this one.

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable account of a 4-day walk covering the length of the river Wharfe. A shame there are no pictures at all and only a very small and rudimentary map.