With summer finally here and warm weather in the air, there’s never been a better time than to enjoy the great outdoors in Otley. Here are a few things that should help you enjoy all that Otley’s great outdoors has to offer.
Head to the river
Otley Boats is back for the summer and should be open – unless there is another change in the weather – each weekend day from 11am to 5pm. There are no reservations so rowing boats and pedalos are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Prices for one hour are: £7 adults, £4 child (six to 16-year-olds); for 30 minutes it’s £4 adults and £2 for children. Kids aged five and under and dogs go free. At busy times, rentals are limited to 30 minutes. Always check the Facebook page before heading down.
See https://www.facebook.com/OtleyBoats/
Take one of our trails
Don’t have sea legs? We’ve got five different free walking trails around Otley that can all be downloaded from this site. Whether you’re into history, shopping, Chippendale, the riverside or want an ‘Otley greatest hits’ trail, there’ll be one to suit you.
See https://www.visitotley.co.uk/digital-otley-walking-trails/
Get wildlife friendly
The folk over at community group Wildlife Friendly Otley are looking to make Otley the first wildlife-friendly town in the UK. They do this by campaigning to preserve natural areas and sensitising people to the habitats of wildlife so they don’t decrease. They cover all areas of Otley, from the Chevin to Gallow’s Hill and beyond and have monthly ‘spot the wildlife’ challenges that can be downloaded by children and taken around the town.
See https://www.wildlifefriendlyotley.org.uk/kids-area
Otley Walking Festival
Following a Covid-19 hiatus in 2020, the Otley Walking Festival is back for 2020 with a full programme of events. One highlight will be Eavesdrop – A Sonic Nature Trail. This sound installation features field recordings of local wildlife fused with a musical underscore. The recordings can be accessed anytime during the Festival via smart phones by scanning QR codes placed throughout Otley. The self-guided route starts in Gallows Hill and finishes at the White House. For a full route and list of QR code locations please visit www.james-hamilton.co.uk/eavesdrop
For more on the festival see https://otleywalkingfestival.co.uk
Bike to it
It’s a big month for cycling in Otley with the return of the 2021 LOGCO Otley Cycle Races on Wednesday June 30 after also taking a pandemic-induced year out in 2020. The race, one of the most important in the British racing calendar will see people compete on a closed circuit around the town. Road will be closed to traffic from 17:15 to 22:00 to allow the races to take place safely. Sunday July 4 will also be Otley’s Cycling Fun Day. Full details are yet to be confirmed but this town council sponsored event promises something for all the family.
See https://www.otleycycleraces.com/