Frames and footpaths: discovering Knaresborough through your lens.

Welcome to this week's blog, which I am hoping is going to be the first of a mini-series that highlights interesting photography walks around a number of towns and cities with which I am familiar. I thought I would start with my own hometown.

Set dramatically above the River Nidd, Knaresborough is one of those rare towns where every turn feels composed for the camera. Medieval stonework, steep winding streets, and the striking silhouette of Knaresborough's iconic Victorian viaduct create endlessly layered scenes, while the atmospheric ruins of Knaresborough Castle deliver sweeping views and rich historical texture. 

The riverside (named Waterside) offers reflections, wildlife, and human moments, balancing grand landscapes with intimate details. This combination of history and nature makes the town exceptionally rewarding for photographers of any style. Whether you favour architecture, street photography, or natural scenery, Knaresborough provides an unusual density of visually compelling subjects within a compact, walkable setting.

The walk I am suggesting should take about 2 hours to complete at an easy pace. This photography walk is designed to maximise a variety of subjects, such as architecture, landscape, street, and detail shots.

Begin in Knaresborough's town centre, which is basically the Market Place. This gives you immediate access to multiple photogenic possibilities. Spend 15 minutes here photographing cobblestones, trying to capture their textures. Look for historic shopfronts and architectural details such as doors, windows and signage. Wednesday is market day, which provides you with ample opportunities for street scenes and candid moments.

Next take the 10-minute stroll to Knaresborough Castle to take photos of the castle ruins against the sky, and panoramic views over the River Nidd. This is a great place to take layered landscape compositions, or using trees to frame the valley. Try some wide-angle shots and some vertical framing to exaggerate height.

The Castle Grounds give you a marvelous view of the iconic viaduct and of the river. Make sure you get some shots of the viaduct and the river, possibly with reflections in the water or people enjoying being out in boats.

From the Castle Grounds, you should begin to walk downhill to Waterside where you can begin your riverside walk. As you come to the bottom of the steps, turn right and follow the river, where you'll see rowboats and colourful reflections, ducks, swans, a kingfisher (if you're lucky), herons, and possibly otters (again, if you're lucky). The viaduct provides the amazing backdrop for so many photos of the river. Snap the abstract water patterns and the people enjoying the scenery.

If you're feeling energetic you can cross over the river via High Bridge near the World's End pub and go into the area around Mother Shipton’s Cave. This area is good for woodland photography and waterfalls. Moody, atmospheric shots are the order of the day.

Once you're finished here you should loop back uphill into town via Bond End and then the High Street to complete this photography walk. 

You may have spotted the Blue Plaques scattered around the town, and noticed the quirky wall and window art that are also feature of Knaresborough.

There are many plaques along Waterside that besides marking the site of a medieval building also help trace Knaresborough's significant role in the linen industry, but that's another story. 

This is just one example of Knaresborough's wall art (see below). My wife, who's a local artist, has produced many paintings of the exteriors of several of Knaresborough's more well-known pubs. You can see all of her artwork on her Linda Young's Art Group on Facebook. Prints are available and part of the sales proceeds are donated to Breast Cancer Now. Follow the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1EjvnYbYYs/

If when you get back to the town centre you fancy a cuppa and a bun, or even a swift half before you head back home, there are plenty of places to choose from. For those of you who want to discover more of Knaresborough's history, visit the Knaresborough Castle and Courthouse Museum in the castle grounds, or The Knaresborough Heritage Centre on the High Street. Check beforehand for opening times and admission charges. Talking about charges, carpark fees in Knaresborough are extremely reasonable.

Here's a very rough schematic route map, not to scale, to help you navigate your way around. There are also plenty of finger posts scattered around.

I hope you've found this blog interesting and informative. Please consider visiting Knaresborough and taking time to take photos of all the places and things I have suggested.

I hope to publish more photography walk blogs over the coming weeks.

You can follow me on Instagram and Threads @smart_phone_photographer_53. You can also follow me on my new WhatsApp channel via the link below.

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb7EWOpId7nMAVDqkv27

© Mike Young 2026.