Fewston: what to know before moving day
The church of St Michael and St Lawrence is Grade II* listed; its tower is 14th century and most of the rest dates from 1697. The Washburn Heritage Centre opened beside it in February 2011. Older houses in the parish are gritstone with stone slate roofs: 1 and 2 Hopper Lane are a pair built in 1703, Hardisty House carries the date 1728, and High Apprentice House is from about 1800. A gritstone guidestone at a road junction, carved with pointing hands, is also listed.
Fewston was once a big parish in the Forest of Knaresborough, taking in Blubberhouses, Great Timble and Thruscross until 1866. The reservoir, built for Leeds Corporation from 1874 to 1879, changed the valley: Fewston Mill was pulled down early in the work, and New Hall, home of the poet Edward Fairfax, is now under the water. A car park for Swinsty and Fewston reservoirs is marked nearby.
How the van gets to Fewston
The roads round Fewston are country lanes at the national limit: Busky Dike Lane, Cobby Syke Road, Smithson's Lane, Timble Ridge Road and Penny Pot Lane, with the road over Fewston Bridge across the valley. From Otley, the B6451 climbs as Farnley Lane and Brame Lane up the east side of the Washburn. Fewston Reservoir can also be reached from the A59.
The drive from Bradford is roughly 35 to 50 minutes. That is an estimate from route data, not a timed run, and traffic changes it.
Services for Fewston
Each service below links to its Otley page, which covers how the job works in and around Otley.
Fewston: questions before you book
Is the old village of Fewston under the reservoir?
Part of the old parish is. New Hall, where Edward Fairfax lived, lies under Fewston Reservoir, and Fewston Mill was demolished when the reservoir was built. The church and the houses on Hopper Lane are still in use above the water.
Nearby areas
Where the local details on this page come from
Checked on 28 September 2026 against:
- Postcode lookup (postcodes.io, ONS data): HG3 1SU is in Washburn & Birstwith ward, North Yorkshire, parish of Fewston
- Fewston (Wikipedia): village and parish north of Otley close to Swinsty and Fewston reservoirs, church mostly 1697 with a 14th-century tower, Washburn Heritage Centre opened February 2011, ancient parish in the Forest of Knaresborough including Blubberhouses, Great Timble and Thruscross until 1866, Edward Fairfax at New Hall now submerged
- Listed buildings in Fewston (Wikipedia, from the National Heritage List): St Lawrence's Church (Grade II*), 1 and 2 Hopper Lane 1703, Hardisty House 1728, High Apprentice House c. 1800, guidestone at a road junction, gritstone and stone slate
- Fewston Reservoir (Wikipedia): built 1874-1879 by Leeds Corporation Waterworks, Fewston Mill demolished early in the work, reached from the A59
- OpenStreetMap: Busky Dike Lane, Cobby Syke Road, Smithson's Lane, Timble Ridge Road, Penny Pot Lane (all 60 mph), Fewston Bridge, Brame Lane B6451, Washburn Heritage Centre, Swinsty & Fewston Reservoir car park