Thruscross: what to know before moving day
Thruscross Reservoir was the last of the four Washburn reservoirs, completed in 1966 for Leeds Corporation Waterworks, long after the other three. Around it the parish is farms and a few houses, with sixteen listed buildings, all Grade II: North Corner Farmhouse of 1703 and its barn of 1704, Middle Farm, and The Raw, a farmhouse and barn, all gritstone under stone slate.
Greenhow Hill Road is the spine of the parish, with The Stone House Inn on it and the Maukin Cross locality and the Carlhow Stoop boundary stone nearby; Reservoir Road and Harper Lane lead off it. In the 19th century the township had several flax mills and took in the hamlets of Bramley Head, West End and Low Mill.
How the van gets to Thruscross
The way up is off the A59 above Blubberhouses: the route data turns north on Meagill Lane, climbs Hardisty Hill and follows Greenhow Hill Road, a 60 mph moorland road, with Reservoir Road leading off towards the dam. Greenhow Hill Road continues north towards Greenhow and the drop into Nidderdale.
The drive from Bradford is roughly 40 to 55 minutes. That is an estimate from route data, not a timed run, and traffic changes it.
Services for Thruscross
Each service below links to its Ilkley page, which covers how the job works in and around Ilkley.
Thruscross: questions before you book
What happened to the old village under Thruscross Reservoir?
The old West End, already largely derelict after the flax industry declined, was flooded when the reservoir was built, and its remains show in droughts such as 1989 and 1990. A hamlet near the reservoir keeps the name West End.
Nearby areas
Where the local details on this page come from
Checked on 28 September 2026 against:
- Postcode lookup (postcodes.io, ONS data): HG3 4AH is in Pateley Bridge & Nidderdale ward, parish of Thruscross
- Thruscross (Wikipedia): settlement and parish 11 miles west of Harrogate, reservoir and moorland, population about 90, flax mills, hamlets Bramley Head, West End and Low Mill
- Thruscross Reservoir (Wikipedia): northernmost of four Washburn reservoirs, completed 1966 for Leeds Corporation Waterworks, flooded West End, remains seen in 1989 and 1990, another hamlet keeps the name
- Listed buildings in Thruscross (Wikipedia, from the National Heritage List): sixteen Grade II buildings, North Corner Farmhouse 1703, barn 1704, Middle Farm, The Raw
- OpenStreetMap: Greenhow Hill Road (60 mph), Reservoir Road, Harper Lane, The Stone House Inn, Maukin Cross, Carlhow Stoop
- OSRM route estimate from Bradford (OpenStreetMap road data, checked 2026-09-28): A59, Meagill Lane, Hardisty Hill, Greenhow Hill Road, Reservoir Road