Micklethwaite

Today I was walking with Monica around Micklethwaite.  As Monica lives at East Morton this was our starting point going down to catch the footpath at Morton Beck and then turning upstream crossing  over the footbridge it was all a bit muddy and we just had to watch where we walked.  

We eventually came out by an old Mill pond with ducks bobbing about it was all bit Wind in the Willows – lovely.  

We made our way around it and up into the small village of Micklethwaite which is on a steep hillside.  We walked up by the green and turned right to a gate.

From the gate the views were all across St Ives and dropping down into Bingley, although they were a little hazy today as the sky was cloudy and overcast and although it felt warm walking it also felt like it could rain at any time. We continued on past Fair Lady Farm and took in the views of Druids Altar on right.

Eventually we came out onto a narrow road (Greenhill Lane) continuing upwards this met up with Lady Lane. Here turing right we immediately took a footpath on our right taking us down a path through some woods emerging onto another roadway. 

Here we crossed over to Pinedale (a small estate) and a small snicket and down to a small access road.  Here on the right is a 16^th century house – Gawthorpe Hall.  We took the stile and steps down to a gate and a through road.

Once on the road we turned right above some allotments – they were full of ripe raspberry bushes and huge flowering sunflowers. From here we dropped down to Five rise locks.  We crossed the lock and walked back towards East Morton along the Canal side.  It was really busy on the canal today – lots of barges and boats moored up. 

From the swing bridge instead of continuing back to Monica’s we turned up and went through footpaths along the back of fields – we were spotted by an old blackspot pig and a creamy curly haired pig – they came running across the field to the fence where we were in the hope we had something to give them to eat.  Unfortunately we had nothing.  We continued up and past a field which usually holds a couple of donkeys but when we looked for them they were in their stable being fed.  We came out just by the old Co-op in East Morton – two minutes from Monica’s where we had tea biscuits.  A lovely walk which we had extended from 3 ½ miles into a 5 miler.  A lovely Saturday afternoon.