Sunnydale

This is a lovely local walk – I always enjoy it and today I only had time for a short walk as I was going out for an early dinner and then to see the local G&S Society perform The Gondoliers.  When I did this walk earlier in the year it was a lovely warm sunny day.  Today it was definitely autumnal but fine and not too cold. Heading off Green end Road passing a large stone aquaduct on the right. 

  At a fork in the road I turned left then right on a good track heading away, as the track swings to cross the beck  I continued on to the Sunnydale Reservoir. 

  Here I caught up with a family reminiscing about how they used to come and play here when they were children, now they were parents bringing their children to the same places. Crossing the dam and up a steep I turned off to the left into a small woodland path.

Along here is a small dam on the right no duck here today but still really pretty.  As went through the wood I could hear clay pigeon shooting – it echoed all around the valley. It got louder and louder as I arrived at Sweet Well Dike.

Continuing on the path I went down the cart track here on my left I saw a small stone bridge, I’d never noticed this before – on the left were  all the cars for the shooting – there looked to be good group there for the afternoon.

 I came out onto Ilkley road and turned left down to the crossroads. Here I turned left along the road, then looked at the book, I thought I’d gone wrong,  I should have gone straight across at the cross roads – still I didn’t really have time to go back so I carried on and took the first signed footpath to take me back down into Riddlesden – just by the old TB hospital.  From there it was a straight walk back along the road to where I’d parked my car.

It had been a lovely walk and I felt a lot better for it – a good 4 miles or so and the autumn colours had been lovely.  Note to self – next time go straight down the road not left.