Fewston Reservoir

Well Christmas is over with and I needed a stretch and some fresh air after all the Turkey and trimmings.  This is always a good walk with no need to follow directions. Just a straight forward walk on a good path with good views around the reservoir.  

As it was quite late by the time I got here I only had time to walk around Fewston, usually if I get here in time I like to walk around both Fewston and Swinsty. 

  Never mind this was a good walk with lots of lovely light and it wasn’t too boggy.  It was busy too – took me quite a while to find a parking place clearly lots of families wanted to get out and have some fresh air too. 

By the time I got back to the car park the light was starting to drop so I just timed it right – a good 4 mile walk to get me moving again.

Micklethwaite

Walked around here lots of times before – it’s a lovely afternoon winter walk just long enough to get around before the sun starts to set.  Today instead of starting in Bingley I picked the walk up at Micklethwaite Lane and crossed the swing on Morton Lane taking the path and forking right to the footbridge on Morton Beck walking upstream – 

then up through a field and onto a level path to pass the curly pig and black spot pig and then reach a mill pond and continue up a path to a corner of Micklethwaite

 – here there was a local retired gentleman who I stopped and had a chat with – when I told him I came from Haworth he said he used to go there a lot in his youth and had now retired just higher up from where his family lived.  I think he just wanted someone to chat with. 

From here I turned right up to the steep sloping green turning right along the path above Fair Lady Farm.  From here a path heads off enclosed by walls walking along here you can look across the valley towards Druids Alter and the bare trees of the St Ives Estate. 

  At the end I turned right up Greenhill Lane then left onto Lady Lane.  From here it was a straightforward treck down a path through woodland  to cross a road at Pinedale through a snicet down again to a narrow access road down Becks lane and onto the canal at Five Rise locks.  From here it was a walk back to Morton Lane where I’d parked the car.

4 miles and all the better for the leg stretch – and it stayed fine and bright.

Around Kildwick

I have done this walk before but only once and it must be a long time ago as I could only remember the first part of the walk which was to walk up the road past the old school of 1839.  

From there the walk went up a green snicket into a field and up to where Kildwick Hall is a 17^th century Manor House. Here I turned left and then up through a kissing gate and a path up past an old quarry and onto the main track onto Farnhill Moor 

– here the path continues bearing right through silver birch trees, the ground was muddy and from now on the rest of the walk was not all that familiar to me although there were odd parts here and there that I remembered.  As I reached a stile in the wall from here on a good day you should be able to see Flasby Fell and the hills over Malham.

Through the stile I crossed the field the right behind a small copse ( I remembered this bit) From here I crossed the wood to another stile which took me down across the centre of a field to another small wood and to a gate and a green track.  Here I turned right to a barn and went left past it down to a wall stile.  

From here I went down a muddy track into the hamlet of Kildwick Grange – this access road took me down to a road, from here I crossed the road and through a gate and onto a track all the way to the canal to cross a swing bridge and a straightforward walk along the towpath back to the start.  After going wrong a few times this walk was about 4 ½ miles, but really enjoyed it.  One to do again I think.