Middleton Woods

Nice fine day and pot has finally come off so I’m back driving again thank goodness.  Although I wouldn’t want to drive a long way it was nice to get back behind the wheel and set off under my own steam.  It had rained all week so I was prepared for a muddy walk.  Parked in Ilkley and set off up through Middleton Woods, everything is starting to grow now – there were even a few bluebells raising their heads. 

There were lots of celandines there too.  As I walked up through the woods I passed lots of families with children in wellies on a walk out.  I eventually reached the edge of the wood and climbed the stile into a large field. Crossing the field to emerge into Slates Lane.  From here I turned left then took a right and up the hill to a track on Primrose Hill. 

Here I took a stile/gate on the right to walk across the top of a wood to bob out at a cross roads below a farm.  At the farm drive entrance a stile took me into a huge field – here I went wrong as I followed the field side down the hill whereas I should have gone across the top of the field to the other side. 

At the bottom of the field I had to walk across and half way back up the other side to find the path and get back on track. After continuing in the same direction through fields eventually I came to a large barn with the path running behind it. 

(This seemed familiar).  From here going through more fields I eventually turned down into the woods – some steep steps and across a footbridge at the bottom to climb back up the opposite side of the ravine. 

I was not pretty sure I had walked around here before – slightly different walk in the opposite direction. 

Everywhere was really muddy I’d stopped trying to avoid the mud and puddles and just walked through it there was no other way.  I have to say I was glad I’d brought my trekking pole.  Especially going up and down the hills and woods which were all pretty slippery underfoot.  I eventually arrived in Denton a really pretty hamlet.  

Walking down the village road I heard a woodpecker in the trees above me and got my camera out ready to snap it but as I got closer it stopped hammering and I only saw it as it flew off.

At the bottom of the road I took the path to the right through several fields to bring me back to Ilkley Lido where I’d parked my car.  It had been a good walk just over 6 miles.  It had taken longer than I thought as I’d spent a while looking for the right path in the large field at Primrose Hill.  Will I remember the next time I walk this way?