Colne Water

This looked a nice easy walk in the book and I haven’t walked it before.  It started at the Ball Grove Park nature reserve. 

This was a lovely place to wander round – it was also pushchair/wheelchair friendly.  I started off walking up past the pond and up alongside the stream eventually coming to a footbridge across Colne water. 

From there a flagged path ran along away from the stream at the end it dropped back down crossing the stream again until I came out at Covey Bridge at Laneshaw Bridge. 

Here I walked up the road (the one that takes you to Wycoller) to a stile on the left.  Now I was looking towards Boulsworth Hill.  The directions now took me through several fields and stiles turning towards Pendle Hill. 

After keeping close through paths and over stiles I came to a drive and road at Hill Top Winewall.  Here were some lovely old houses with beautiful stone doorways and mullioned windows.  This was a lovely hamlet that I never even knew existed.  I turned down a snicket past a steep field with donkeys to drop onto a small road then dropping again until I came out onto Trawden Road. 

I walked along here a short distance to then take a path on the left up past a house to a bridle gate and up to the top of the hill on the way I passed the farmer re-building his stone wall – he said it helped to keep the sheep sheltered in the bad weather and was a lot better than fencing.  At the top there was a small enclosure on my right with sheep and lambs.  One of them came running up to the wall (usually they run off to fnd their mums).  As I walked along and came to a gate it ran up to the gate and stuck

its head through the bars.  This little lamb had had a lot of petting I think. 

From here I carried on past a house and through a gate in the yard to drop down through a field to the bottom corner.Here a path lead through some woodland and down to back road and across a bridge.  Here I turned right alongside the stream until eventually stone steps took me back on to Trawden Road from here I turned right to get back to Ball Grove Park.

This had been a lovely walk and the café in the park looked nice too. Although I think the walk was nearer 5 miles than 4 miles.

Doubler Stones

This morning was a lovely spring day the thermometer was showing 20 degrees and I was ready to go for a walk.  It’s been quite a while since I’d walked up to the Doubler Stones and the last few times I’ve walked in that area the weather hasn’t been too kind so today would be a nice change with pleasant views.  I parked up in the lay by and set off to the gate by White Crag where I normally turn down the fields.  Clearly the farmer didn’t want walkers going through the field anymore it was barbed wire along the top of the gate and it was padlocked closed. So to get back on the walk proper I had to follow the road down the hill and then catch the stile into the field leading down to Holden Beck. 

Crossing over the footbridge by the cobbled ford and up a grassy track with gorse bushes either side.  From here it was back up the hill to eventually turn left along a rough pasture. 

I f I had walked on here last week it would have been a total mud bath but this week the ground was drying out nicely.  I turned towards an old ruin heading through a stile down a dip in the ground – this was still pretty moist – it never seems to dry out just here.  After passing the ruined barn it was a steep slope down the hill to cross a stream at a slab bridge. 

Only to have to climb up again through several fields up to Black Pots.  Here I turned along the drive to just past Doubler Stones Farm.  From here I headed across the moor to the doubler stones.  They looked impressive today with the sun on them. 

After stopping to look back I headed across the moor following the track over Rombalds Moor.  From here I could see Beamsley Beacon on the horizon ahead.  Climbing the stile I turned left along an escarpment edge to a memorial stone   It had been a good walk with good views although there was a haze in the distance.  4 ½ miles of lots of ups and downs.

then dropping down alongside a plantation following the wall around it to the final steep drop off the moor back to where I’d parked.

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?

Newsholme Dean & Goose Eye

First walk since breaking my wrist so it had to be close to home as I am still not driving (pot doesn’t come off until 9^th April).  This walk starts in Laycock – where Mum grew up and my Nan and Grandad lived.  It wasn’t sunny today by any means but at least it was fine and not windy.  Once in Laycock the walk proper starts at Totley Hall Road going through a stile on the left. I didn’t want to walk anywhere too muddy and slippery but this was going to be just that.  At the bottom of the field I even had to cross the stream by some stepping stones so that was a challenge.  From here I followed the stream back down into Goose Eye itself. 

The name comes from Goose Hey (field where Geese are kept) today there were lots of ducks. 

I then turned towards the Haworth end of the village and took a stile leading to a footbridge over the stream following up the valley the path led me through Oak and Alder woods eventually joining a track into Newsholme Dean.

  Here there was a lovely hump back bridge and path through some woods. 

It was boggy everywhere but not quite so bad as I thought it might be and I just kept thinking this is a lovely place to come in the summer-time.

At the farm at Newsholme the track twisted through the hamlet and past Low Laithe Farm eventually after going through stiles and tracks I was walking along a lovely old cobbled lane past a small mill pond and back into Goose Eye, 

from here it was a steep walk up the main road to a paved path bringing me back into the centre of Laycock.  I felt a lot better for getting out for a walk even though I was cautious and wary of falling (I did take my trekking pole with me).  4 miles done and I’m sure I’ll soon be back up and running as before.

 

Baildon Moor

By lunchtime it had faired up and I thought the forecast was for it to stay dry this afternoon.  I also thought I’d done this walk before but a long time ago.  Parked up in Eldwick and headed down towards the Acorn Inn. 

It didn’t take me long to realise I hadn’t done this walk before. As I walked along you could see several rivulets had been created in the fields due to the recent thaw and overnight rain. 

I turned and walked up a narrow pathway over t he other side of a fence was a bed of snowdrops protected by a canopy of trees. 

From here I emerged into a series of boggy fields then crossing over some race horse gallops. 

While I’d  been walking along here the fog had descended and it had started to rain.  From the fields I turned onto an equestrian path – Birch Close Lane and then down to Sconce Lane.  The way was then across part moorland and part Golf fairway to the access road to Dobrudden Caravan Park – by now I was wet through and the fog had obliterated any view. 

I was glad to be on the home stretch.  It was a long muddy track from the moor top to the top of Shipley Glen.   As I landed I heard and felt a horrible crunch in my wrist. I stayed on the floor till Id worked out how to get back up. Looked at my clothes, they were all muddied up and then my hand.  I wiggled my fingers and thumb and felt relief there mustn’t be a break after all.  From here it was a straight forward path back to Eldwick main road and my car.

Unfortunately just a stone’s throw from the firm path I slipped in the mud. I automatically put my hand out to save myself. I drove home with a throbbing wrist.

As a P.S. to this walk overnight my wrist swelled up to an odd shape and turned blue/black.  I rang Melanie to bring bandages to strap it for me on the Sunday she refused and was whisked off to the walk in centre in Otley 1 x-ray and 2 hours later I came out with a diagnosed impacted fracture and a temporary pot, the pot lady had been keen, she looked at my top and suggested I take it off as I was going to need a full arm, shoulder to fingers pot.  My face must have looked a picture as I stared at her and said “ You must be joking I’ve only broken my wrist”. Off she scurried, coming back a few moments later to say I only needed a below elbow pot thank goodness.  Monday saw me at Airedale for a full pot to be removed in 4 weeks.  It could have been worse. It didn’t need re-aligning or pinning no surgery involved. Lesson to self-use walking poles in bad weather.

St Ives

Sunday and the weather was not so good but I needed to get out and have a quick walk in the fresh air.  This morning it had been snowing but after lunch it faired up enough for me to get out.  It was really icy underfoot so I decided on a short walk around St Ives.  The drive over was quite tricky too as it was really foggy and still lots of snow on the roadside where there were the remains of snow drifts.  When I turned into the car park it didn’t look too good but I’d already committed, so I pulled into a space and reversed back to make sure I could get back out again later. Boots on and off I went.  It was a really glum afternoon so I decided not to do the full walk but just head up to the Coppice Pond for a walk around and take some photos. 

It wasn’t easy walking as the snow was either compacted down or turning to slushy ice so no matter where I walked there was the risk of sliding. 

Anyway I managed it up to the pond.  Strange how fog makes everything have an eerie feel to it and all the sounds become muffled making for long silences. 

Suddenly you can hear tree branches bending, water dripping, and birds and rustling among the trees, all these sounds somehow become amplified in this foggy misty world.  As I walked around there were several families with children and dogs all out for a Sunday afternoon trek.  Lots of them had come to feed the ducks and water birds on the pond.  Interesting how different everything is on days like this. 

As completed my circuit of the pond and headed back onto the road an elderly couple were walking towards me. 

The man was walking with a type of zimmer frame and had a Labrador with him, his wife was just behind and she was walking with two sticks.  I take my hat off to them for venturing out in this weather especially as it wasn’t easy walking with slush, snow and ice. It just shows you can all get out there if you have the right motivation.  As I walked past they smiled and said Hi.  They were clearly a happy couple. 

When I got back to the car I felt so much better for being out for an hour or so.  I jumped in the car and skidded out of the car park and back home glad I’d made the effort to leave the house this wintry Sunday afternoon.