Little Alms Cliff

The day looked like it was going to stay fair so I rummaged through my books for a new walk and came up with this one.  The car park took some finding – eventually found it and got my boots on.  From the look of it it was a popular place for off road mountain biking.  I crossed the main road and went on the track into the woods. 

The first part was fine but then the directions were to take a path by a wall corner, I must have spent 20 minutes going up and down crossing paths in the forest to finally come across a really narrow little trod into the woods –

once I’d found the path I just stayed on it to eventually come out at the other side of the forest – over a stile to a rough sheep pasture and ahead I could see Little Alms Cliff.  

From the cliff Menwith Hill could be seen on the skyline.

  Having looked around at the views I set off back heading towards the right of the forest.  Here I followed a path outside the forest to a stile which took me back into the wood – but the path was a much better one than the one on the other side of the trees.  The path ran straight onto the road and then back into the woods to eventually join the original path I’d taken into the woods.  Good walk of about 4 ½ miles with all the up and down I did looking for the right paths at the beginning, and it had stayed fine today. 

Kelbrook Moor

I thought I had done this walk previously about 4 years ago, before I started keeping a walking journal or blog.  I parked up in the village and set off up towards the track onto the moors.  I didn’t remember any of this walk – all I kept thinking was it was a very boggy moor so hopefully after a couple of dry weeks it wouldn’t be too bad today.  As I walked up the farm track nothing was ringing any bells for me.  

The track led through several rough pastures and by ditches and streams to eventually rise to Scald Bank and here it started to rain and went wrong as I just kept glancing quickly at the book to get the directions while trying to keep it dry. 

I dropped to the road too soon but came to the pub from the road instead of the moor.

 From behind the Black Lane Ends pub on the old Skipton-Colne turnpike road the path rose left to a stile in the wall ( I was back on track – right path and right direction and the rain was easing off).  The views were supposed to be Boulsworth Hill, Ingleborough, Penyghent, Buckden Pike and Great Whernside, not today unfortunately. 

I should have been able to see Earl Cragg at Cowling too and I couldn’t even see that. From here the paths and tracks eventually took me to Roger Moor – it was getting boggy, heathery and bulrushes were everywhere and I just kept my eyes on where I was putting my feet.  All the way round I had heard clay pigeon shooting and now as I dropped down off the moor I could see where the shooting was coming from. 

I definitely hadn’t done this walk before.  On cob lane I turned down and passed a large compound of old cars before turning right on a drive past a house into a field – from here it was a case of walking steadily down through fields back to Kelbrook village.

  A good walk but with the trailing about avoiding bogs on the moor the walk had been 5 ½ miles not the 4 ¾ the book said.  At least I was starting to dry out from the rain.

As an additional point when I got home I couldn’t find my glasses or case so assumed I must have lost them somewhere on the way round.  Anyway the next day – Sunday after my walk I decided to drive back to Kelbrook and make sure they weren’t on the verge where I’d parked.  Long shot I know, but guess what some kind person and picked them up and put them on some railings by the road.  I only spotted them on my way back to the car as I’d stopped looking in the verge and was looking up along the railings.  How lucky am I. 

Made a note in my book this is a summer walk it would just be too hard and wet and boggy in the winter months.

Halton Height

New walk today,  a few weeks ago I drove up to find the lay-by and starting point for this walk and seeing as the weather is just perfect for doing this walk and finding my way round todays the day.  I parked up in the lay-by and it was pretty full but managed to squeeze into a space.  There were lots of cyclists out and about too.  The view looking across to Lower Barden Reservoir was lovely.  I crossed the road and set off down a wall side path through the bracken which was now springing up quickly with the good weather.  

It was a straightforward track down through a gulch and eventually heading back on the moor road by a cattle grid. 

From here I crossed over and followed a track up the side of some woods.  The track followed a wall-side up and somewhere here I must have gone wrong as I reached the top, passing a quarry with Rhododendrons in it and never hit an OS column or a cairn. . Next time I do this walk I’ll be sure to look out for it.
 

  

Instead I just continued to follow the wall along the moor top.  There were curlew flying around sounding a bit upset so they must have had a nest nearby that they were warning me off from.  At the top I could hear a cuckoo really loudly that was sat up in a tree above the quarry.  The path eventually dropped down to Eastby Gate, although I walked past it down to a stream before I realised that the gate I passed was the one I was looking for so I had to climb back up the hill. 

From here I turned to cut across the moor to a grass track heading to a row of grouse butts. 

The path then turned into a landrover track to two shooting cabins.  Here I turned left past the stone built cabin following a trod through heather and bilberry bushes. 

Lots of grouse were here and flew up in the air angrily flapping their wings when I walked past.  There were lots of buzzards circling too on the way round.  Then when I dropped down onto the firm track/bridleway I heard lots of birds and looking back there was a flock of starlings performing like a mini murmuration eventually they settled and I followed the track back to the lay-by where I’d parked.  The track back was a lot further than I thought.  The book said the walk was 3 ¼ miles but when I checked it was nearer 4 miles.  The views of Lower Barden Reservoir and Simon’s seat behind were lovely.  A really pleasant walk on a warm day.

Troller's Gill

I’ve been wanting to do this walk for about two years but until today it has never been the right time.  I stopped off in Skipton and bobbed into Cotswold Outdoors and saw these beautiful green summer walking boots on a shelf with my name on them saying “buy me” – so I did.

No time like the present to try them out.

I found my way to Skyreholme okay and parked up on the little stone bridge just by the telephone box.  The first directions said go through a field which when I looked was full of cows so that was a no no.  As I read further I realised I could skip that bit of the walk and headed towards Parcevall Hall.  Here I turned left over a stile into a field to follow a beck upstream.  There were a few people in front of me and one or two heading back to the road. I carried on upstream until I came to a junction of paths here I took the right hand path to curve around the hillside eventually opening up to show me the Gill. 

It’s a small narrow ravine with a limestone streambed that was dry today.

The path was just to keep going up through the limestone streambed to eventually arrive at a ladder stile onto open countryside.   

Further on there was another ladder-stile to climb and just beyond a small bridge left over the steam - but my route was to continue up to an old spoil heap, ruined building and an old lead mine entrance.

From here a green path took me right up to the top of hills and to a gateway on Black Hill Road.  Here I turned right heading in the direction of Simons Seat.  This was a long walk on a track to eventually come to a junction where I took a right and followed this road back down to Skyreholme.  Really please I’ve done this walk.  As  a bonus on the way back at a road junction a there was a tractor rally going past.

 Only disappointment I didn’t see any Trolls in Troller’s Gill. Just over 4 miles on hot day. Home for tea and toast.

Sutton Clough

Lovely day and the temperature was going up but tonight was George’s Gang Show so I didn’t want to risk being late back to get over to their house for 6.30pm so I picked this walk as I already know the route and it’s not a long drive there and back.  Set off up into the woods and spotted this nicely carved stone.  Funny how you can do a walk several times and then spot something you’ve never seen before.  

It was pleasant walking up through the woods the trees giving shade and making it just that bit cooler.  The bluebells were still out and there were hundreds of Wild Garlic which had a really strong smell. 

Because of the dry weather the stream at the bottom was only small, I have been when it’s been a lot faster.  

Because the bracken hadn’t started growing too much it was a lot easier to find the steps down to the water today – and it was a lot easier to find stepping stones across as there was so little water.  I climbed up through a dell full of bluebells to enter a field where there are always cows. There were just two black ones today.  Then I crossed over the road into the farmyard where the mad black and white dog was dashing about and barking frantically on the end of a long chain.  You could hear it before you saw it and I had to keep to the opposite side of the farm yard to stay out of its reach.  At the other side of the farm the track where its normally quite muddy was bone dry today. I past the derelict building and headed up to the farm at the top of the hill. 

Here there were two peacocks – unfortunately they weren’t displaying their tail feathers today but still nice to see.

  There were lots of sheep and lambs in the field passing down below a house, they normally run away but these didn’t move.

As I walked across a small gated track it was fully of some sort of alpine balsam which looked like a pretty pink/purple bed. 

Back down to the main Eastburn Road I crossed over to go down Green Lane.  Last time the field on the right was just brown – today it was all new houses with cars on the drives.  As I went further on there was the house with an extension – like the same size as the house itself with a huge roller door in the gable end.  Every time I’ve wondered why they’d built this.  Today it was open and inside was a large classic wagon E reg all beautifully restored and shiny.  Mystery solved.  Good walk 4 ¾ miles and still enjoy this walk.  Time for tea and the Gang Show.

Elland Park Wood

 I’ve kept looking for walks around Halifax area and they seem to be thin on the ground. Finally found one from the Yorkshire Post this walk is supposed to be good to do in May as its through woods full of bluebells so now was the right time to do it.  The start was easy enough to find although the car park was quite small behind a unit that seemed to make wooden pallets.  The directions were fairly straight forward – back to the main road and across to a track up into the woods.  Up by a house I turned off onto a track into the woods proper. 

There were lots of tracks criss crossing the woods and it looked as though some of the paths were used  by mountain bikers but my directions were to keep fairly straight through the woods. Have to admit the bluebells were beautiful and when the bluebells disappeared the wild garlic took over. At the end of the woods I came to a red brick cobbled road. 

It must have taken thousands of bricks to make this road.  Following the road uphill I turned off over a stream up some steps and into a field.  At the top of a field I came to a farm track.  At the end it was lucky I looked back and spotted the stile – down a field and marked as part of the Calderdale Way.  Going down the field I stopped to look across the valley and the farmer appeared on his tractor.  He stopped and asked if I was lost.  I said no was just admiring the view – then I thought I’d best be on my way. 

The path came out onto a small road by some rugby fields.  There must have been an important game on the road had cars parked along it from end to end and there was a large crowd on the sidelines watching the game. After walking along the road a few yards I took a path down through a field.  Then I had to come back up the field – should have crossed it instead of going down it.  The stile was at the top.  Then I could go down – entering some woods and following a path emerging onto the A629.  Didn’t like this bit had to cross the busy road and after trailing up and down the road a couple of times I couldn’t find the path down to the canal so had to go along side the road till I could turn down at a roundabout and pick up the tow path there.  Then it was just a steady walk along the towpath back to the start where I’d parked.  This canal was very quiet.  On the way I passed ducks and geese with their ducklings, and goslings –  I think now was the best time of year to do this walk.

a swan sitting on her nest (it was huge – never seen one before)

past the Woodside Flour mills ruins – one of the largest flour mills in Yorkshire

and a racing track for model racing cars. This was a good 4.5 mile walk and I’m glad I did it while the bluebells were out.