LOWTHER LAKE CIRCULAR Fairly easy-going 5.5 mile walk with one stepping stile and no long inclines. The going can be muddy in wet weather walking around the lake; otherwise the paths are usually in good condition. Start point: Kippax Leisure Centre Car Park, Station Road, Kippax. LS25 7LQ Kippax - The village's historical roots are survived by the presence of an originally Anglo-Saxon church undergoing significant modification in Norman times. Despite being an administrative centre for hundreds of years, the population remained small and mostly agricultural until the late 1700s when coal mining began on a relatively small scale in local bell pits. The advent of deeper mining and the discovery of coal seams in Allerton Bywater saw Kippax undergo a rapid expansion in the 19th century into a typical northern mining community. Townclose Hills Local Nature Reserve (or Billy Wood as it is known locally) sits upon a knoll of magnesian limestone. From the plateau at the top of the hill there are beautiful panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. The mosaic of habitats found here – including limestone grassland, woodlands, meadows, scrub and a woodland glade support a wide variety of plant and animal life, and much of the site has been designated a “site of special scientific interest” by Natural England in recognition of its national importance for conservation. The origin of the name Billy Wood is lost in the mists of time, but it may refer to a person named Billy or even William, as one document calls the area William Wood. On all official papers it is called Townclose Hills, and references to the area date back to 1628. Townclose is mentioned in the Enclosure Act of 1791, when the rights of common pastures were lost to the residents of Kippax. At the western edge of the wood there were two cottages, called Billywood Cottages, and there was also a coal mine. The mine was often referred to as Billywood Pit but its proper name was Medhurst Pit. The mine was working in 1896 but closed shortly afterwards. Remains of the cottages and the items used by their inhabitants can sometimes be found in winter in the form of a few pieces of broken pottery or brick. Walk: From the picnic benches at the Leisure Centre, head diagonally left, across a field towards a pylon and a gap in a wooden fence; heading up the next meadow towards a wooden sign and interpretation board, to enter the edge of Townclose Hills Local Nature Reserve. Go over a metal stile and at the bridleway sign, turn left down the edge of a field. At the next bridleway sign, turn right towards a further signpost up a short hill turning left before reaching the sign, down a well marked path between trees to follow the course of a stream. Now continue to wooden steps to bring you on to the “Lines Way” The building of the Leeds Castleford and Pontefract Junction Railway in 1878 allowed the extraction of sand and limestone from the Townclose area. Ordnance Survey maps show that a siding was later put on the railway at the North West corner of the present Local Nature Reserve. The OS map dated 1908 also shows a tramway, which was used to transport sand from a nearby mine to the railway. This sand was extensively used in the engineering industry for making moulds to cast metal, as well as for use in the building trade. The railway was decommissioned in the late 1960s, but the route is now used for the Leeds-Garforth cycle track, the “Lines Way”. On reaching the “Lines Way”, turn left along the route of the old railway for approximately 1 mile going over one and under two bridges until you reach “Bowers Junction” and an obvious spur to the right by an old railway wheel, which you now need to take. Continue along this new track until you arrive at a main road opposite Edward VII Working Men’s Club at Woodend. Cross the road and continue straight ahead along the bridle path at the side of King Edward Avenue via three squeeze stiles. Keep on the path, slightly downhill arriving at a further metal squeeze stile and continuing forward along the wide track passing a large stone picnic area on the left. At the end, bear left up a short hill alongside St. Aidan’s RSPB reserve eventually descending down to yet another squeeze stile and Lowther Lake. St. Aidan's near Allerton Bywater: Coalface to open space! Formerly a huge, deep hole in the ground when an opencast colliery, now filled and landscaped by the coal board and transformed into a near 900 hectare reserve including wetland, lake, woodland and agri- culture habitats. It will be a reserve with a difference, yes there will be large areas reserved for wildlife, but, managed by the RSPB, and in partnership with Leeds City Council and English Nature, it will be a valuable asset with miles of footpaths and bridleways for visitors to enjoy. The reserve will form a major link in the vision for a network of wetlands, including the already well established Fairburn and Skelton Lake reserves together with many minor wet places linking along the Lower Aire Valley. St Aidan’s and Lowther Lake form part of the wider “Lower Aire Valley Project”. An exciting, bold and innovative vision for the Lower Aire Valley between Leeds and Castleford will see the RSPB working with partners to restore and enhance hundreds of hectares of land to benefit people and wildlife creating a network of green spaces, transformed brown field sites, floodplains and wash lands. The value of the river corridor as a recreational route has been recognised and a num- ber of initiatives, such as the Trans-Pennine Trail, the Leeds Country Way, South Leeds Heritage Trail and more localised towpath and footpath improve- ments, are being progressed. With greater leisure use of the Navigation, there will be more opportuni- ties to promote greater use of canal towpaths and extend the links to existing settlements and centres of attraction. Promoting a corridor of wetlands and other habitats created, enhanced, managed and pro- tected for nature conservation and quiet leisure ac- tivities, including bird watching and angling; extending Fairburn Ings nature reserve to incorporate the reclamation site at Ledston/Newton Ings to provide a wetland reserve of wider regional importance and the development of the St Aidan's site. On reaching the lake, turn right and right again at the next squeeze stile following the wide track with the lake on your left. Continue until another metal gate and keep following the track slightly uphill and at the top, turn left heading towards a bridleway sign and a metal horse stile. Carry on over the stile to follow a well defined path to navigate around the lake which is still on your left and the River Aire on your right. Continue along the path for approximately ½ a mile to the end of the lake, at the junction of two paths. Ignoring the route to the left back to the lake, keep straight forward through a wooden fence to follow the river bank with small lakes on you left. Eventually, the village of Allerton Bywater will come in to view. Allerton Bywater is a semi-rural village built up of several smaller communities, mainly based around old mining villages including: Brigshaw, Hollinhurst and Bowers Row. In June 2007 residents and motorists were rescued from floodwaters by firefighters and RAF helicopter after torrential rain. Heavy rain in November 2000 also forced nearby residents from flooded homes. Allerton Bywater was in local and national news in 2008 when the Congregation of St Johns Catholic church protested against the closure of their Parish Church, chaining themselves to railings when assessors came around to assess the value of the church and lands. This was followed by a strong campaign of letters and e-mails and interviews with the BBC. The congregation remaining loyal to their Priest have petitioned the Vatican and have employed a Catholic Cannon Lawyer to defend their case. This is the strongest opposition to the closure of a Catholic Church in Yorkshire since 1989 when the Church of Mount St Mary’s in Leeds was closed which was seen at the time as a national scandal. On arrival at a wooden fence between two lakes, turn left to take a wide track between both lakes to pass two metal gates and up to a road. At this point, cross directly across the road and continue along Doctor’s Lane. At the end of this road, as you again meet the “Lines Way”, continue straight forward up a narrow tarmac road through trees and passing Owl Wood bungalow on your right and a small estate of industrial units. As the road bears left, go straight forward along an unmade track along the edge of Owl Wood on your right and as this track bends to the left, again continue following, ignoring a track to your right down to a house. On arrival at a crossroad of paths, follow the signed route to Brigshaw Lane past Brigshaw School on the right. At the end, on reaching Brigshaw Lane, turn right crossing over the road by the entrance to the school taking the concrete footpath opposite and down steps. Continue along the concrete path towards Great Preston with trees on your left and meadowland to your right. On reaching houses, go behind a row of terraces houses by bollards turning right and then left along Glencoe Gardens and continue to the end turning left towards the main road.