BROWN MOOR 3.75 Miles

BROWN MOOR 3.75 Miles An easy-going 3.75 mile walk with no stiles or steep ascents. Even in wet weather, the route should be predominantly dry at all times of the year. Start Point: The corner of Barwick Road and Barrowby Lane, Garforth (across from the top of Garforth Main Street). Garforth owes its size to expansion in the 17th and 18th centuries during which the local land-owning Gascoigne family ran several coalmines in the area. The surrounding settlements of Micklefield, Kippax, Swillington, Methley and Allerton Bywater are all villages that prospered and grew as a result of the coal industry. To start the walk, head straight down Barrowby Road, away from the main Barwick Road; at the end, continue straight forward along a public bridleway, ignoring the other bridleway going off to the right. Continue forward along the newly re-constructed (2009) wide track for about ½ a mile to cross a bridge over the motorway. After crossing the bridge, turn left on the bridleway signposted Barrowby Lane, ignoring the footpath in front of you and head towards Thorpe Park Hotel and Office Park. Just before reaching Thorpe Park, the track bears right, just before a road, before curving to the left and at two wooden posts, turn sharp right to pick up a well defined footpath which quickly turns to the left. You are now in the area of Brown Moor, the location of the old Brown Moor Colliery. Samuel Wilkes Waud opened a number of pits near Shippen Hall near Manston in 1811. This led to a significant number of miners moving into Manston and Brown Moor from outside the area, and Waud, as a responsible employer, had some cottages built to accommodate them. These were in and around Church Lane in Crossgates and also along what would now become Station Road; one row survives today as shops, another was demolished to make way for the Arndale Shopping Centre in 1967. By 1822 Waud's early Manston, including Brown Moor, pits were experiencing difficulties after working through to bad coal. But in 1827 Waud sank a new shaft into the Beeston coal seam at nearby Cross Gates - at the side of the current Crossgates Shopping Centre, behind the Station Hotel - and shorty after two more pits were sunk at the top of Church Lane. Waud decided to retire from the coal business and control passed over into the hands of his son Edward who was fortunate that it coincided with the opening of the Leeds-Selby railway which passed through Cross Gates. Although Cross Gates ceased to be a significant coal mining area after the 1880s, the coming of the railway had already set in motion changes that would ensure the village did not go the way of so many former mining areas. After all, we have seen ourselves in recent decades the devastation wrought upon these communities after the loss of their local coal industry. Continue on the path which heads down towards the main Leeds to York railway line. On reaching a level crossing, only when the light is on green, cross over the line continuing straight forward with a house on your right. On reaching Lazencroft farm, turn right along a farm road and on reaching a junction, continue going to the right to follow the road, disregarding the bridleway off to your left. You will pass Shippen House Farm on your left where you carry forward, ignoring the public footpath off to your right. The farm track shortly bears away to the left towards a corrugated metal barn. At the next metal gate, turn right to take a track up towards the motorway. Keep straight ahead towards the motorway, again disregarding a further footpath on your left. Follow the track as it veers left and then right to go through a tunnel under the road and on emerging, goes left; arriving at a house and then a metal gate. At this point, turn right and then left to avoid crossing the railway line again. The way is now to continue along the track passing stables and eventually becoming a tarmac road eventually coming out back on to Barwick Road. Here, cross over the road and turn right under the narrow railway bridge crossing the road on the corner to Barrowby Lane and your original start point. Railway crossing after the Nannygoat Lane heading to- The end at corner of Barwick motorway tunnel wards Barwick road Road and Barrowby Lane Except where explicitly stated, all rights are reserved, and content should not be copied, adapted, redistributed, or otherwise used without the prior written permission of Harry Bratley the author. The author permits the use of this document for the purpose of following the walk..

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