Leeds Uiм|Ison
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wA1 -$$ tr* TilIAtKITllG s o vl --" c, o lr'. ¡ \¡l Itll tÞ å,. Wp" FEBRUARY,2015 No" 402 LEEDS UIì|ISON TODA.Y'S \ilALK ancl2Ð02' WE have walked this route {in some form or another) in1974,1990 I. commemorating the passing through Myrtle Park, we cross the River Aire using a footbridge Wood we approacn ee1!!o.ot Bridge' a Festival of Britain of 1 95 1 . Skirting Holme House erect edin 1723! By Beckfoot packhorse bridge rpu*ing Harden Éeck which cost f,10 when contain boulders from the Farm (1617) we pass alorr"g medieval Beckloot Lane, whose walls Airedale glacier. Aire, and the riverside lVe cross Cottingley Briclge, an ancient crossing point on the ioin of course the footpath NoticJthe aqueãuct (1897), canying Bradford's water s¿pply, and glacial moraitre' flrlá,r", of the Bingley'bypu* iaOSó¡ Hiist Wood looms ahead upon a Canal 30 ft' gäfore entering it'ire see tie 7-arches aqueduct carryi'g t¡e Leeds-Liverpool at Hirst Locks and tread the canal above the river. Passing through Hirst wood v/e emerge employees at his huge mill towpath to Saltaire'moiel' village built by Sir Titus Salt for his His statue stands proudly in Roberts Park' to Prod Lane on the slopes lVill the Shipley Glen Tramway be open? Open or not, we climb Loadpit Beck' Ancient of Baildon Hill but soon descend into shipley Gien where we cross Little Beck before a final footways (ginnels) rise ancl fall within the wóodland and we cross continuation of Beckfoot Lane' ascent takes us up to Prirnrose Lane in Gilstead - once the at Dowley Gap Bridge and Down the long hill we rejoin the canal near the 7-arches aqueduct towpath I've pass through a variety we head past scourer e?idge into Bingley. Learring the which raise the canal over 59 ft' of housing, eventually ,ea"h]ng the 5-rise 'staircaseilocks The café might be oPen? railway to emerge by All Returning into Bingley, past the 3-rise locks, we cross the 4650 ancl about 4 4'I5pm Saints Chgrch. Thã Liversicle footpath returns us to Myrtle Parl< - CÛNTENTS PAGES 2-4 : THÐ I,AST WALK PAGE 5 : CHANGE TF DATE FAGE 6 .. BURLEY ERTÐGÐ UPÐAT'E PAGÐ i : A CÛLÐ WfNÐ B[-Ûl'VS T'E{E WAï-K TT{AT'NEVER IVAS PAGE I : T'EIE' I{EXT W'4LK 2 THE LAST W,A.LK BAR\ryICK-IN.ELMET, SAW \ryOOD AND SCHOLES (7 Y't míles\ suNDAY, 25tr' JANUARY, 2015 THERE was almost a hint of Spring in the air as we slowly gathered in the car park of Bar-wick-in-Elmet's village hall. Even though the air itself was quite cold, the car park was sheltered from any breeze and the slightly higher sun shone with some noticeable warmth from large areas of blue sky. We were sharing the car park with footballers and a rnartial arts group but there was ample space for all. One advantage of the latter group being there was that the hall was open * an added 'çonvenience' for some of the walkers! J 'F . We were a larger group of 18 and sei oùt in the pieasant sunshine, walking along Croftway opposite the hall to the junction of Welfare Avenue where we turnecl along a footpath beside the green to enter Barwick's main street. The teeling of Spring was reinforced by the sight of heathers, primulas, pansies and snowdrops as we passed through the village and we noted repìica ploughs and flower beds that would be featured later in the year as part of 'Barwìck in Bloom'. Passing roadside cottages, The Gascoigne A.rms and the famous towering white maypole we turned along The Boyle and diverted from the route to just within sight of the large mound on Hall Tower Hill. Barwick-in-Elmet is one of the most historic communities in our area with its roots going back to the age of the Ancient Britons. It was from here that the small British Kingdom of Elmet was ruled by pow-erful Celtic chiefs. It is said that the fortified mound (or Barugh) r,vas raised by peasants carrying soil in sacks rnade of animal skins. These British kings were subdued by the Romans in the l't century AD who stayed unjtil 4104D. The Anglo-Saxon raiders took their place and tradition says that Edwin the Anglican king had his royal residence atop the high mound. But, after 1066, it was the Normans who built a motte and bailey castle - a simple wooden stockade on top of the hill, its thìrd and final defensive role. The manor was granted to the Norman baron Ilberl de Lacy, Lord of Pontefi'act. Returning to the Methodist Cliurch we continued along The Boyle, passing a variety of lrouses, arrd fhe roarl fell throush a woorled cuttins- its embankment showing signs of more snowdrops. We clescended to meet Rakehill Road but kept straight aheacl, following a track down by houses towards a ford. The stream rvas Rake Beck/Pottefton Beck and the track was part of the Leecls Courrtry Way which we w'onld be follow"ing through to Saw Wood We left the last houses of Barwick and crossed a wooclen footbridge over the stream, takirrg then the continuation of tlie track (a green lane) on the other side of the steam. Skirting patchy snow inthe hollow (remaining frornthervintry'snap' only a few days earlier) we starteclto clinlb the rising green lane but soon cut through a gap in the hedgerow to continue the ascent in the adjoining field As expectecl, the ground was muddy and slithery in piacesl Over tire rounded hill views opened out to the surrouncling rolling countryside, a stucly of green fielcis and brown woodland with farm buildings on the opposite hillsicle, and from the bro,,v of the hill we could hear and see traffic on the dìstant York Road (464) We descencled the fleld-edge inio a shallow valley, avoiding 'I(eep Out' and 'Private' signs and crossing J another tvooden footbridge over another branch of Potterton Beck. A stile took us into a long narrow field, the first of a few fìelcls which led us up the valley of Potterton Beck towards Yorl< Road. We dodgecl molehills of lovely friable soil and passed through a sheep-grazed meadow, fèeling warm in the absolute calm of the valley. Soon we were in siglrt of the 464. noting the almost continuolts traffic speeding along it in both directions. Leaving the {ields as we approaclied the elevated road on l(iddal Bridge, we entered a w'oodecl dell, the footpath winding amongst vegetation near the high retaining wallof the road. Crossing the stream (issuing from under the bridge) we were faced with a receiltly- fellecl, iarge tree crossing our path - the result of very recent gaies - but fortunately its thick crlver of strrrcl-y ivy stems assisted Lis tc scrambie over reasonahly easilit. The path climbed steps and we passed through a gap in tire wall, arriving af the roadside in dribs and clrabs which was an advantage in crossing the road in small groups. There were occasional gaps in the speeding traffrc and to everyone's relìef we crossed easily and safely. We were near the 'Rec'l Bus' café and of course there w-ere suggestions (in jest?) that we should stop there for iunch. We rvoulcl have filled ihe upper deck! A fi¡gerpost pointed our way into I(idclal TVood (part of Saw Wood) and trying to ignore the various items of litter which extencled tiom the roadside into the w-ood, we follow-ed a pleasantly meandering path occasionally wet in its earlier stages then drier later. The bare woocl was relieved here and there by glossy hollies and the msset colour of remaining leaves and as we strocle on we noticed there was some light rain falling fì-om a passing cloud - lnore rioticeable in puddles on the path. The noise of the busy i'oad slowly receded behind us aud we attained the encl of the wood r,vhere there was a path clivergence. The Leeds Country lVay went aheacl, airning straight for Thorirer village, but we left the L.C.W. ancl turned ieft, heeping just within the bòundary of the wood and accompanying a rill. We quickly became confinecl between the rill and overgrowth, the narrorv path becoming gh-rtinous w'ith yellow mucl! However, much of it w-as later avoided by taking another circuitous ror-rte which returned us lafer to the same path as its surface began to improve. Beyoncl the overgrolvth, and past the rill, the path opened out as a 'normal' path which once again passed through the pleasant woodland. Here, a fallelt lree (and a lorv ridge besicle the path) pror;iclecl suitable seating fol'lunch. The cloud had passecl over atlcl tlie suu shone once again, frltering through the trees and lighting the tields beyond the rvooclland bounclary. Within the woocl all was still and r.r'e felt cor¡fbrtably warm, especially afÌer walking. lt was also surprisingly quiet (apart lrorn us) with no birds or othel life! Even York Road r¡¡as practieally inar-rdible - except for one roaring motorbikel Lunchtime ltassed very pleasantly. Resr-rnii¡g algng the woodland path we carrre to the end of the wood ancl ttlrned along Watery Lane. a wirje access track whose surface was good at first but deteriorated to mud fr-rrthei alo¡g ¿ts \,ve appi.oached a gate.