Aberford Flyline An easy 4 mile walk with just one stile and no steep hills; the walk can be muddy through the woods in winter and during wet periods. Watch out for Red Kites and Kestrels along the route. Start Point: Tesco Supermarket Car Park, Aberford Road, (NB maximum stay 3 hours). 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 , Kippax, Swillington, Methley and Allerton Bywater are all villages that prospered and grew as a result of the coal industry. Nowadays manufacturing and motor-vehicle repair account for more than a third of the workforce in the area. From Tesco’s car park, turn left away from the filling station and up the road behind the supermarket delivery entrance. Turn 1st right into a cul de sac and down a footpath to the right of houses to reach a metal kissing gate. Go through the gate and ignore the 2nd gate on your right, turning diagonally left across a field at the side of a small wood on your left. The path soon turns into a wider track and at the next junction turn right across another track to pick up a footpath cutting across the middle of a field heading towards a hedge at the bottom – do not take the track to the right towards houses. On reaching the hedge at the bottom of the field, go through a metal gate continuing forward along the path on the right hand side of the next field, heading towards the motorway. On reaching the motorway, ignore the first footpath on the right and continue to a metal fence. Turn right through a wooden gate at the public bridleway sign to walk parallel to the road and eventually turn to the left though a tunnel to reach the other side of the motorway. Here, turn left again along the path and as it turns to the right disregarding the public bridleway sign but turn left towards a public footpath sign. Here you go right over a stile and continue straight across a field, by a well defined path, heading towards the left hand side of the trees further on, leaving the noise of the motorway behind. This path in due course descends towards a metal barrier at the left hand corner of the field to emerge at Barwick Road. On reaching the road, go right to walk over a narrow bridge and keep on the right hand verge to Laverack Cottage; here turn right along a paved farm road ( Lane) towards Throstle Nest Farm, entering the Parlington Estate.

The Parlington estate holds many artifacts and constructions of interest, in particular the 'Dark Arch', a short curved tunnel along Parlington Lane reputed to be haunted. It was built c.1813-4 to shield the residents of Parlington Hall from the traffic passing along Parlington Lane, mostly horse drawn coal traffic, as it was taken to the village distribution point in Aberford for onward travel into the local market. The lane was later developed to provide a private railway to transport the coal from the pits in Garforth to the Aberford Coal Staithes, commonly called the "Fly Line". The estate was used by the army during the First World War and Second World War, the structures built during Second World War and still in existence today were constructed by the soldiers of No.3 Vehicle Repair Depot, part of Royal Army Ordnance Corps.

Continue along the metalled road and where it bears left continue going straight forward up a wide track. At this point, keep a sharp look-out for sightings of Red Kites, regularly seen along this part of the walk.

The Red Kite is 60–66 cm (24-27 in) long with a 175–195 cm wingspan. It is an elegant bird, soaring with long wings held at a dihedral, and long forked tail twisting as it changes direction. The body, upper tail and wing coverts are rufous. The white primary flight feathers contrast with the black wing tips and dark secondaries.

The track will soon enter into a wood as it continues up a slight incline and then levels out where the way ahead is clearly forward, passing Old Staithe Cottage on your left. After passing a house on your right, the track veers slight left to go straight once more. Just before the track again bears slight left, you will notice a wide footpath to your right into the trees. At this point, turn right down this footpath which after short while at the junction, take the right hand path through the trees and continue straight ahead. You are now following the old route of the “Aberford Fly-Line” The Aberford Railway was a small, little known private railway running between the villages of Aberford and Garforth connecting the newly built collieries of Richard Gascoigne which were located along the route of the railway. It was originally intended to carry coal to the Great North Road in Aberford to be transported to the lucrative markets in the Vale of York. With poor communications in the area, it also carried passengers from an early stage. The Aberford Railway was originally operated by gravity and horses, but later converted to steam power with the purchase of a number of Manning Wardle locomotives. The railway closed in 1924 after many of the pits were worked out, and competition from two new omnibus services. The 'Fly Shed' was located at Hawks Nest pit and housed the coach and one of the locomotives. The now crosses the route near the old location of the Hawks Nest and Elizabeth pits. Although this has changed markedly, the house at Hawks Nest still stands. A spoil heap and cottage survive at the Lily pit site Your route is now straight forward and very easy to follow through the wooded glades. As you eventually reach a wide track, going left to right, continue directly across back in to the wood taking care at what is often a muddy point of the walk and heading in the direction of a wooden squeeze stile to continue straight ahead towards the motorway as the wood begins to thin. Going under the motorway once more via a tunnel, stay walking forward heading for a metal gate to come out in to a small industrial estate and walk up the road, passing industrial buildings, towards a row of terrace houses visible across to your left. Eventually as you almost get to the houses, you will see a public footpath sign on your right and here turn right along a trail and at the next footpath sign carry straight forward – do not turn right – taking you into a field to the right hand side of a house. Your way now follows a distinct path to your left towards some industrial units which you pass on the left. Follow the path to go by a small plantation on your right and directly forward to arrive at a metal kissing gate. Go through this gate and turn left to go through a second gate and up a path to houses and back to your original start point.