BOSTON SPA, DEEPDALE AND RIVER WHARFE A 4 mile easy going walk, even in wet weather with one short hill and four stiles. Start point: Boston Spa Parish Church, High Street, Boston Spa. There is roadside parking on A659 above the church going out of Boston Spa. From the Parish Church, walk along the High Street away from the town centre. On reaching playing fields on your right and Deepdale Community Centre, turn right along Deepdale Lane. After a small housing estate on your right, the lane now bears left, then sharp right again down towards a wood. On reaching the wood there are two footpath options ahead of you. Take the left hand footpath through the wood following Deepdale Gorge down to the river Wharfe. As the river comes into sight, turn right over a stream via a stone bridge and up the short steep hill to Jackdaw Crag high above the river on your left. Follow this cliff top path until you are almost level with the Parish Church across a field on your right. Do not deviate from this path but continue straight ahead passing the weir on your left. At this point you will come to a wooden signpost, continue straight ahead at public bridleway sign and on to Boston Spa Bridge. On reaching the bridge, continue straight ahead on the riverside path. Eventually, as you meet a path coming down from the right, you will arrive at the site of the original Spa Baths, on which now stand private houses. In 1744, John Shires established Boston as a spa town when he discovered magnesium, limestone and sulphur springs. In those days it was known as Thorp Spa. It declined when Harrogate became very popular as a spa town. In 1753 it was decided to turnpike the Tadcaster to Otley road which runs through Boston Spa. In the same year, Joseph Taite built a house for the accommodation of visitors in Boston Spa. This would become known as the Royal Hotel - still standing, but now converted into flats and shops. By 1819 Boston Spa had a population of over 600, and several inns and other houses offering accommodation. The spa baths had also been built by this time to allow visitors to take the waters. On the east bank of the river lies the village of Thorp Arch which predates Boston Spa by several centuries. Across the river, can be seen the district of Thorpe Arch. Thorp Arch hosted a World War II Royal Ordnance Factory, ROF Thorp Arch, an ammunition Filling Factory. ROF Thorp Arch finally closed in 1957. Part of the site is the home of the Northern Reading Room, Northern Listening Service and Document Supply Collection of the British Library. The remainder of the site is occupied by Thorp Arch Trading Estate and two prisons, now combined as Wealstun Prison. After passing the Spa Baths houses, continue straight ahead following the river bank. On reaching a large white house with iron railings on your right, turn right to follow another footpath away from the river and towards the main road. Passing through a tarmac drive with large houses on both sides carry on straight forward up the track and the main A659 Boston Spa to Tadcaster road. Now with care, cross over the road and turn left continuing away from the main town along High Street; Passing two white houses and allotments on your right and continuing towards a small road bridge over a stream. The official footpath to the right is at the far end of the bridge through a farm yard however, as this is a very muddy route, the following small diversion is recommended. Just before reaching the bridge, there is a track to your right leading to a house. Turn right at this track and turn immediately left through a metal gate into a field (please make sure that you securely close this gate behind you). On entering the field continue diagonally left towards the stream and then bear right to follow the stream walking away from the bridge with two ponds on your left. Carry straight forward where you will eventually cross four stiles in succession with Clifford Church coming into view across the fields on your right. The footpath will lead into a narrow road at Firgreen Bridge. At this point, turn right along the road and just before entering Clifford, turn first right into Green Lane towards Boston Spa. On reaching a T junction, turn left passing Boston Mews on your right and Martin House Hospice on your left. At the end of this road, turn right and continue back to Boston Spa High Street. Here, turn left and walk back to your starting point at the church. 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..