BARNBOW AND LIMEKILN HILL A medium-going 4.5 mile walk which can be muddy in winter of after heavy rain. There are six stiles and one, longish but not too steep hill. Start point: The Gascoigne public house, Main Street, Barwick-in-Elmet (opposite the maypole) LS15 4JQ Barwick-in-Elmet is one of only two places in the area to be explicitly associated with the ancient Celtic kingdom of Elmet, the other being Sherburn-in-Elmet. The village is noted for its Maypole raising and lowering which is a public event that typically brings large crowds to the area. The village includes earthworks created as an Iron Age fort, and used later as the site of a Norman castle and a World War II observation post. The ancient village of Barwick in Elmet dates back to around 200-600 BC. The earthworks at Wendel Hill and Hall Tower Hill were probably built by the local tribe of Brigantes and coins have been found dating from the second century BC and first century AD which would suggest some continuity in the use of the earthworks up to the time when the Romans conquered the north of England. There is a reference to an agricultural settlement in the Domesday Book which indicates a Norman presence in Barwick in Elmet and subsequently the Lordship of the Manor passed through marriage to the Duchy of Lancaster in the fourteenth century. From a number of taxation surveys, it is known that in 1379 there were 197 adults living in about 100 households. After passing through several hands, the Manor ended in the ownership of the Gascoigne family in the seventeenth century and there are records indicating that in the following century there were around 240 families living in the parish. In 1720 there is the first mention of a school in Barwick in Elmet and by 1821 the parish had increased its population to 1,481 inhabitants. The 1920s also saw the introduction of water, electricity, gas, mains sewage and telephones to the village, but it wasn't until post war years that the village saw significant expansion. In the last 100 years the village has been transformed from a farming and mining village into a commuter settlement and place of retirement, although the parish still includes five working farms producing wheat, barley, oilseed rape and potatoes, with some rearing of poultry and cattle. From outside the Gascoigne pub, walk down Main Street, away from the Maypole and take the first turning right taking you up to Elmwood Lane. Here, turn left and continue along the road, passing Elmwood Avenue on your right. At the end of the road, turn right along the main road towards Scholes and a little way along; turn left crossing over and head down Flatts Lane. Just after passing The Mount on your left, turn right at a footpath sign to cross over a stile. Bear diagonally left to negotiate a further stile and a small stream. After crossing the stream continue bearing left towards small trees and follow the path alongside Hawthorne bushes to a further stile. Once over this stile, head straight forward towards a way-marker turning right to follow the left hand edge of a field, with small trees on your left. On reaching the top left hand corner of the field, turn left by a way-marker to walk along the right hand edge of a further field. As you follow this path, there are good views back towards Barwick – see if you can spot the top of the maypole. Eventually, the path heads slightly down hill with panoramic view towards Garforth and on a clear day, even as far as Emley Moor mast on your right. Continue along the right hand edge of a field crossing another stile, then through a gateway to the bottom of the path. On reaching a wood and the edge of Garforth Golf Club, do not go forward over the next stile; instead go over the stile on your right and walk diagonally left across a field towards a yellow way-marker. Turn left over a bridge across a stream and then right up towards a metal gate on to a further way-marker; heading up a field (Limekiln Hill) towards trees at the top. On reaching the wood, carry straight forward for a short distance to emerge on to a track and at this point, turn right to follow the Leeds Country Way. The Leeds Country Way is a circular long-distance footpath of 62 miles (99 km) around Leeds. It is nowhere further than 7 miles (11 km) from Leeds City Square, but is mainly rural with extensive views in the outlying areas of the Leeds metropolitan district. It follows public footpaths and minor lanes, with a few short sections along roads. A route was first devised by Fred Andrews of the Ramblers Association, and then developed by West Yorkshire County Council in the early 1980s. This council was abolished in 1986, and the path is now under the care of the Countryside section of Leeds City Council. The Leeds Country Way was realigned in 2006, using a route devised by Bob Brewster, to bring it entirely within the boundary of the Leeds metropolitan district (previously it crossed the boundary into Wakefield), and the path was officially re- launched on 26 September 2006 with a revised set of map leaflets and improved way-marking. Continue following the track, past a metal gate and eventually, as the track bears sharp right, take the path straight forward by a footpath sign heading towards houses and the village of Scholes. Scholes derives its name from the Old Norse 'skali' which means 'the temporary huts and sheds'. Records from the 12th Century show that the monks from Kirkstall Abbey pastured their sheep at nearby Seacroft. For most of its existence Scholes has been an agricultural community and today there are still three working farms. In Mediaeval times, the villagers cultivated the land in three open fields which formed part of the estate of the Lord of the Manor. Records from the 13th, 14th and15th centuries show that Scholes had a mill, a fishpond and a deer park. Excavations carried out in the stackyard and garden of Scholes Lodge Farm prior to its development, have revealed the footprint of a post-mediaeval farmhouse built on an earlier site, as well as finds dating from mediaeval and even earlier times. In the 1870's Scholes developed significantly with the opening of the railway and brickworks. The first St. Philip's Church was built in 1875 (the present St Philip's was dedicated in November 1966 and the original church became the Parish Hall) and in 1879 the Methodist Chapel was opened. At the beginning of the 1870's the village stretched roughly from what is now the beginning of Wood Lane (or Brickyard Lane as it is sometimes known) along both sides of the road as far as Scholes Lodge Farm. It was throughout the years of the next century that various phases of building took place which gave the village the shape it has today. The brickyard closed in the 1920's and the railway line was closed in 1964. Scholes Hall, a handsome red brick building of the 18th Century, was demolished in the 1970's. The site was incorporated with Scholes Hall Farm and some fields to the north to provide the land for the sheltered housing complex. The Scholes War Memorial along with the twenty three Horse Chestnut and Lime Trees which line Station Road, are recognised as a National Memorial. They are listed in the United Kingdom National Inventory for War Memorials. The trees, which are protected by a preservation order, honour men from the village who died while serving in the armed services during the First and Second world wars. As you pass between houses, you will emerge at a road. Cross directly over the road and over stile to walk directly across a field towards a further stile and across the next field to climb over a stone step stile and on to another road. At this point, cross over the road and turn right down the road (ignore the footpath sign going straight ahead of you). Continue down the road on the left hand pavement and on reaching the Leeds Country Way, turn left to follow the footpath by house number 24. Continue passing a metal gate and allotments on your right to continue along the well defined path for about 1 mile to bring you back into the village of Barwick and your original starting point. 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..