Walking by Train: West Yorkshire

[Starmill]

Hello everyone

I wonder if anyone would be kind enough to provide me with a few recommendations for walks, parks, or really any particularly nice parts of the countryside in West Yorkshire that can be accessed without too much difficulty from the railway. Ideally I'm looking for somewhere to go for a short day out that makes me feel as far out of the city as possible. I hope to achieve any of: visiting one or more stations I've never been to, getting to know the area better, combing this with a trip on a train, some exercise and a way to appreciate Yorkshire (so, something with a good view, history, cultural significance etc.).

Any station where West Yorkshire tickets are valid will do. A few ideas that have popped into my head would be to pick two stations, for example Shepley and Denby Dale and walk between them, go to Illkley and wander around on the moor for a bit for the novelty value, or try something like go to Hebden Bridge or Todmorden and just wander up into the hills. Trip Advisor reccomends St Ives (Bingley) and Chevin Forest Park (Menston? bit of a walk). Ideally no more than around 45 mins from the station (would rather not use a bus) unless it's a great walk. TBH, I'm open to almost anything (except Roundhay Park).

Thanks

 

[DBE]

Cross Gates to Woodlesford might be quite a good walk, through Temple Newsam, or walking out of the City along the canal either towards Woodlesford, or somewhere such as Bingley?

 

[Welshman]

You could try walking from Marsden or Slaithwaite stations down the Huddersfield Narrow Canal into Huddersfield, then catching the train back.
Although on the valley floor, it gives good views of the Colne Valley scenery, and there is plenty of industrial heritage to be seen in the locks and woollen mills which used to be in the valley.
If you started your walk at Marsden you could perhaps sample the ales at the pub at Tunnel End if it was open, but then you might not get too much walking done.

 

[theblackwatch]

What's wrong with Roundhay Park!?

In all seriousness, these websites may give you one or two ideas:
http://www.lostrailwayswestyorkshire.co.uk/Railway Ramblers.htm
http://happyhiker.co.uk/MyWalks/Wes... Public Transport Walks in West Yorkshire.htm
http://www.walkingenglishman.com/leedsharrogate.htm

A couple of us talked about doing the railway walk towards Collingham at some point but nothing has come of it as yet. There are also a few old lines near Wetherby which can be walked, but sadly the place isn't rail connected. Similarly, the area Harrogate has quite a few walks but is outside of the West Yorkshire boundary - a walk from Starbeck to Knaresborough via Bilton takes in an old railway line, then through woods to the river, and there's a pub to stop off at for a drink on the way!

 

[IanD]

My two favourite station to station walks are

i) Ilkley to Saltaire across Rombalds Moor.
http://www.walk4life.info/walk/dales-way-link-saltaire-ilkley

ii) Oxenhope/Haworth to Hebden Bridge.
http://www.bradford.gov.uk/NR/rdonl...3-8CEFA3EF88AF/0/H2HHaworthtoHebdenBridge.pdf

Also Hebden Bridge<>Todmorden

Easy along the canal or a bit higher up:
http://www.walkjogrun.net/routes/current_route.cfm?rid=EDD756E8-0747-C381-076B373C1C40797B

or via Stoodley Pike if you're feeling fit:
http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1918189

Unfortunately all more than 45 minutes!

 

[Starmill]

Great response thanks I'll just clear some things up I've been ambiguous about:

I've been to Roundhay Park, it's lovely.

I meant 45 minutes as a maximum length for an 'access walk', if you will, along a road, or to get to a park or other such attraction. I'd be looking good for around 4/5 hours total walking time. I only specified that cos I don't want to end up trying to get to somewhere that looks great (e.g. Ogden Water) but is miles from a Railway station!

 

[Crossover]

Well, you could do Mirfield to Dewsbury...if you make it to Dewsbury alive, you deserve a medal :P

 

[gnolife]

Id suggest Walsden to Littleborough - then you've got a variety of better places you can get to, like Mauldeth Road

 

[Harpers Tate]

When you initially said walk, out of the city, exercise and so on, I was going to suggest walking from Bingley to Ilkley. Or, if going uphill isn't to your taste, taking the bus from Bingley to the Eldwick terminus and walking the rest. Allows for a Beer stop at "The Fleece" aka "Dick Hudson's" before setting out over the moors. One of the quietest (in terms of background noise) places I recall ever being was about halfway across the moors.

But 45 minutes? I think you are looking for something else.

 

[Starmill]

When you initially said walk, out of the city, exercise and so on, I was going to suggest walking from Bingley to Ilkley. Or, if going uphill isn't to your taste, taking the bus from Bingley to the Eldwick terminus and walking the rest. Allows for a Beer stop at "The Fleece" aka "Dick Hudson's" before setting out over the moors. One of the quietest (in terms of background noise) places I recall ever being was about halfway across the moors.

But 45 minutes? I think you are looking for something else.

It's a good suggestion And nono, 45 mins isn't a restricting factor, I said 4-5 hours in total, I was just a tad unclear.

Todmorden to Hebden looks about right to me, many options are good but I can do that with just a return to Todmorden. (Walking between lines means two tickets or a day ranger, which is fair enough really, but I gotta decide somehow!) Not sure which route to pick though.

 

[Deerfold]

Had an interesting walk a few years ago from Sowerby Bridge along the canal - it'll take 5 or 10 minutes to get there from the Station - then just follow the canal to Hebden Bridge.

If you get fed up, Mytholmroyd station's on the way - and there's various access roads to Burnley Road with a bus every 10 minutes.

If you're enjoying it enough you could carry on to Todmorden or Walsden as suggested above.

We got a little further than Hebden Bridge and were thinking of going all the way to Todmorden until the weather turned from clear to torrential and we got a bus back.

 

[yorkie]

I've cycled the following:

• Keighley-Leeds (20.2 miles - you could walk something like Bingley to Saltaire)
  
• Dewsbury-Bradford (11.7 miles - you could walk part of this route if you got a bus back)
• Smithy Bridge - Brighouse (24.5 miles - you could, for example, walk Hebden Bridge - Mytholmroyd)
• + several more...!

All in fabulous weather, on a mountain bike, but walking would be an option to do sections of the route. Some parts are better than others. Not the best time of year to walk along canals though, but this is the time I do my planning. Can I tempt you to join us on a forum cycle ride next Spring/Summer, or are you restricted to walking?

 

[Gathursty]

I recommend the Craven area but the trains can be sporadic. However, you could walk between Long Preston and Hellifield, Giggleswick and Settle. There's also Horton-in-Ribblesdale if you want to go up towards Pen-y-ghent I think. Ingleton is a lovely village but it is probably better to prearrange a taxi from Bentham or Clapham station, though Bentham has an irregular bus to Ingleton and back.

Indeed this is better approached from Leeds but if you're from Manchester, you may have to time your approach into Lancaster correctly to avoid a long wait, unless the Hellifield extensions from Clitheroe are available or were they only proposed??

 

[YorkshireBear]

You now reside at Leeds University i believe? Which area do you live in for uni purposes?

I live in headingley, and it is a short walk for me down to the canal i walk along it for about 13 miles. Which as a flat walk is about 4/5 hours i have done it several times. You follow the railway for large parts, it really is quite beautiful. The path takes you straight to Shipley station where you can recover in MacDonalds (or not lol) then catch the train home very easily. If that doesn't take your fancy, then catch the train to Saltaire, to walk to Keighley and then catch the train home. Or any combination between Leeds-Skipton. All very very very nice.

Haworth is very nice but requires a steam train. Also there is ample walking from Hebden Bridge which is still in WYPTE and Marsden.

Hope this is of help.

 

[IanD]

Only 20 mins on the bus from Keighley to Howarth though.

 

[Hardcastle]

Menston to Otley along part of the old railway or Gargrave to Skipton along the canal.

 

[Deerfold]

Only 20 mins on the bus from Keighley to Howarth though.

That'd be Haworth. Bus only takes 15 minutes every 20 minutes on the 500, 664, 665 (plus occasional others on the 915-8) and 502/696/697 to nearby Crossroads.

 

[IanD]

That'd be Haworth. Bus only takes 15 minutes every 20 minutes on the 500, 664, 665 (plus occasional others on the 915-8) and 502/696/697 to nearby Crossroads.

Spelt it right in post 5! I was catching the 664/5 to the top of the village to svae my legs!

 

[Bayum]

What's wrong with Roundhay Park!?

In all seriousness, these websites may give you one or two ideas:
http://www.lostrailwayswestyorkshire.co.uk/Railway Ramblers.htm
http://happyhiker.co.uk/MyWalks/Wes... Public Transport Walks in West Yorkshire.htm
http://www.walkingenglishman.com/leedsharrogate.htm

A couple of us talked about doing the railway walk towards Collingham at some point but nothing has come of it as yet. There are also a few old lines near Wetherby which can be walked, but sadly the place isn't rail connected. Similarly, the area Harrogate has quite a few walks but is outside of the West Yorkshire boundary - a walk from Starbeck to Knaresborough via Bilton takes in an old railway line, then through woods to the river, and there's a pub to stop off at for a drink on the way!

Is there anything left in Collingham?

I've never seen much around here before - the only existence that there was a railway here is the embankment on the opposite side of the river next to the Linton river bridge, as well as a few sleepers nearby.

The old railway line between Spofforth and Wetherby is now a walk/cycle track, however via the main road it's only two miles between the two, so it isn't much of a walk!

Wetherby is a 40 minute bus journey using the X98 or X99, longer using the 770.

 

[yorkie]

Menston to Otley along part of the old railway or Gargrave to Skipton along the canal.

The latter is in North Yorkshire, so the fares are unaffordable sadly.

As for the former, it doesn't look like much can be walked, though it appears on OpenStreetMap it may be possible to walk from here (A65) to here? (W Chelvin Road), but it's unclear how you are meant to cross the A6038?

 

[Starmill]

Some excellent suggestions here thank you to everyone and any more would be very welcome. Unfortunately at present I am essentially on foot, and would agree that spring should herald better weather, longer days, brighter evenings to enjoy such things, and I am essentially also planning. I hadn't considered walking from Leeds actually, but I have walked to Headingley before, so that may be an idea.

The Craven area of North Yorkshire stood out to me on trips over the Settle & Carlisle / Bentham lines, and fuelled partly by the desire to visit a few stations on these lines I had thought in the summer to try walking from Clapham (Yorks) to Ribblehead over the top of Ingleborough. However tickets represent.... shall we say, poor value for money? Especially for a journey like this which would appear to need a single form Long Preston to Clapham as well as the over-priced return to Ribblhead.

 

[IanD]

Tickets to Settle/Giggleswick are definitely interchangeable and I seem to recall that you could buy a ticket to some stations on the S&C and return from another station on the Lancaster line (but that may only be during the annual Metro offer).

 

[yorkie]

Tickets to Settle/Giggleswick are definitely interchangeable ....

Yes, agreed http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=1676027#post1676027

 

[Oscar]

In practice guards always seem to apply common sense and accept return tickets to/from any station in the Dent - Ribblehead - Horton - Settle - Giggleswick - Clapham - Bentham area from any station which is not obviously further away from the origin that the one printed on the ticket.

You can also easily walk from Ilkley to Bolton Abbey over the moors or along the Dales Way (bus 74 runs from Ilkley to Bolton Abbey if you don't want to walk both ways - five times a day currently or only three times a day from April as a result of the cuts announced today) or from Steeton and Silsden to Skipton across the hills to the north of Steeton - both are recommended. You can also walk from Knaresborough to Harrogate along the River Nidd. The Calder Valley is criss-crossed with footpaths - Hebden Bridge to Stoodley Pike or Heptonstall or towards Todmorden is a good place to start. If you have more time I'd recommend Grassington to Kettlewell via Coniston Pie (bus 72 from Skipton - also to be cut) or a walk in Upper Nidderdale, perhaps Lofthouse to Pateley Bridge (820 then 825 from Leeds on certain Sundays).

 

[YorkshireBear]

If you do the Canal from Leeds the best place to join is here as this is where you get out of the industrial parts. http://goo.gl/maps/2QQC7

 

[theblackwatch]

Is there anything left in Collingham?

I've never seen much around here before - the only existence that there was a railway here is the embankment on the opposite side of the river next to the Linton river bridge, as well as a few sleepers nearby.

The old railway line between Spofforth and Wetherby is now a walk/cycle track, however via the main road it's only two miles between the two, so it isn't much of a walk!

Wetherby is a 40 minute bus journey using the X98 or X99, longer using the 770.

Looking at Google earth, any trace of the line seems to end just outside Collingham. Looking at maps, I'm unsure how much of the route is actually walkable.

I've walked Wetherby-Spofforth a few times and it can be done in 45 minutes or so. There's also the walk along the old line (which is now a cycle track) from Wetherby to Thorp Arch which is a similar distance.