Bradford Millennium Way #1: Bracken Hall to Oxenhope 09/09/13

Self at Bracken Hall

It has been a while since I last did a formal trail, having spent the last three months wandering under my own influence around the high moors of the West Riding, and with a whole week off work on my plate and me not having the desire to spend £100 for nights away in Wharfedale means that now is the best opportunity to burn through another of West Yorkshire's circular trails. I'd put the Wakefield Way on my slate for 2013, but that was bumped onto next years plans once I picked up the route guide for the Bradford Millennium Way, which promised more challenging walking and would make much better use of my all-regions Metrocard. 45 miles long and instituted in 2000, naturally, the Millennium Way promises to visit all the high lands and scenic valleys of its district whilst it deviates from the template of the trails the other five districts of West Yorkshire, insofar as it does not place its administrative centre within the loop, so that the Bradford district walk does not actually go anywhere near Bradford, and I'm not going to offer any commentary on that, so make of that what you will...

Bradford Millennium Way #1: Bracken Hall to Oxenhope  11.4 miles


Rowing on the River Aire

I don't often get out to start walks at commuter time, but I'm out among the Monday morning throng for an 8.40am arrival at Saltaire as I need to make an early finish because of a parental visits and I want to stay ahead of the poor weather forecast for a 2pm start, and as Bracken Hall is almost a mile for the railway station, I have to hit the paths hard and attempt the walk up by Shipley Glen tramway at the clip, and this distance travelled isn't even counting to my total. So wind up at the trail's official start point at Bracken Hall Countryside Centre and Museum, just after 9am, with only the early morning joggers and dog-walkers for company, and the hazy sunshine of The End of Summer hanging low to illuminate Baildon moor and Shipley Glen, and after striknmig a pose by the obelisk, the trail starts at a speed that I hope to maintain for the whole day. So no dawdling as I strike out to the Old Glen House and then trek down the wooded bridleway that leads out to Higher Coach Road, with associated council houses and thence down to banks of the Aire so almost 100m has has been climbed and lost before the day has even gotten going. Level going comes at the river bank, and the scene of Hirst Mill standing across from the weir is our first great view of the day, and up stream the river is uncharacteristically placid, so naturally it's a great home for the Bradford rowing club, and the sun-dappled tramp along the riverside path is enhanced somewhat by getting to watch a rower on his single scull hammering it upstream with his coach cycling along the path. We should be afforded a view of Dowley Gap Aqueduct as we rise up to meet the towpath of the Leeds & Liverpool canal, but tree cover prevents a good view from below, so join the path up to bridge 206, before crossing and hairpinning back around the converted mill with enviable views of the sewage farm before rising to cross the aqueduct on the opposite side and not getting a view from this angle either. The path back to the riverside involves a bit of hopeful choosing of branching tracks in Hirst Wood , but make the right choice and return pass under the railway bridge of the Skipton Line, attractively built in iron and with trains thundering over in both directions, and then the path gets enclosed by a fence and its a viewless traipse onward to a walled track beneath tree cover, which seem to be gradually crumbling away (or it having its stones pinched). Descend to some properly overgrown walking down beneath the overpass of the A650, which threaten to get tenuous or to soak my trews before emerging out by Bingley sports club's playing fields, and a full circuit is made of them as the river loops round before the path goes behind expensive garden and an oddly located industrial unit, also passing an immediately identifiable Bradford Water Department aqueduct.


Ruin Bank Wood

Arriving up at the old main road crossing of the Aire on the B6265,  I'm not entirely sure which settlement I'm on the edge of, but the map tell me it is Cottingley, so we must be in the heart of Fairy Country, but there's no time to seek them out as Beckfoot Lane offers me tarmacked surfaces and soon turns into an obscure minor road as it drops away above the above the river, past more expensive house, sports fields and allotments before rolling up at the attractively ancient Beckfoot farm, and I go over Harden Beck at the packhorse bridge, before crossing back again a short distance further along at Beckfoot Mill,  and despite what the route guide says this place is too small to even qualify as a hamlet. Next up, the path crosses Shipley Golf Course (nowhere near Shipley), guiding me with large white stones and I'll be happy when I run out of paths that involve golf courses, but it's only one field beyond there to meet the edge of Ruin Bank wood, a plantation which covers most of the high escarpment that rises above the south bank of the Aire, so that means a 70m ascent through a pleasingly cool forest of conifers, which allows for easy breathing as the path sharpens. Thankfully it offers no rocks to scramble over and it evens out as the forestry track is met, and the route to the other side follows the edge of deciduous wood that has been fenced off for some reason. Watering time comes at the top, just as the day starts to turn glum and the view offers sights towards the locally imposing heights of Norr Hill and Nab Hill around Wilsden, and then it's field walking time, first over to Lee lane, and then beyond in the direction of Wilsden Beck, coming to an end as it meets the high edge above the valley, and I move along what feels like a Shipley Glen in miniature, with its rocky outcrops and a riot of Birch trees, wondering where all the noise seem to be coming from, a question answered when I meet a rough quarry road, and the paths do there damnedest to avoid it as they snake into the undergrowth making route-finding complicated as I miss the turn that leads up to Harden Lane, and have to backtrack before finally emerging by Stephen A Smith's Garden Centre and Restaurant, aka day out destination for old people.


Goitstock Wood Waterfall

It's short way up the lane that the path turns to enter the forest again, entering the top edge of Crag Wood as it hangs above Harden Beck, a largely deciduous wood of Birch and Sycamore that goes on for some distance along the valley without ever getting very wide, and there's no danger of getting lost  as the trail resides at the upper edge with Nab Hill still looming large. For amusement the path passes under a pylon, and I'm surprised that this is the first opportunity I've had to look up and photograph the lattices as they loom above me, a favoured stunt of photographers everywhere, and then it's along the upper edge again, before momentarily leaving for the fields before entering again for the descent to meet the edge of the beck, going which would be pretty horrifying in wet weather, and I do wonder why this remote corner is considered a good place to own a static caravan. Anyway, continue up along the edge of Harden Beck, loving the surroundings of Goitstock Wood as a nicely broad path heads upstream as the beck burbles over the cascades and mossy lumps of gritstone  protrude from all angles. I think the route guide might be overselling these cascades as waterfalls, as they really rather modest, but I'm about to file it away as as another great secret location when the track gets rougher and the roar of water ahead shows up something that could not be kept secret. A waterfall of at least three metres comes into view, with an immense plunge pool formed beneath it, and I'm amazed not to find anyone sat out here just chilling in the serenity of nature, I certainly know that if I were a teenager living in Cullingworth, this would be my prime location for sneaking away with tinnies and wacky baccy (if I were into such things). Steel rails and steps might spoil the feeling of seclusion but the bonus is a smaller falls and pool above the larger and Goitstock Wood hurries itself to the top of my discoveries of 2013 list, and it's always good to be surprised when out amongst the landscape. The wood ends as Hallas Bridge Mill rises at the base of the valley, another out-of-the-way refit job done very nicely and the trail rises up steps and then into undergrowth to hang above the valley again, and i wonder if Hewenden viaduct is going to suddenly loom out above us as I'm yet to change from E288 to OL21 and get proper scope on my whereabouts. The viaduct appears but is still quite distant, peeking up over the trees, but it shows its convex curve well from this angle, but before we get there the trail has to go around Hewenden Mills, also getting refitted and to descend to cross the B6144.

Hewenden Viaduct

Met the edge of Hewenden Beck, the same one as before with a different name, and there's some very squishy going to be had up to the viaduct, all carved up by the feet of many creatures, but I'm thoroughly happy that the day is coming clear and bright again, and there's no evidence of poor weather gathering in these parts at least. Move up right under the viaduct and its height and relative slightness are impressive, and the path winds around below it before I finally pass beneath it to rise up the track that leads up its southern abutment and the view back along its curve is just the view I wanted of it, and looking a whole lot better under the summer sun than it did under glum skies in April. Views on the accompanying reservoir are not so great, despite having walked below the dam, and tree cover seem to obscure it all rather well, but I'm on target for lunchtime and eat at the same point that I watered last time I came this way. Then it's past Glen House to retrace the path down Wood Nock and under the Alpine Route, and thence on along the valley of Denholme Beck (still the same one) across the road and up to Hollin Hall, a rather too grand sort of farm for this part of the world. Take the track that leads past old tied cottages and across the beck to ascend up the other side to make another crossing of the old railway, but discover that tracing the right path gets difficult when it is obscured by long grass and my brain is not immediately recognising any landscape features. Find the right path after startling the horses and a path that was no fun to descend in April is less fun to ascend and I wish someone from Bradford council would come out here with some weedkiller. Hitting the path by the allotment finally looks familiar again, and the view down over Doe Park Reservoir does jog the memory, but even then, my map reading skills elude me as I wander into Denholme and can't suss if I've come out onto Foster Park Road in the right place, and my route guide has to tell me that I have done so. Several houses display placards demanding that we petition against wind farm developments on Thornton Moor, but I'm more likely to sign up for one against ghastly 1980s housing developments myself. Pop out onto the A629, Keighley Road and realise just how high up this village is, sitting above the 270m contour and it took a 70m climb to get up here without me noticing, despite me having seen the hill it sits on from quite a way away.

Thornton Moor

My path continues uphill from Edge Bottom, an apt name, as we meet the rough edge of Denholme's hill, and I'm going to count it as a high moor as we have heather and scrubby grass above the 300m contour, and it opens out a grand perspective to the north, our first good viewpoint of the day, and I'm not going to repeat the profile again as every high land trip presents it, but week after week I never get tired of seeing it. Cresting out onto the flat top of the moor offer further perspectives as I tramp over the fields to Pit Lane, with Ovenden Moor as the biggest feature, but also with the high hills around Queensbury appearing and a look east shows familiar features around Leeds and Ferrybridge power station in the far distance; The only thing that can't be seen is Bradford, hiding away from it circular walk. Focus attention forward past High Hill farm and down Pit Lane, another dreadful and muddy farm track, which has a long wall at the south side which hides views of building that don't look like a regular country house, looking much more like a boarding school or seminary to these eyes. The last field beyond the lane, before getting to the road features oddly ornate iron gates and a turnstile at both ends, which suggest a purpose sadly lost to history, and the trail drops onto Long Causeway for a bit of a road walk as the terrain becomes less rural and starts to suggest proper moorland again, heading out across a couple of field before getting the feeling that Thornton Moor is upon us. I'm momentarily puzzled that I can't see down into Thornton Moor reservoir until the map informs me that it is actually above me and the oddly level and featureless horizon is the long edge of the dam, and I conclude that moorland dams are weird, with their dams along the long axis and long drains snaking across the moors to keep them fed, and is that a war memorial or an Alpine style crucifix parked at its east end? Only get a couple of fields of moorland as far as Thornton Moor is concerned, long grass that is already showing signs of yellowing for autumn, and the moor road has signs which illustrate a whole mess of routes crossing up here, including stickers that declare YORM, which I have seen all over these parts over the last few weeks and have remained resolutely un-googleable. Still here's the view into the Worth Valley, entered from a third different direction, and I need to get my descending boots ready to make for Oxenhope to catch my rise home, but not to stay ahead of the weather, which has still failed to put in an appearance.

Leeming Reservoir & the Worth Valley

The gate onto Oxenhope Moor warns of shooting today, but I see no signs as indicate its presence, so don't have to put on my disruptive face, I'll just startle the grouse myself., and then set off down the grassy path from the 370m contour, a pretty sharp decent that leads into a walled track and from here i can attempt to be cute and reproduce the cover picture from my route guide. Attention focuses on Leeming Reservoir as my target point way downhill, but the track gets challenging despite describing a pretty obvious route on the map, firstly water running down hill turns the turf to sponge and threatens to swallow unsuspecting feet, and then it wanders into waist high grass, and I'd be convinced that i was getting lost if it wasn't for seeing way markers indicating that this really is the right way. Extract myself with only wet trews and almost waterlogged boots and get back onto firmer stuff for a straight run to the moorland conduit and then on to almost attain the edge of the reservoir before it suddenly swings down into the trees to make the crossing of a couple of feeder streams and one presents a hidden wooded clough that cannot be seen from above, another pleasing little surprise at this late stage. Then on to meet the wall that bounds Leeming Reservoir and it's looking a bit low from this angle, but i know little of water management and still wonder what the purpose of the valve tower is, but do know that the development of Leeming Mill looks desirable, but out of the way for someone without independent transport. Paths continue up to the reservoir's end, where rust-coloured pigs bask in the sunshine, and then path takes me down to meet Isle Lane and down to meet Jew lane and the edge of Oxenhope, but we won't be tracing last weeks entry point, instead taking the footpath down to the front yard of a mill still in industry, noting several 30 year old Volkswagens in the yard before joining the footpath that grosses the mill goit of Leeming Water before running out to the corner of Best lane and Lowertown. That's my conclusion point for the day, landing at 2.10pm having stayed ahead of the weather and school traffic, and with buses in both directions due in less than 20 minutes means i'm going to have a chance to look presentable before my folks roll up at my flat, so homewards, via Calderdale as it's a 2 hour trip regardless of going north or south.

Next Up: The Worth Valley and Brontë Country!


1,000 Miles Cumulative Total: 818.3 miles
(2013 total: 353 miles)