The odd caprices of February weather continue as Wednesday brings heavy cloud and lots of rain, an ideal day for a ride up country to Carlisle on a bargain ticket and to return having spent the difference on books and CDs at my favourite secondhand outlet. Then we get more clear skies and much milder temperature for the Thursday, so quickly get myself set for another stretch, filling in another blank spot on the map by heading south to Wakefield, but I'm a bit of a dawdler when all is done and I don't get set quite as fast as I'd have liked. Still that's not the worst thing in the world as the low sun of late winter may illuminate the world in an attractive fashion, but walking with it sitting squarely in your eye line through the middle of the day would not be the most comfortable, so greet the milky skies with relief, as I will not be blinding myself on today's amble.
Morley to Wakefield, via Tingley, West Ardsley & Alverthorpe. 9.2 miles
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| Morley from the Ardsley-Laisterdyke line |
Take the exact same start spot as last time, from the steps of Morley Town Hall, and set off southwards at 10.45am, along Queen Street, the main shopping drag of the borough, a must for the fan of charity outlets, and past the statue of Ernie Wise (notable former resident of the district, and a really good likeness, but only from one angle), down to the corner by the New Pavilion theatre, a relic of a bygone age, and then on to Fountain Street with the airshaft of Morley Tunnel standing obviously on the hill up by the local Royal Mail office. Turn onto Wide Lane by the Commercial Inn, and to wander among the industrial buildings, and read the inscription of 'Chain Annealers & Testers' and realise that I've learned a new word this year, before turning onto the muddy footpath that slips between the factory and the edge of the council estate leading out to Magpie Lane. Thence on between more 1980s developments, to emerge at Glen Road, with countryside rapidly appearing along the ridge occupied by Topcliffe Farm, beyond the playing fields and I pound out the pavement through this corner of suburbia to pop out at Topcliffe Mill, crossing the circular route around the town once more. A cycle path is joined, following the embankment of the former GNR Ardsley - Laisterdyke branch, offering another good view across the town, and setting off with some purpose between the Carcraft warehouse and the Carlsberg distribution centre, before petering out and landing on a seemingly forgotten road to industrial units that haven't been developed yet. It's enough to make you feel like you are trespassing, but it must be the right way, as it leads out through the Capitol Park East business park and onto Dewsbury Road. It's then quite a detour to go along the A653 and around the Tingley Common roundabout, but it's one of only two places to cross the M62, and the other involves following the A650, which we are again avoiding as that represents the easy route to Wakefield.
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| Haigh Wood |
To join the section of Dewsbury Road cut off by the road redevelopment at Tingley Crossroads, a detour is needed though the yard of the eccentrically styled (and very derelict) White Bear pub, and onward south down this over-sized suburban access road, but at least the Scarborough looks like an altogether more welcoming pub. Joining the active Dewsbury Road, the Calderdale view emerges all the way to Emley Moor and the hills beyond, and a fine illustration of the Aire-Calder watershed is obtained again, and cross over to Hesketh Lane, for a wander through West Ardsley and to offer a commentary on the development of the urban Seagull as I observe the flock resident on the recreation ground. Familiar high points appear on the horizon as I go, Castle Hill in the distance and the water tower and Parish church in Ossett closer to home, before a descent past the primary school, and I'm always surprised to find the kids at play, too easy to forget when it isn't a Saturday, I guess. Over Westerton Road, and through another window of 20th century building styles before taking the footpath that leads through the yard of the British Oak Pub, and onward through an unappealing cul-de-sac to lead into the mud at the top of Haigh Wood, one of those rare bits of wildness that green-belting has preserved whilst the fields buttress it from development. It's some sticky going as I descend to cross Baghill Beck, which I can hear but not see, oddly, and I pick out the path that eventually rises to the woodland edge and then hangs above the beck, and I do love these rare bits of urban woodland and I'm not the only one it seems, though judging by the footprints I seem to be the only one who has ventured into the mud whilst wearing appropriate footwear. Get a location fix once I've caught sight of St Mary's Whitkirk, and the path leads me out to Batley Road via someone's driveway, and we've again found another short route to Wakefield, but I'm still keen to keep this walk as rural as possible, so keep along the road at the bottom edge of West Ardsley until the descending farm track that is shared by the Leeds Country Way is met, and followed down to the crossing of Hey Beck and out of Leeds district.
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| Alverthorpe & Wakefield |
The first pair of fields on the other side are actually in Kirklees district, and the way marking isn't obvious as to whether I should keep to the boundaries or to forge my way across the exposed soil, and I choose the latter (because that's what the map and ROW indicate) and that proves for some soft going to comprehensively filthy up my boots. Beyond the next stream, Wakefield district is entered, and the trod is nicely obvious as it diagonally ascends the field for about 20m of altitude to give some nice perspectives off to the north, over towards East Ardsley and Kirkhamgate and back the way I've travelled from, it also shows that Ossett really is very nearby as the spire of Trinity church looms from over the other side of the hill. Continue to rise along another marshy field boundary towards Lower Park farm and the gained altitude gives us a view over the M1 to our future destination, and it really looks like we are going to miss Wakefield and end up going some way south of it, this choice of route is clearly giving me a screwy perspective. The farm access track down to the lane gives me firm surface for a while, but beyond there it's four more fields to cross with all the mud you could wish for, but at least route finding doesn't prove too complicated as it seems that the council has been splashing some cash on signage as every path crossing has a handful of spanking new fingerposts to aid us. Some other ancient signage indicates that this was the old route of the Leeds Country Way, back before it was redirected entirely within Leeds district and it used to take a much longer route between Methley and West Ardsley, I don't feel bad about trying to steal the owl sign from a gate post then, but I can't shift the damned thing, still riveted firmly in place after all these years. Firm tracks are gained again past Tufty Farm Lodge, and interest turns towards getting to the crossing of the M1, still dominating the immediate landscape, but oddly quiet even at such proximity, and another field boundary is followed to meet the road's edge, more marshy going that could have been easily avoided, but it's a chance to wave at the passing motorists? The crossing comes with the bridge on Park Mill Lane, a damp spot that seem to be suffering a serious water leak from somewhere, and it's also one of those spots that attracts fly tipping, and I can understand why people might dump random crap out of their cars but it must take serious malice aforethought to make the effort to dump your old cathode-ray tube TV out here?
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| Alverthorpe Mills Office |
First golf course of the year arrives as my path leads me into the Low Laithes club, around the car park and down a track between the links, but even when I'm not getting in the way, the players are still want to look at me funny, so it's another space to be vacated as quickly as possible. The correct pat eastwards proves hard to find, and extensive land reclamation work having been done in the vicinity of my chosen route doesn't aid me any, but I find a ground-in track descending in the right sort of direction and wonder if the cutting that I am entering might be a railway remnant, because the map indicates the presence of one nearby. I'm not too sure, but as the track leads past the edge of the industrial estate, with me taking the wrong path around the landscaped lake, but the path down to the road definitely follows the route of the GNR Wrenthorpe - Adwalton line, better known as the Ossett Branch (active 1864 - 1972). The road signs on Willow lane and Flanshaw lane, on the edge of Alverthorpe read white on black, and that's fine indicator that we are now in Wakefield, and all thoughts of countryside can be left behind as it will be road walking all the way. Still there are interesting things to spot along the way, like the massively imposing tower of St Paul's church, a landmark that is immediately identifiable in the locality, and I have that moment of realising that my 2000 imprint of E289 is never useful for finding they have been demolished to be replaced by unappealing residential developments, as is the case with Alverthorpe Mills, where only the mill office remains. Rise to join Batley Road again, and pass the housing developments where one of my university friends used to live, maybe she still does, but as I haven't seen her in more than 4 years, dropping by unannounced probably wouldn't be too clever, so press on for another journey through building styles, through the district known as New Scarborough, not the happiest looking borough, but it's the best route to town, as the only alternative is taking the paths around HM Prison Wakefield and that's not going to be too pretty.
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| Self at Wakefield Town Hall |
Under the Leeds - Doncaster railway line, and the landscape is somewhat different, with St Johns being a leafy Georgian district, and the buildings beyond being emblems of Civic certitude, with in quick succession the arrival of Wakefield college, West Yorkshire County Hall, the Coronation Gardens (with War Memorial and Queen Victoria statue) and the Crown Court. Of course, the destination for trail is the Town Hall, which is frustratingly clad in scaffolding so I can't really give any commentary on the stylings of TE Collcutt's 'free Tudor' design of 1880, but at least the clock tower is visible so that I do have something to photograph. I take few detours around the nearby streets to find a better angle than the one from Wood Street, but fail to get one, but I do find the Mecahnics Institute and old town hall, hidden away in the legal district, which indicates that Wakefield is a much more significant place that you would immediately imagine. Stroll down King Street to Marygate and take in more of the Georgian and Victorian buildings before passing into the commercial quarter to get to the Cathedral, a proud Perpendicular parish church with the tallest spire in the county, and easily the best feature on Kirkgate. I choose to head to Kirkgate station, and taking the walk down to it reveals that the east side of town is nothing like the west, no more old buildings down here, it's all ugly 1960s redevelopment and looking distinctly down-at-heel, it's almost as if the town has been broken in half or two different ones have been jammed together, I have to wonder if Bradford's developers got their hands on this quarter, or if the Luftwaffe had their way with it? Take the subway under the A61 and head out of town to the railway station through the estate down Monk Street, and at the end of my trip, I find that the regeneration of this site has started in earnest, so Wakefield Kirkgate might end up looking like it doesn't need demolishing, and so roll up to the platform and finish my day at 2.15pm, in good time for the long(er than it needs to be) ride home.
Next on the Slate: A dose of #hibernot in the West Pennines!
1,000 Miles Cumulative Total: 931.8 miles (2014 total: 18.6 miles)
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