Only a couple of days into my walking routine, and I'm already starting to project my walking times, sat on the #72 bus, looking to a 9.30am start, with tea break stop at Apperley Bridge, lunch at Horsforth and a 3pm finish at Golden Acre Park, certain that my body can endure the rigours of all this walking.
Active March: Day Three
Leeds Country Way #2: Bradford Road to Golden Acre Park, 11.3 miles
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| Self at Bradford Road |
So off the bus at Bradford Road and it's a much less appealing sort of day, I don the waterproofs and set forth into the light mist of rain, north around Thornbury playing fields, and then into the slick fields of Woodhall Hills, thence tracking across Woodhall Hills Golf course, and then descending towards Fagley Beck. Not the most exciting of terrain, but showing up why Leeds and Bradford never merged into one conurbation; the grooves in the landscape formed by the becks ensuring the cities remained distinctly separate with only a short distance of level land between them. Amid the quarry remnants and muddy horse farms, Fagley Lodge is encountered, an old estate house with the estate long gone, and looking altogether too pleasant to be abandoned in this grimy location. Then north into three woods, Ravenscliffe, Round and Billy, and as the sun sneaks out, we are again treated to trunks and branches being illuminated in a most attractive way.
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| Ravenscliffe Wood |
A spring is in my step, as we roll into Calverley, where Ravenscliffe Mill is actually still in use for industrial purposes, and another
ginnel leads us to a surprising little idyll at Beck Bottom. The city seem to interrupt as we cross the A657 Carr Road, and then slither down to Carr Beck (the worst section of path so far), and here the combination of beck and wood form a hidden grotto, again almost idyllic, if it wasn't for the shopping trolley and beer keg dumped in the stream. On to West Wood and then over the Leeds & Liverpool canal for another lovely scene to photograph, down Parkin Lane to Apperley Bridge and cross over the River Aire, and seeking a spot for tea, I choose Rawdon Meadows playing fields, where men are doing archery, quite strangely. Downstream along the Aire path next, where Woodhouse Grove School looks expensive and Woodhouse Bridge, on the Leeds - Skipton line, provides a substantial bit of Railway architecture.
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| Woodhouse Bridge |
The Aire path goes on for quite a way, and seems popular with crazy people, who run to keep healthy! Then we leave Airedale, looking back to see gloom gathering which I thankfully stay ahead of, and on through Cragg Wood and Woodlands Drive, a road which offends me by being private with its own electric bollard (indicating a lot of very wealthy people living hereabouts), and we stretch North to altogether more prosaic sites like industrial units on the edge of Rawdon and New York Lane, one of the most over-named roads I've ever encountered. Cross the A65 and meet horses looking over the wall who seem eager to nudge me into traffic, and the descend to Gill Beck, so good they named it twice, and encounter a local dog who is not going to let me cross her yard so long as she has a bark in her throat. Then lunch, enjoying pizza and the view of West Leeds from my viewpoint on some ancient agricultural terracing, and then onwards past apiary and bin men and into Horsforth. From West End Road, the high buildings of Leeds start sneaking onto the horizon, and I hope for view to reveal itself as we ascend Hunger Hills. Once beyond the trees, the surprise view opens up with a vista from Cookridge to Farsley, looking right into the heart of Leeds, probably the best viewpoint in the whole city and I'm sure hardly anyone knows about it!
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| Hunger Hills Viewpoint |
Back to the path, past Lee Lane farm, and the through the grounds of the establishment I still call Trinity & All Saints College, and they seem eager to hide themselves away from ignorant souls like me as the path is placed between two hedges offering no real views, as if they needed to hide from walkers! Cross Brownberrie Road, and into Whetstone plantation for more squishiness in the woods and then through fields well-trammelled by horses, and spot lots of strange constructions in the landscape. Sure enough we are beneath the flight path into Leeds Bradford airport, and these are the many landing lights, but the threat of turning weather means I'm not hanging around to take pics of incoming aircraft. So on past the odd little hamlet called Scotland, for some reason, and feel like I'm hitting the last stretch of the day, as we encounter the path that circumnavigates Owlet farm, which leads us thought the muddy horse paddock because they don't want walkers in the farmyard. Dean Grange Farm is altogether more accommodating, and the lane which appears driveable on a map proves to be anything but in reality. An unscheduled tea break is needed as the Leeds - Harrogate line is met, and a train pops out of Bramhope Tunnel, right on cue.
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| Bramhope Tunnel |
To the last stretch and Moseley Farm looks like a supremely desirable residence, and it's on past more horse farms and Cookridge cricket club, before we take the path round the houses at the very top left corner of the city. This part of Cookridge looks expensive, and Old Modernians Sports Club seems popular this afternoon, and Pinfold Lane leads past Cookridge Golf course, a disturbing-looking scout hut, and into the countryside past Rushes Farm, and it's old partner. To Breary Marsh Nature Reserve, and its fish pond, and pick up the pace in the hope of hitting my finish target, but realise I'm going to miss it as the Parkway Hotel passes my eye line. Good to see the nature reserve is as popular as it is though, and I pause to wash off my boots before the path leads us under the A660 into Golden Acre Park. Notionally the LCW starts here, but there's no marker of any kind to indicate where, and that doesn't really matter as I only need a place to end my second stretch. I park myself on a quern stone by the entrance, and take a timing, 3.10pm. Only just missed my finish time, and no matter as the X84 is running late anyway!
To Be Continued...
1,000 Miles Cumulative Total: 33.7 miles
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