The best of Leeds on foot?

[Irish Blood English Heart]

Am in a bit of a get fit phase at the moment so upping my walking somewhat but have pretty much ran out of new places to walk to in York so am turning my attention to Leeds now.

Am quite familiar (and impressed) with the city centre but in the past I admit that I have been quite critical of Leeds outside of it's centre, probably as a result of only seeing it on the bus/train in from York or bus/train out West which probably passes through some less than salubrious areas & not getting a true impression..

So am looking to get to know the real Leeds a bit better & do some exploration so can anyone recommend where I should be exploring?

Am looking for both nice districts and areas with a bit of character, & also any nice linear parks (thinking something like Jesmond Dene in Newcastle or Graves Park in Sheffield), also any other really interesting walks through like along canals or rivers, or hidden places that don't get much attention, that sort of thing?

Any ideas?

[Leeds No.1]

Have you walked up the canal towpath? You're straight onto it from City station, and it will take you up to Kirkstall Abbey and beyond. If you cycle (Route 66), you could go further on towards Saltaire and Skipton. If you don't cycle though the Airedale Line follows the canal/Aire Valley so you can get off at somewhere like Saltaire and walk from there. There's a cliff/crag with a little tram up it called Shipley Glen- it's a nice area to walk around.

Ilkley Moor is a popular one, and I'm sure there are many other routes around Ilkley too. It's cheap on the train to Ilkley/Ben Rhydding stations.

In Leeds itself you could walk up Meanwood Valley, passing the urban farm. It leads to Meanwood Park and eventually out of the city. Apparently there are White Crayfish in the beck. You'd need to get a bus to get there/back though, unless you were feeling really fit and wanted to walk it back as well!

Roundhay Park, Temple Newsam and Golden Acre Park all have great walks around them, but I'd hardly say linear. You can walk out of Golden Acre into the countryside easily too.

Not Leeds, but if you fancy a trip to Harrogate, it's a pleasant short walk out to RHS Harlow Carr Gardens. Takes you from the town centre, out through Valley Gardens and the Pinewoods, and with a fantastic view towards Nidderdale once you get beyond the houses. And there's a Bettys at each end if you fancy tea (or pubs at both ends if you're on a budget!).

[Irish Blood English Heart]

Originally Posted by Leeds No.1

Have you walked up the canal towpath? You're straight onto it from City station, and it will take you up to Kirkstall Abbey and beyond. If you cycle (Route 66), you could go further on towards Saltaire and Skipton. If you don't cycle though the Airedale Line follows the canal/Aire Valley so you can get off at somewhere like Saltaire and walk from there. There's a cliff/crag with a little tram up it called Shipley Glen- it's a nice area to walk around.

Ilkley Moor is a popular one, and I'm sure there are many other routes around Ilkley too. It's cheap on the train to Ilkley/Ben Rhydding stations.

In Leeds itself you could walk up Meanwood Valley, passing the urban farm. It leads to Meanwood Park and eventually out of the city. Apparently there are White Crayfish in the beck. You'd need to get a bus to get there/back though, unless you were feeling really fit and wanted to walk it back as well!

Roundhay Park, Temple Newsam and Golden Acre Park all have great walks around them, but I'd hardly say linear. You can walk out of Golden Acre into the countryside easily too.

Not Leeds, but if you fancy a trip to Harrogate, it's a pleasant short walk out to RHS Harlow Carr Gardens. Takes you from the town centre, out through Valley Gardens and the Pinewoods, and with a fantastic view towards Nidderdale once you get beyond the houses. And there's a Bettys at each end if you fancy tea (or pubs at both ends if you're on a budget!).

Thanks Leeds. No 1 these sound just the ticket. If the weather is nice tomorrow might do the first of these you suggested and walk from the city centre up to Kirkstall Abbey, is the canal towpath safe going through the city? I know some of the canals in Manchester you'd have to be pretty brave to walk along!

[Irish Blood English Heart]

Also looking at my google maps Glendhow Valley and Bracken Hill Woods look like they might make a nice circular walk with Roundhay Village and Park, are they accessible on foot and worth a visit?

[Suburban Knight]

Originally Posted by Irish Blood English Heart

Also looking at my google maps Glendhow Valley and Bracken Hill Woods look like they might make a nice circular walk with Roundhay Village and Park, are they accessible on foot and worth a visit?

Those woods are a nice little walk with a decent laid out footpath, definitely worth a stroll, especially if combining with Roundhay Park

[yorkshiredude]

I say, get the 33 / 757 bus to New Road Side in Horsforth, walk down Newlay Lane to Newlay Bridge, walk on Pollard Lane past the Abbey Inn - then walk along the canal to Rodley, passing the Owl and Rodley Barge pubs, then a bit further along the canal underneath the Ring Road to the Railway pub, then across the old bridge over the Aire, up an old track called Bar Lane, up to Hall Lane, through Horsforth Park and up to Horsforth Town Street for more pubs, shops etc and to get a bus back to the centre. Lots of pub opportunities there.

Another pleasant place to walk in that locale is up to Rawdon Billing, close to Leeds Bradford Airport - great views across Leeds and Bradford.

The aforementioned Leeds Country Way is probably a good base for taking a walk around.

[Triglad]

Leeds Country Way?

http://www.leeds.gov.uk/page.aspx?pa...4-cc8bc9e12fca

edit: apologies yorkshiredude - glanced quickly through replies and then went and missed your last line. The link is good for some comprehensive route guides.

[Leeds No.1]

Yeah the canal is perfectly safe. It's usually busy with runners, cyclists, walkers... Although perhaps not on a day like today!

I've never done either of those (ps, it's Gledhow ), but unless you're a serious walker, you'd want to get a bus to those. It's quite far to Roundhay especially, and walking through Sheepscar isn't exactly the most inspiring area.

If you go up Meanwood Valley, you might like to walk back through Headingley and along the A660 too. There's lots of nice cafes, bars, pubs and interesting buildings along there. Plus if you get tired you can just hop on a bus back.

[cmj]

Meanwood Valley Trail? Hyde Park to Golden Acre Park then bus back (or go the other way and get the bus out and walk back).

[this_city]

Have you ever used a website called walkjogrun.net? We do a lot of mid to long distance walks and plan most of them on there. You can also see routes that other people have created and marked as "public" so anyone can see them.

I'll have a look at a few of ours and will post links to any appropriate ones

[Irish Blood English Heart]

Thanks guys, lots of great ideas there... Just been for a 4 mile walk in York that was pretty hard going in this weather! Hopefully if it's a bit nicer tomorrow will get the chance to head into Leeds.

[di Livio]

There are some great walks around Collingham, Bardsey and Boston Spa.


1.
From central Collingham, head up Jewitt Lane before taking a footpath to the junction with Compton Lane. From there, either walk along Compton Lane over to Bardsey (really nice views up there), or carry on up Jewitt Lane/Bramham Lane until you reach Holme Farm Lane and then carry on either towards Thorner (Milner Lane) or Bardsey (either of those places has decent pubs - Bingley Arms, etc). Obviously you will need to consult a map and plan the route beforehand.

2.
Another good Collingham/Linton walk involves going across the River Wharfe bridge (not the tiny bridge over the beck) before turning into Linton Common, then going up the designated footpath which goes up to and joins Trip Lane (or alternatively, find Trip Lane from the Windmill Pub). Walk along Trip Lane to the Woodhall Hotel (nice views - best in spring or summer). Now go around the back of the hotel, passing the Carmelite monastery, and you will find a footpath which leads through farmland (but on a path) and across the River Wharfe to the (incredibly busy and dangerous) Harewood Road near East Keswick. Get the 98 bus back to Collingham or explore nearby East Keswick (an Ordance Survey is essential for these walks).

Collingham has a nice cafe on the shopping parade, and a Piccolino restaurant btw.


3.
Hetchell Woods is a good walk in Bardsey, where you will see the remains of a roman earthworks called Pompocalli and the point at which the natural Gritstone meets Limestone at Hetchell Crag.

4.
Boston Spa, Thorp Arch and Clifford villages are pleasant places to walk around, especially along the riverside (just avoid Boston Spa on schooldays because it will be menaced by truanting thugs from the Comp). There's a nice cafe on Boston Spa High Street near the Crown Hotel.

[di Livio]

A reference for the Hetchell Woods walk.

Route No. 402 - Saturday 2 April 2011
Bardsey, Pompocali, Thorner circuit - 11km
Leeds,
West Yorkshire . . .
Route map from Ordnance Survey Open Space service.

Map: OS Explorer 289 Leeds at 1:25000

After my little walk I retired to the Bingley Arms for a very nice lunch to wait for the group to return. The group set off from the pub car park to walk down the road past the church to the A58. At the main road, map ref. SE369432, they turned right to walk along the road for about 200m to a footpath off to the left of the road. (There is a dog walkers' path in the woods to the East of the road if you want to avoid the 200m along the main road)
It's the first Saturday in the month so time to meet up with a group of friends for our regular monthly walk. This time we all met in the car park of the Bingley Arms in Bardsey at map ref. SE364430, about 500m West of the A58 Wetherby to Leeds road. I still have a long recovery period ahead after my knee replacement operation so I just did a little 4km circuit of my own.


The path approaching Hetchell Wood
The group turned off the main road to follow the public footpath initially on the bed of a disused railway and then along the edge of some woodland and fields to the edge of Hetchell Wood at map ref. SE375427. Hetchell Wood is a nature reserve managed by the 'Yorkshire Wildlife Trust'.


The group followed the public footpath through the nature reserve. There was already a carpet of wild flowers in the wood including wood anemones, cellandines and violets in flower and the leaves of wild garlic and bluebells well advanced.
There is a particularly rich variety of plants, insects, and birds because the wood straddles the boundary of gritstone and limestone outcrops.


An interesting theory about the origins of the Pompocali earthworks is set out on a Pompocali web site at http://www.pompocali.co.uk/
At the Southern edge of the wood they came to Pompocali. This is a large area of high earthworks built by the Romans at the side of the Roman road going from York via Bramham and Adel to Ilkley.

They walked along Kennels Lane for about 1.5km to map ref. SE382417. Here they turned left off the lane to follow a footpath across Norwood Bottoms and Milner Beck to the road at map ref. SE379409. At the road they turned left to walk down the road into the centre of Thorner.
From Pompocali the group followed the public footpath up through the woods to cross a minor road at map ref. SE379422 and then along the Roman road for a few hundred metres before bearing right and following the path through Stubbing Moor Plantation to a track at map ref. SE392426. They turned right to walk along the track and then make a large arc on the footpath through Ragdale Plantation to the start of Kennels Lane at map ref. SE393421.


Hard to identify but these could be Tawny Grisette
Beyond the church they followed the road round to the right and after another 150m they turned right opposite the Mexborough Arms. Here they had joined the route of the 'Leeds Country Way' and after about 200m where the road turned left the Leeds Country way kept straight on across the fields. The group followed the Leeds Country Way route for a little over 3km.


They followed the Leeds Country Way through Scarcroft Hill across the A58 and back to the church in Bardsey to complete the circuit to the Bingley Arms car park.

They arrived there a bit sooner than I expected and I was still enjoying my pub lunch when they arrived, much to their amusement as I have a reputation for enjoying my food rather too much.

[LeedsUnited]

Quite a way out of Leeds, but the Otley Chevin is a good walk if it isn't too muddy, good views over Leeds City Centre, the pennines, LBA, West and North Yorkshire countryside and the dales. Can see York Minister on a clear enough day too.

Used to be a nice pub at the top but have been informed it's closed. Plenty of pubs back in Otley.

Should of said, you can either get the X84 from Leeds which takes about 30/40 miniutes depending on traffic or get the Ilkley train to Menston which takes about 20 miniutes and there's a hopper bus (967) which takes you into Otley.

[this_city]

Harewood estate is a good walk. it's seven miles but you can get the 36 there and back which makes it not so bad

http://www.walkjogrun.net/routes/cur...ail+This+Route

there are a few good trails through Gledhow. you'd be best off starting here (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&...h&z=18&vpsrc=6) then either go up Gledhow Lane and take one of the trails south or Gledhow Valley Road and pick up one of the trails at the bottom of the valley. all are pretty decent


another one you could try is this (http://www.walkjogrun.net/routes/cur...768DB8A903A136). you could do either the front 6 or the back 7 miles. bus over to Scholes for the start (No. 90 i think) then walk as far as the Wetherby Road. Or get the 99/X98 up to Scarcroft village and start from there

finally...
if you're feeling particularly hardcore you can try this one. we've done it once but for the most part it's a very pretty walk and definitely worth a few hours of your time
http://www.walkjogrun.net/routes/cur...C60D5959F6ACA8

[Irish Blood English Heart]

Absolutely brilliant thankyou one and all. Am training from a position of being very unfit to one of running the Edinburgh half marathon in May and have been getting very bored of walking/jogging York as I must've been down every road 4/5 times now & there's only so many housing estates you can take!

These walks should keep me occupied for a long time to come, looking forward to getting to know Leeds better in the process Just gotta hope the weather clears up a bit now!

[MattN]

Seems a bit of a shame to do an entirely on-road walk from Scholes (or indeed up to Wetherby) when there are so many footpaths around there. You can head in the direction suggested, or over towards Barwick and the Parlington fly line (with its tunnel and possibly a glimpse of the triumphal arch, only ever cycled through there and can't remember for sure). Just have a look at OS maps either on their site or Bing maps.

The buses to Scholes have had more changes than you can keep track of over the last five years or so, but the main ones from town are the 64 (along Leeds Road past the Coronation Tree) or the 64A through the village. You can also get the Coastliners from York or Leeds to the end of Scholes Lane. Otherwise there's the 63 from Seacroft and Cross Gates. In the evenings however, you still have the 64/Coastliner but otherwise it's the 63B from Seacroft to Leeds via everywhere, during the day on Sunday it's the 63A also from Seacroft to Leeds via everywhere, but not the same places. Nothing too complex!

[Irish Blood English Heart]

Did my first Leeds walk today, ended up going up the canal to Horsforth and then back into town via Kirkstall and Headingley.

Was a really nice walk & sort of thing I've missed living in York. The path up the canal is pretty nice and Horsforth looked like a really nice town. Came back through Headingley as it's a nicer road into town than Kirkstall Road which I remember as being quite busy. If it hadn't of got dark so early I probably would've carried on up the canal to Saltaire but suppose I can another time.

Here's the route I took here:

http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/33313583

I notice that it erroneously says I did 33mph at one point for a short distance, I think that was going through an estate where I was a bit unsure of my surroundings but I definitely know I didn't go that fast!

[Leeds No.1]

Walked a long way!

Never been all that keen on Horsforth, but I like Headingley. Hyde Park Corner is cool too. I imagine it must be pretty dead without all the students though...

[Irish Blood English Heart]

Originally Posted by Leeds No.1

Walked a long way!

Never been all that keen on Horsforth, but I like Headingley. Hyde Park Corner is cool too. I imagine it must be pretty dead without all the students though...

Aye Horsforth probably wouldn't be for me, prefer life a bit more hip myself but it seemed a nice enough suburban centre. Headingley was dead but I put that down to the time (was passing through around 6pm so too early for bars!). Hyde Park Corner looked like a cool spot, few really nice bars & the like, is that Leeds' bohemian district?