3 Mile Circular Walk - Oakworth Moor

Distance: 3.1 miles

Ascent: 220 ft

Walking: Andrew

Weather: Cloudy, warm

OS Map: OL21 - South Pennines

Parking: Harehills Lane, Oldfield

Photography: Andrew using Nikon D610 / Nikon 24-70 mm f2.8

A short walk on Oakworth Moor when the heather was in flower.

Parking at the small rough parking area off Harehills Lane, I headed the short distance up the nearby track onto the moor, where the beautiful sea of heather was in full bloom. 

Joining The Millennium Way footpath, I headed in the direction of Keighley Moor Reservoir, taking in the views across to Ponden Clough and Top Withens to my left. 

On reaching a gap in the dry stone wall I'd been following for a while, I turned onto another path which passed by a line of grouse shooting butts on the gentle slope of Roms Greave Hill, at the top of which the view almost became 360 degree panoramic. 

Continuing down the hill, the path eventually reached the end of Broad Head Lane, which I followed until it reached Broad Head Height, where I turned onto another narrow lane. This took me up the hill alongside Nook Allotment, past Tewitt Hall Farm and out onto Tewitt Lane (actually another rough track). From here, the final leg of the walk took me past the memorial to the six Canadian crew members who were killed in 1944 when their Wellington bomber crashed into the hillside in fog. More information about this HERE.

 

 

10 Mile Circular Walk - Burley-in-Wharfedale | Burley Woodhead | Burley Moor | Ilkley Moor | Rombald's Moor

 

Distance: 10.3 miles

Ascent: 1128 ft

Walking: Andrew, Tim & Mark

Weather: Cloudy with sunny intervals, warm

OS Map: 297 Lower Wharfedale and the Washburn Valley

Parking: Grange Road, Burley-in-Wharfedale LS29 7HD

Pork pies: Wilson's Butchers, Morley

Photography: Andrew using Nikon D610 / Nikon 24-70 mm f2.8

This is a moderate walk with some steep climbs and descents over open moorland with spectacular views over Wharfedale.

Setting off from Burley Library, we headed a short distance up Station Road before joining Hag Farm Road through a small wood and out into farmland, where the steep climb up to the affluent village of Burley Woodhead. From there, the climb continued up onto Burley Moor, part of Rombald's Moor. 

According to local folklore, Rombald was a giant who created the Cow & Calf Rocks above Ilkley when he accidentally broke the smaller Calf from the Cow as he strode across the valley. As we climbed, I had to keep reminding myself to look back at the stunning views across to Otley Chevin and beyond. We were surprised at the number of planes taking off from Leeds Bradford Airport, given the Covid 19 restrictions that were in place.

The climb became more gentle as we reached Ilkley Moor and the hills of the Yorkshire Dales came into view, along with the large golf ball structures at RAF Menwith Hill, near Harrogate. We passed some 200 year old graffiti (the neat seriffed typeface suggests that it really is that old) - It seems they had cordless angle grinders in 1785. Who knew?

We finally reached the trig point at the summit of Ilkley Moor, just over 1300 ft above sea level, a very suitable place to stop for a pork pie, before setting off on the return leg of the walk via The Twelve Apostles, a small prehistoric stone circle.

The final stretch involved some fairly steep descents which took their toll on my feet but it was worth it.