Four Pubs and aSewage Works4 miles/ 6.5km circular walk

Walk Start PointEntrance to Bottom Farm on Apperley Road, accessedeither from the A657 Leeds Road at Idle, or the A658Harrogate Road at Apperley Bridge.

Public TransportBus service 760 Keighley/Leeds passes the top ofApperley Road at Idle and the Metro Connect 747 LeedsBradford airport service and the 647 Yeadon serviceoperate along Apperley Lane. All bus services involvea short walk to the start of your web walk. ContactMetroline on 0113 245 7676 for further details.

Car ParkingOn street parking along Apperley Road.

Route InformationThis low level walk on the eastern boundary of theBradford district circles the Victorian sewage works atEsholt, using footpaths across farmland and throughwoodland, finishing with a bit of road walking. Just onesteep climb and never far from civilisation, the walk issuitable for most reasonably fit occasional walkers.Strong waterproof footwear and outdoor clothing to suitthe season are a necessity. This walk is not suitable forpushchairs, wheelchairs and people with limited mobility.

The RouteStarting at the entrance to Bottom Farm on ApperleyRoad, easily located near to the large metal electricitypylon. Go through the stile in the stone wall to the rightof the farm entrance, once through walk straight acrossthe limestone covered ground for a short distance toclimb a second stile which can be seen ahead in thewooden fence. Over the stile bear slightly to your leftto join the wide rough farm access road via a gap in thefence. Walk along the access road for approximately100yds (91m) to just beyond where the track crosses asmall stream, here look out on your right for a stile overa short section of fence which will lead you into a field.

Over the stile turn left to follow the obvious path up aslight incline, where on reaching the top of the inclinethe path follows the trees and bushes on your right asyou descend to another stile at an often very boggysection of footpath. Over this stile the path continues

straight ahead across three fields and climbing threemore stiles as you make your way to the stone builtrailway viaduct which can be seen ahead. On nearingthe viaduct and after climbing the third stile bear leftthrough a gateway before turning right to walk underthe arch of the railway viaduct into a field. Cross thefield by bearing left diagonally following the well wornpath towards the metal suspension bridge over the RiverAire, which can just be seen at the far end of the field.On reaching the far end of the field climb the stile andturn right to goacross thesuspensionbridge, turningleft on theopposite side tofollow theobvious pathbetween theriver and thesewage workswire boundaryfence.

After only a short distance the path turns sharp rightaway from the river and continues to follow the wireboundary fence on your right as you make your waybetween the buildings and tanks of the sewage treatmentplant, to eventually emerge out onto a wide busy accessroad The Avenue. Here turn left along The Avenue forquite a distance to just beyond Home Farm, noticeableby the recently renovated and new buildings on yourleft. Turn right here off The Avenue to go up the narrowroad opposite the buildings which leads to a substantiallybuilt metal stile. Climb the stile to follow the narrowsurfaced woodland footpath Gill Lane steadily uphill,ignoring any other paths which might tempt you off tothe left and right, until you eventually reach a gate priorto walking out of the woodland by going under a stone

City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council

Countryside & Rights of Way

built railway bridge. Under the bridge the woodland pathchanges to a surfaced country lane, here ignore the firstgate on your right which leads up the railway embankmentto walk on a little further, before taking the next turn rightalong a wide dirt farm access track parallel to the railway. Where the track ends at the entrance to a field turn leftoff the track to climb over a broken down stile in the stonewall on your left. The path now starts a gentle climb upa well walked grassy path between the stock fencing onyour left and the stone wall on your right.

At the top of the first incline turn right following the pathon the level for a short distance before turning left to starta second much steeper and longer climb going throughtwo stiles before eventually exiting out onto a wide farmtrack. Continue straight up the farm track passing theallotments on your left until you reach the A658 ApperleyLane at the top. At this point of the walk, those lookingfor refreshments will find The Princess public house byturning left along Apperley Lane. To continue the walkcross Apperley Lane straight ahead onto Lombard Streetopposite, following it to its eventual junction with LondonLane. Turn right along London Lane for a short distanceto its junction with the narrow but busy Micklefield Road,turning right down Micklefield Road for approximately100yds (91m) until you reach house number 13. Turnleft here and cross Micklefield Road to go down thefootpath opposite, where after only a short distance thefootpath enters the back garden of a private house. Turnleft along the side of the building then right to follow thepath along the back of the property and out through asmall gate onto a driveway.

Cross the driveway as indicated by the block paving onthe road surface straight ahead to rejoin the footpathbehind the row of cottages opposite. At the end of therow of cottages the path enters a field and bears to theleft along the top edge of the field following the wall onyour left until you reach the top left hand corner. Herethe path divides; our route turns right avoiding theovergrown vegetation which has accumulated in the cornerof the field. After only a short distance our path rejoinsthe correct line of footpath as you make your way steeplydown the field following the stone wall on your left untilyou meet the narrow surfaced road at the bottom. Herecross the road straight ahead to go down the long narrowtree covered footpath opposite until you eventually reachan unsurfaced road, Buckstone Drive. Again cross theroad straight ahead to go down the path opposite, passingon the left the 16th tee of Rawdon golf course beforereaching Cliffe Drive, a surfaced road which crosses fromleft to right. Cross Cliffe Drive to continue down thefootpath opposite for only a short distance to where ourpath meets a steep surfaced road. Turn right downhill towhere the surfaced road ends at the junction with CraggWood Drive which crosses our path from left to right.Here continue straight ahead steeply down the roughsurfaced narrow bridleway opposite, which at first leadsyou through a wooded area before eventually becomingenclosed between very high stone built walls. Continuedown this rough path bearing right where the path levelsout until you meet the access road to Acacia Farm, nearto Acacia Cottages.

Turn left here down the access road the short distance tothe next road junction at the bottom with Woodlands Drive.Bear right to follow Woodlands Drive all the way to itsjunction with the very busy main road Apperley Lane. Turnleft down Apperley Lane passing the Queens public houseon your left, to where the road levels out near to WoodhouseGrove School on your left. Here turn right to cross ApperleyLane, turning left on the opposite side to pass the StansfieldArms public house, before leaving the main road by turningfirst right to cross the River Aire via the old stone bridgeat Apperley Bridge. Here where Apperley Lane meetsApperley Road turn right to walk along Apperley Road towhere you started your walk, passing the George andDragon public house along the way.

FootnoteWe hope you enjoyed your walk. If so tell your friends, ifnot, or you have encountered any problems please tell usat:

City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council Countryside and Rights of Way Service4th Floor, Britannia House, Hall IngsBradford BD1 1HX

Tel: 01274 432666www.bradford.gov.uk/countryside

March 2008

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