Spring, and that has me due a new attempt on my distance record, two years on from the old record on the first day of the Dales Way (ignoring the fact that I accidentally topped it last week), and a 9.10am start is due for a long day, departing Leeds station to City Square and keep on with my scheme of finding ways along streets not previously walked, taking in Quebec Street, Park Close Street and Oxford Place on my way to Calverley Street. This takes me past the General Infirmary and onto the University campus via the Willow Terrace entrance, past the hugely expanded sports centre and amongst the 1960s sprawl of split level buildings in glass and concrete, treading familiar old steps up to University Road, and on across St George's field to get a nostalgia kick for thing not seen when I last came this way. Clarendon Road leads me off campus, but the route of the day will keep me in student land for a while, taking the path along Woodhouse Moor and following the Woodhouse Lane - Headingley Lane - Otley Road axis forming the A660, taking on the Otley Run in reverse, a trail walked many times but rarely taking in more than a couple of pubs. All the way to Far Headingley, before peeling off to Weetwood Lane and into leafy suburbia, where the student accommodation is largely hidden from view, and then it's over the A6120, taking Adel Lane around a segment of this city where I could never afford to live. The Norman church of St John the Baptist is a key visiting point, and beyond the countryside awaits, pacing the roads and verges carefully along Eccup Lane for a great distance, in a landscape not seen in two years, rising to meet both the Leeds Country Way and Dales Way link before hitting the top of the Aire - Wharfe watershed, and starting the descent to the Ebor Way path, Rawden Hill and the hamlet of Low Weardley.
A respite from roads is gained crossing the top left corner of the Harewood House estate, dropping me on the A659 for a stretch when too many cows make themselves apparent on the shortcut path to Harewood Bridge, and the crossing of the Wharfe will have to be made passing along the A61. Careful steps into unknown territory follow as no footway exists on the way to my next path, hitting the fields for a couple of miles of uninterrupted grass that leads to the ridge on the northern side of the river, mirroring that to the south, atop which Kirkby Overblow stands, a point where my legs would consider bailing if it wasn't for a lack of transport options. Away from this pleasing village and back to the fields, pacing the elevated track towards Oakwood Farm, and the A658, cresting Follifoot ridge and following the bridle path downhill beside Pannal golf course and through the woods to the crossing of the Leeds - Harrogate line, and getting the view of Crimple Viaduct, the 31 arched monster that no one seems to know about. That structure gets a lot of attention as I descend to cross Crimple Beck, and as I ascend beyond Fulwith Mill farm and enter to enter the southern edge of Harrogate via bridleways that haven't been absorbed as roads by the suburban growth. Emerge on Hookstone Road, by Hornbeam Park station and make my way among the very expensive town houses on the southern side of The Stray, before crossing this strangest of urban parklands on a route that cleaves close to the railway line. The closing passage takes me along Station Parade, and into the town centre, which would require an explore if it wasn't for the fact that my journey has taken me 7 hours, and I'm all done at 4.10pm, with a new distance record under my belt and puzzled by the thought that I might have failed to properly visit Harrogate in all my years up country.
5,000 Miles Cumulative Total: 1485.5 miles
2015 Cumulative Total: 83.3 miles
Up Country Total: 1389.9 miles
Solo Total: 1258.5 miles
 |
| Leeds Town Hall, from Park Cross Street. Yes, I am attempting to visit every road in Leeds town centre during my walking travels, and this one features because it has one of the best secret views in the whole city. |
 |
| Chancellors Court, The University of Leeds. 1960s Brutalism by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, which I feel has aged rather well, not as pretty as the old Textiles and Agricultural colleges, but surely once seen and never forgotten. |
 |
| Woodhouse Moor. You know that you have settled into the idea of being a local when you decide to call this parkland by its correct name, rather than Hyde Park, the name of the district adjacent. |
 |
| Headingley. The heart of student land, featuring the Skyrack and the Original Oak, at the centre of the Otley Run, a pub crawl that never took my fancy, as being out of doors takes away far too much drinking time. |
 |
| Weetwood Lane. A road littered with estate houses and lodges, evidence of prosperous times in the past, and worthy of study on old maps now that the old estates of the past have largely dissolved. |
 |
| St John the Baptist, Adel. The best old church in the District, Norman in styling and built between 1150 and 1170 with few alteration since, it should be on the itinerary for anyone with an interest in ecclesiastical architecture. |
 |
| The New Inn, Eccup. All tracks in these parts lead through Eccup for some reason, and the pub remains in business, still feeling like it is about to receive a charabanc full of daytrippers. |
 |
| Eccup Lane and Rawden Hill. An excellent road for learning good walking discipline in the face of traffic that isn't expecting you to be there, having walker, cyclist and motorist in close proximity can lead to some hairy situations. |
 |
| Harewood Bridge. Over the Wharfe and into North Yorkshire, cursing the A61 for it inadequate verges, whilst wondering how the parish of Dunkeswick ought to be pronounced. |
 |
| The ascent to Kirkby Overblow. A couple of miles of farmland walking without sight of habitation is rare, so the sight of this village feels like a welcoming oasis, but the 50m of rising fields is nasty when on tired legs. |
 |
| Oakwood Farm, the only habitation on this part of the route is getting a holiday village makeover, it feels odd to be in so many field with so few sights of civilisation. West Yorkshire must have warped my viewpoint. |
 |
| Crimple Viaduct. 31 arches and a third of a mile long, built in 1848 for the York & North Midland railway and still in use on the Leeds to Harrogate Line. I have no idea why it is not celebrated as one of the region's industrial wonders. |
 |
| The Stray, Harrogate. A puzzling sort of public green space, created in 1878 to preserve the town's springs and still protected by act of Parliament to be constantly maintained at 200 acres. It looks immaculate is clearly well-loved by the townsfolk. |
 |
| Victoria Square, Harrogate. Despite several road and rail trips through it, and numerous childhood holidays in York, and aside from one abortive trip to see a cricket match in 2001, this is the first time I have visited this town. Quite an achievement when I have lived up country for 20+ years! |
No comments:
Post a Comment