Bramham Park & Bramham.
With June arriving at the table, it feels like the time to start hitting the long trails, and it's completely against my nature to start a walking day at the sort of time that I'd normally be starting work, it makes sense to do this when you have 2 hours worth of East Leeds to get across on the latest trail to York, and so Leeds station is departed at 8.35am, with my legs and brain prepped for a very long tour. Down the steps to Bishopgate Street, where the Scarborough Taps still forms the centrepieces of the city's real pubs quarter, and down below the railway on Swinegate, and we do seem to be hitting the paths already walked rather early in the day for the passage across Lower Briggate, but get to a fresh path to pass up The Calls and High Court, to reach Leeds Minster (still the Parish Church in my mind), and its pair of pubs, the newly arrived Lamb & Flag and the enduring Palace. Footfalls on old paths once again beyond Kirkgate, over the many tracks of the A61 to get to Marsh Lane, to check out the old station remnants of the original Marsh Lane stations (one being the first in the city, and does its gateposts endure by the old goods yard?) before passing beinhd the Kremlin (aka the Dept of Health) before passing under the A64(M). Beyond East Leeds awaits, with Beckett Street leading between the Lincoln Green and Burmantofts estates, and up to St James's Hospital (established on site in 1845 and still growing), and the original Leeds Cemetery, once on the outer edge of the city. A hard though to absorb after the growth of the vast array of terraces on Harehills in the late 19th century, with Stanley Road and Compton Road leading to the passage across Harehills Lane, and it's amazing how early the local wildlife have come out to play, the streets already busy not long after 9am.
Press on as Foundry Approach takes us across the boundary of the Edwardian city, to send us through among the Semis and parklands of Gipton, and to gain a fresh perspective on the boulevards of Oak Tree Drive and Coldcotes Drive, the trail taking us along the latter and the mind can wonder how the city may have developed in this quarter if the urban plans of the 1930s hadn't been curtailed by more pressing concerns (like the Second World War). Wykebeck Valley Road lands us on the green space between Gipton and Seacroft, crossing Foundry lane by the garden full of signs again, and mixing it up among the joggers on the Wykebeck Valley way as the approach road leads over the beck and through the playing fields to land us in the Seacroft Estate, with South Parkway continuing the wide boulevard plan when first laid out in the 1950s, and now looking rather forgotten about. It's telling that the oldest housing has largely endured on the estate, some of it pretty robust, whilst the later prefabricated housing has largely been demolished, to unfortunately be replaced by nothing in too many places, but that elusive affordable housing seems to be growing in places, certainly at the eastern end, where that hill that appears on every Leeds traverse finally makes its appearance. Arrive at York Road, and enter Seacroft Village, which I never thought was an actual village, and was one of those that was actually faintly sarcastic in its use (like Holbeck Township), but there it is, old cottages and farmstead buildings with the estate spread around them, and the elevated village green standing at the centre, flanked by St James's church, the Cricketers Arms and the recently redeemed Seacroft Grange.
On to the Seacroft Shopping centre and then out between the Seacroft Gate tower blocks to find passage beneath the A6120 Ring Road and the A64, to follow York Road's edge as it cuts between the Whinmoor and Swarcliffe estates, before hitting the city's edge by the Old Red Lion and joining the footpaths that skirt around the edge of the Swarcliffe estate and its primary school, following the ditch of Grimes Dike as it turns into our old friend Cock Beck. Pass across it and finally make tracks into the countryside, along the dirt track of Wood Lane to rise over the old NER line to Wetherby and past the park around the fishponds to roll into Scholes by the war memorial and the library, where a convenient bench is found for earl lunch and elevenses. Push on away from the primary school and choose Elmete Road as our example for today of a village that has grown into a suburb in just the strangest way, and that's still the impression I have of Scholes after three visits, departing along Belle Vue Road and onto the rough track of Rakehill Road past the scout hut and the cricket ground. Forgotten Lanes are always interesting, and this is the one to Barwick in Elmet that passed out of general use whilst Leeds Road endured, and it's a pleasingly peaceful track, beloved of dog and toddler walkers, descending to pass over Rake Beck twice, with Springfield farm at it centre, and despite knowing that Barwick dwells at its end, few obvious views emerge, its motte will hidden from view and only the outer peripheries appearing until you are almost upon it. Rise up The Boyle for a Leeds Country Way flashback, and meet the Maypole, cross and pair of pubs at its centre, before moving on along Potterton Lane past All Saints church to find the northern part of the village stretches out for quite a way, with its expensive face on as the lane moves out into the fields, whilst keeping the walker happy as a footway remains in situ all the way down to the Potterton Bridge crossing.
Rise beyond, risking a fight with the traffic, past the overstated gates of Syke House farm, and the older Potterton Grange, and for a name that is so pervasive in the landscape, there's very little to Potterton itself, counting itself as a lost village, and the main enduring feature, Potterton Hall is well hidden by trees, so away from the made over farmsteads, along the lane that is now free of all traffic aside from cyclists on the way up to the A64. Follow the cycleway, westwards, to meet Mangrill Lane, a lot drier and quieter than a year ago, and head up to the perimeter edge of Bramham Park, passing in over the style and presented with many paths heading into the trees and beyond though the signage is pretty direct in telling you to keep to public footpath across the estate. So on, along the perimeter eastwards and then north through the trees of Jenny Sober plantation, and up to the bottom of the deer park, looking a whole lot more peaceful than it would whilst the Leeds Festival descends upon it, though the pegged out fences seem like an odd feature as I strike to the north east, wondering if there are any sight lines of the main house, which seems unusually well hidden in the parkland. Get sight of the obelisk in Black Fen wood, and rise up to the Ionic Temple, where numerous expensive horseboxes have been parked, and the penny drops that the Bramham Horse Trials is being set up, with the fences providing a race circuit, and I feel dumb for having not realised. Push on to where the stables have been set, glad that I've not come this way whilst all this horsey fun was in full swing, and it gives the flavour of an estate that is still working, having been in one family's hands (the Lane-Foxes) since its completion in 1710, though a lot more of its 500 acres should be accessible, on the other 50 weekends of the year.
Follow the rise up towards Well Hill, and finally get a view of the house before the shift comes over the brow and into the rural corner of the estate, pausing for late lunch among the sheep and in sight of the A1(M) before taking the track past Well Hill farm and down to the derelict Bramham Biggin house (a common problem round here, notably Bramham House in the village), passing out of the estate on a shaded road and moving up the edge of the A1 to find that the Georgian Bowcliffe Hall endures as an office park and conference venue. Over the motorway and down the footpath that cuts the shortest route to the alignment of the Great North Road as it runs into Bramham itself, a village that looks super excellent in the warm afternoon sunshine, with even the new builds trying to fit in, with a rough stone and red tile look pervasive, passing the village square and the Red Lion to get the best faces of the village up Town Hill and Low Way on the way up to All Saints church. Pass through the churchyard, which is pretty extensive, before Vicarage Lane leads us out to the top of the village and Toulston Lane can be viewed as our red route to the finish line in Tadcaster, a quiet and straight lane that feels like it should offer straightforward going, but you know it's going to take an hour to pound it, whilst being just kinky and uneven enough to make walking against the traffic difficult. It claims to be Roman, as does every other straight road in these parts, and getting a feel for that ancient history is thus complicated, and despite its relative elevation, it's frustratingly lacking in views until about halfway along, when sight towards Boston Spa and Thorpe Arch is gained, but despite finally arriving in North Yorkshire, the Vale of York is lost in haze, sadly. Gain a footway as the road passes Tadcaster Grammar School, to aid those who'd walk a mile-plus for their education (?), and the road eventually becomes the A659 and it takes a lot longer to walk this stretch than it does to travel on the bus before meeting the Millennium beacon and choosing a route into the town.
Pick Station Road, the minor option, as it leads to the Fire and Police stations, but the real loss is Tadcaster Station, now replaced by industrial units and the formation buried to Wetherby buried by the expanded Coors-Molson brewery, the former Tower brewery being the sole UK producer of Carling these days. The Victorian residential face of the town is to be found on Wetherby Road, and beyond the feeling is gained that the whole town seems to be built in undressed stone and/or small bricks, regardless of its age, with only the odd exception, like the Riley-Smith hall (not to be confused with the one at Leeds University), the half timbered Town Council office, and the one that must be the Masonic lodge. The church is worth a look too, St Mary's looking proud in its riverside setting, but the town feels ultra quiet, even on a warm day like this, and the Main Street, one of the most attractive in the county, feels like a ghost town, and the loss of the bridge over the Wharfe, post Boxing Day floods last year, must have hit the town hard. A closer look is therefore essential, and despite 5 months of remedial work in stabilising the structure, it's going to be a long time before the fixing up job is done here, with two of its three central arches half missing, a fine demonstration of the forces of nature that puts the debris along the Aire and Washburn in the shade somewhat. Still, time to end the day, wandering back to the Queens Gardens bus stop, as I've no idea where the Coastliner is picking up at the moment, all done at 3.30pm with plenty of time before the bus arrives, a shame to end it when the hostelries could offer refreshment, but I'm far from home and it's really too hot for beer, and Sam Smith's ales always give me a headache anyway (and so does Sam Smith himself , but that's a complaint for a different forum!).
5,000 Miles Cumulative Total: 2255.2 miles
2016 Total: 240.8 miles
Up Country Total: 2058.5 miles
Solo Total: 2024.3 miles
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| Leeds Minster and The Lamb & Flag, always good to see a long-derelict building get a renewed lease of life, especially when it's a pub! |
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| St James's Hospital, former workhouse and in continuous use on site since 1845, and looking a lot leafier than usual. |
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| The Compton Road - Harehills Lane corner, a hive of activity even at this early hour, doesn't anyone sleep in this quarter? |
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| Coldcotes Drive, Gipton, an ambitious and bold statement of town planning from the 1930s, but never fully realised, sadly. |
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| South Parkway, Seacroft, again with the wide boulevards in the 50s, I do wonder what the plan for this district was meant to look like. |
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| Seacroft Village Green, and it's not just a name! Anyone fancy a knock-up game of cricket? |
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| Wandering around the edge of the Swarcliffe Estate, and hello to the edge of the city, just beyond the trees. |
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| Station Road, Scholes. How did this tiny village become a satellite suburb? We may honestly never know? |
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| Barwick in Elmet, with Maypole, Cross, Motte and Pubs, all that's missing is All Saints church to complete the scène! |
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| Potterton Hall gateway and lodge. Another old and upscale house that completely hides from view, as if they didn't want us to see it! |
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| Bramham Park, if you like trees and fields, this is the estate for you, because the architecture is very well hidden. |
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| Ionic Temple, and posh Horseboxes, Bramham Park, complete with ha-ha to keep the walkers away and on the windy path (the only one you will use!). |
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| The Horse Trials take over Bramham Park, and the house hides away, not properly seen on either of my trips this way. |
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| Bramham Village Square, another one of those 'Most Desirable Village in the County' contenders. |
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| Toulston Lane, is it Roman or just very straight? Couldn't say, but I do know that it's an hour long. |
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| Tadcaster Millennium Beacon (they turn up everywhere, don't they?), and a most welcome sight after the long haul from Bramham. |
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| Tadcaster War Memorial junction, looking gorgeous and deserted in the afternoon sunshine, also, Brewery! |
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| Tadcaster Bridge, still wearing the scars of the Boxing day floods, and now in the grip of a very long rebuilding programme. Do Not Underestimate the Power of Nature when it is Unleashed. |
Next Up: To York, again, via the Ebor Way, the path that will never get its due!
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