Crossflatts to Ben Rhydding 11/06/17

5.7 miles, via Micklethwaite, Bingley Moor, Ilkley Moor, and the Cow & Calf.

There's far too much rain on Saturday morning to even consider attempting a 17+ mile trek from Wharfe to Nidd, and after a largely sleep free General Election week, a lie in to start the weekend was certainly welcome, but having lost too many Bank Holiday excursions on this year already, a Sunday morning stroll is a good time to get in the 6 mile jaunt that I 've had planned for the last two in May, without risking burning up too much energy before the next week of work rolls around. So not out all that early, barely qualifying it as a morning stroll at all, alighting at 11.10am, at Crossflatts station deep in the heart of Airedale, below the wooded hills of the St Ives estate to the south and on the western edge of Greater Bingley, where the amazing engineering feat of fitting the A650 Airevalley Road adjacent to the railway was somehow completed, leaving the southbound platform with possibly the longest approach ramp to be found anywhere on the network. Rise to the original Keighley Road to press north, among the flats and low apartment buildings that seem to make up the entirety of this district, with attention immediately drawn to the rising bulk of the higher lands below Rombalds Moor, starting the ascent on Micklethwaite Lane, to meet the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, the only path that I've previously walked in this corner, where the Limefield and Airedale mills have both had residential makeovers, whilst maintain completely different characters. Over the swing bridge and past the field with many ducks and geese, rising steadily past the allotments to get views up the valley to Keighley and back to the still unwalked woodlands around Druid's Altar to soon meet the suburban enclave that has grown on the bottom edge of Micklethwaite itself, with the high valley side looming above it, another place to wonder why people might be drawn to living in such an out of the way quarter. The reveal of Micklethwaite proper gives strong indication of its desirability, as it's stone village of incredible quaintness, one that would attract much more attention if it were located in a remoter corner of the county, rather than hidden away in the Aire valley, and it's all very pleasing in the sunshine, looking rather 17th century in places, with a road so steep that it actually has to take a wandering detour at the top, where we get more views coming in the direction of Keighley and East Morton, hiding away in their respective side valleys of the Aire.

The Aire Valley Road, Crossflatts.

The Leeds & Liverpool Canal, and Airedale Mills.

Micklethwaite, oh so picturesque!

To get to the high road, we need to detour into a cottage's driveway and then locate the path up through the rough fields, a track that must have been located in the landscape groove at one time, but now wanders around it without getting tangled up in the long grass and marshiness on the ascent, it's steep going, unsurprisingly, as we complete an ascent of about 150m up from our start point, getting our first good Airedale panorama as we hit Heights Lane, along with the revelation that we won't be getting as much sunshine as was hoped for in the remainder of the day. Luckily, I'm dressed in expectation  of moorland temperatures and winds, already felt as we meet Otley Road by the shooting lodge and the oddly unfinished farm buildings, using the shelter of the surrounding trees to break for late elevenses and to watch the antics of pair of curlews before striking out onto Bingley Moor on the wide and inviting track. After a sharp initial push, we are soon onto a much more gentle rise, among a sea of moorland grass, heather and cottongrass, and its good to be up on West Yorkshire's high moors once again after more than 4 years away from them, quite rightly reacquainting myself with the mass of Rombalds Moor, still my particular favourite of all the north country's uplands. The clear track is most welcome as we push on over the 300m contour, giving us views west over Morton Moor to Rivock and Whetstone Gate, and back to the windfarm on Ovenden Moor, and I'd be happy if it continued all the way across, but we detour from it as it wanders off the serviced the shooting hut and grouse butts on the moor and we hit a rougher path by the waymarker to head in the direction of Ilkley. Sadly the day's sunshine lapses as we pace onwards on a rather changeable surface, sometimes well flagged and other times rather marshy as we press on uphill, gaining views towards Baildon Hill and Bradford as we go, and still loving the bleakness and solitude as perspectives to the south evolve, the Worth Valley and the Bronte Moors revealing themselves, as do Emley Moor and Lad Law as we roll in close to the wall that separates Bingley Moor and Morton Moor. Soon we are high enough up, among the many erratic boulders to get the view down the Aire towards Leeds, as well as far cross in the other direction to Pendle Hill, all seen many times before but always greeted like old friends, and they'll keep us company as we rise to meet the wall that marks the edge of Ilkley Moor, passing onto it by the rock known as the Ashlar Chair, where the song of the curlew can be enjoyed along with the view to the east and another watering break.

The rough field ascent to Otley Road.

Bingley Moor, where good track meets rough track.

Cottongrass on the Bingley - Morton Moor border.

The Ashlar Chair, Ilkley - Bingley Moor border.

The route to the crest isn't that obvious, which shows me why I'm still not prepared for wild moor walking, but the rise and reveal of Wharfedale isn't too far away, where the panorama can briefly be enjoyed before Airedale drops from view, not to be seen again until late Summer most probably, and attention comes around again to the high hills of Upper Wharfedale, across to Menwith Hill and the Washburn, and over to Almscliffe Crags and the Chevin. It's also busy on the north side of Rombalds Moor, with some sort on endurance race going on along the major paths to go with all the regular sightseers, but there's still a quiet path to find down from the lateral path, setting course down from White Crag Moss in a grassy groove in the direction of Ilkley, gradually working its way to meet the flagged path of the Dales Way Link, north of Lanshaw Lad. Not the best going before we hit the good path, especially damp in places which reveals that my Boots #5 have sprung a leak, unfortunately, but I still feel better placed than those running uphill or taking a hike with someone who doesn't know how to navigate, both types of group being met as we descend to the path junction at Backstone beck. Take the north eastern tack that follows above the cleft of the beck, walked before in 2011 but feeling oddly unfamiliar today, and it's a sea of bracken on the descent back down to 300m, passing the poets shelter that reminds me that I still haven't walked the Stanza Stones path, as well as the covered reservoir that reminds you that the moor isn't as wild as you'd think, eventually joining the real crowds at the point where many paths converge on a single crossing point of the beck, above the quarry and below the Rocky Valley. It's a clear enough run to get to the Cow & Calf rocks from here, finally making their up close appearance on my walking career, though I've enough pics from my 2011 visit, on an altogether sunnier and quieter day, which means we won't be lingering here among the tourist throng, but they still impress me as they lurk high on the moorside like sentinels above Ilkley. It's literally straight downhill from here, but not to the town, instead on the access paths through the woods at the eastern end, losing 50m of altitude before running into the suburb of Ben Rhydding, where the spa hotel that named it is long gone, but a very expensive suburb remains, a lot like the western end of Ilkley, as it happens. So down past the Wheatley Arms, and many desirable cottages to meet a shopping parade that's the equal of any in the town proper, to be delighted that it's managed to keep its railway station despite being less than a mile out of Ilkley, and that's where this day can conclude at 1.55pm, rather early in both senses, but it's still a good stretch to have had on a day that could have been burned otherwise, and anyways, that's two more WYMetro stations off the list, so it's all good, really.

Ilkley Moor, rough path approaches flagged path.

Backstone Beck crossing, and Ilkley quarry.

The Cow & Calf rocks, Ilkley Moor's sentinels.

Ben Rhydding, the other expensive end of Ilkley.

5,000 Miles Cumulative Total: 2811.2 miles
2017 Total: 246.2 miles
Up Country Total: 2566.9 miles
Solo Total: 2554.9 miles


Next Up: A very long day, with an unseen highpoint and Circular Trail, I assure you.