Ben Rhydding to Hornbeam Park 08/07/17

16.8 miles, via Denton, Hundwith Beck, Askwith Moor, Washburn Farm, Folly Hall,
 Sword Point, Norwood Edge, Stainburn Forest, Lindley Moor, Moorside Bridge,
  Briscoe Ridge, Brackenthwaite, Lund House Green, Rossett Green, & Oatlands.

Because of rail strikes, I don't have an option other than getting an early start on the day, with services being reduced early in the day and concluding in the late afternoon meaning that I have a pretty specific window to get my trail fitted into, and thus we ride out to Ben Rhydding station, at the smart end on Ilkley, to get going on a 16+ mile day, starting of at 8.55am with the sunshine already in the sky, but the summer heat still being some way off, thankfully. Pass under the railway and down Wheatley Road, quickly getting a revelation of the high northern side of Wharfedale that we will be traversing today as we pace down through the suburban edge of Ilkley to roll out onto the A65 to look back to a beautifully illuminated view of the Cow and Calf rocks up on the high moor edge, crossing the main road to soon be at the side of the Wharfe, which needs to be crossed via Denton bridge, the steel through-arch construction that is almost too narrow to accommodate pedestrian and traffic. We meet Denton Road on the other side, still not offering any more views of the adjacent river than it did last year, and still playing host to the traffic that acts like the A65 is just too slow a road for their tastes, otherwise a calm and shady lane that is Wharfedale cyclists' red route, leading us on to the corner of the Denton Hall estate and the lane that leads up to the village. This is where the day's ascent begins, rising by the perimeter wall and offering some fine views back to the evolving profile of Ilkley and Burley moors, a lot like last week but well-lit today, proving that an occasional early start can get the sun in the best possible angle for your photographic needs, and we've raised about 30m from the river once we meet Denton Village. It's a very small place, hosting only a few cottages by its farmsteads, and not all that many estate houses either, considering the proximity and size of Denton Hall, and we'll approach that down its lane, not getting as far as its gates, but instead taking a closer look at St Helen's church, with its curious octagonal turret, before retracing steps down to the crossroads at the village centre and peeling north on the ascending Smithy Lane. Tracing the boundary of Denton's High park, we ascend much further on the road up to Willow Hill and Yarnett House farms, getting more evolving Wharfedale views as we go, despite them being in a similar vein as last week's, but this time around we'll get much better sight of Beamsley Beacon, Round Hill and Denton Moor on the north side, inviting further exploration before this season is out.

Denton Bridge, Sydney Harbour Bridge in (very) miniature!

Denton Village

From Smithy Lane, the bulk of Rombalds Moor.

Meet the high level route to the Washburn again, progressing eastwards at about 200m elevation once more, heading on along a long wall as the view to Ilkley recedes, passing around a plantation and then rising uphill again and through a sheep field to meet the driveway to Dunkirk farm, which would be the quick way onto Denton Moor from up here, but as that's being saved for later we continue east, across a particularly rough field with the mass of Askwith Moor rising above it. No quick way up there though, as we have to descend, pretty sharply through the wood that has been planted around Hundwith Beck, and start to feel like we're heading off the hillside and in the wrong direction as we drop down to meet the farm lane coming up from Askwith, but we're not thankfully as the rising track leads us up to Whin Hill farm, looking somewhat made over these days. A farm track leads us on to Top Moorside farm, looking altogether industrious in comparison, and again not offering any obvious deviations through its yard, so we head on to it long driveway to absorb the Wharfedale views that are very well coloured in the morning sunshine. The way to the Washburn demands more climbing, as every progressive track from Wharfedale does, you may have noticed, and a clear track leads up to the way onto Askwith Moor, where the roaming sheep can be easily startled as we make our way across the grazing fields to find the clear green track that leads up across the moor, a straightforward ascent of about 50m  that is dry and easy, with a grand revelation of the Washburn Valley when you hit the top. Norwood Edge, and its mast are revealed front and centre first, and the upstream view to Swinsty Reservoir is grand, with enough elevation to look across to RAF Menwith Hill, Brimham Moor and the distant edge of the North York Moors, and this is another one you can easily drive to as we meet Askwith Moor Road coming up and hanging around the 270m elevation. The short route downhill invites rough moorland walking over the access land, easily entered from this side, and looking pretty marshy judging by the map, but a clear trod leads us over the worst of the bogginess around the drains, with the descent being pretty easy to pick out as we head down toward Snowden Carr road, having survived our way through long grass, heather and that odd spongy weed that always threatens destroy your ankles. Having negotiated a way off the moor and onto the road, we get our great view downstream on the Washburn, having already seen Almscliffe Crag retreat from view as we descended, we now get a grand vantage point over Lindley Wood, and gradually see its namesake reservoir revealing a fresh perspective below as we progress northwards.

Above Hundwith Beck, the view to Askwith Moor.

Top Moorside farm has a fine view.

Upper Washburn from Askwith Moor Road.

Lower Washburn from Snowden Carr Road.

We also meet a dramatic edge on Askwith Moor, that the map indicates as Snowden Crags and a look uphill reveals the village of Timble, one of only three in the valley, and the dam of Swinsty reservoir still stands prominent upstream, inviting a visit, but that's a bit too far away from today, like Dob Park bridge being rather poorly placed, so we start our descent down to the river by hitting the driveway down to Washburn farm, where the seemingly obvious path vanishes in the yard, well concealed by vehicles and machinery. Field walk downhill further, through an overgrown groove and around small woods to meet the riverside path by the outspill of Timble Gill beck, and negotiating the knot of paths here, including the Six Dales Trail again, involves picking the one previously walked, along the bank to the bridleway and farm access bridge that slips us over to the east bank, with the Washburn looking about as dry and stony as it did last year. The ascent starts immediately, and sharply up the obvious track that leads up through the primordial feeling Folly Hall Wood, to meet the farm that names it, where again there's chaos reigning in the yard and the dogs don't want to make walkers feel welcome, and as we pass through and hit the drive beyond, the name has to be pondered, as 'was it folly to attempt to farm here?', a valid though but the truth is whoever planted this farm created one of the most dramatically situated in the county. Rise on, absorbing the view downstream and up to the path just walked, before shifting through the trees with the tracks to get an upstream view, revealed above Bury-em-Wick farm, up to Swinsty Reservoir, boldly paced amongst its wooded banks with the radomes of Menwith Hill rising above it, a view that even the local postman enjoys as the path up to Jack Hill Lane is met, some 100m up from the valley floor. There's more elevation to come, getting onto the rough path that follows the edge of the plantation that sits on the edge of Sword Point, the promontory around which the Washburn runs, varying wildly in quality as the vegetation and trees obscure most of the views as we rise to some thankfully open fields where the vista emerges as it tries to rival Little Alms Cliff by presenting the sights of high Wharfedale and Nidderdale beyond our valley. There a rise to about 260m elevation across the fields, thick with stealthy Grouse, at least until you almost step on them, and the view back holds the attention even as we meet Top Lane and have Norwood Edge rising in front of you, at least until the gap above Brass Castle and Hambleton House is met, where views to the south and north-east also open out, down to the lower Washburn and way over the Vale of York, and then you get a much larger panorama that might actually trump last week's.

Washburn Farm, on the high west bank.

Folly Hall Farm, the high east bank.

Swinsty Reservoir and RAF Menwith Hill.

Upper Wharfedale's Hills from Sword Point.

Norwood Edge and its mast loom large to the east, with Stainburn Forest obscuring the views, but before we hit the B6451, we get one last revelation from the Washburn, as Fewston Reservoir appears among the woods that successfully obscure it, even up close, and thence its onwards into the plantation, meeting the path through the tall conifers that circles around the mast at about 270m elevation again, not getting close but revealing a few sneaky looks through the trees. Pause for lunch once enough shade is gained, a appropriately lengthy break to cool off before we descend to cross the path burned last week, getting a sunnier look down the lower Washburn as we hit the rough fields above Prospecthouse farm, descending above the cleft of Gill beck and finding that this is one farm that has had the paths redirected away from it. Head down to the lane from its driveway, not least because the cows around aren't looking so friendly, and pace on along it as it passes above Wood Top farm and over Greystone Beck, eventually meeting the edge of Stainburn Forest, one of its many edges, which seems to have been extensively felled in this particular plot, and as the lane shifts away, we get some fun plotting dilemmas to pick a straightforward route eastwards. The accessible path along the southern edge of the new growth on the plantation seems to best one, despite the presence of boggy turf and the sharp branches of young fir trees, as it cuts off quite a corner as the high lane meanders along, but when they get close there's no obvious way over the fences and walls, so we carry on, switching to the other side of a long ribbon of trees and making our way onward along the rough fields of Lindley Moor. These fields, almost completely contained by plantations seem to be accessible, with a clear trod passing along the southern edge and negotiating its way across some of the softer ground, but as the plots get greener and more filled with sheep, I start to have my doubts and question the wisdom of still using an E297 that was published before Open Access land was a thing. So meeting the bridleway that runs south, we err onto that as it returns us to a more rural feel on Napes Hill, before meeting another path that slips south east, shadowing West Beck and seeming charmingly overgrown for some distance, before moving into a groove that seems utterly choked and forgotten about, which means shifting into the adjacent provides a better track.

Norwood Edge Mast.

Prospecthouse Farm, and Norwood Edge Plantation.

Lindley Moor, possibly not accessible?

Moorside Bridge bridleway, certainly not viable.

Approaching Moorside Bridge, on the B6161, a way onto the road isn't forthcoming, and even backtracking and fording the stream doesn't provide a way out either, and it seems that this must be one of those bridlepaths that is actually a dead end, a long cul-de-sac, and thus a clamber over the wall has to be made to get onto Otley Road, which has me winded and rather gloomy feeling, as if improvising a route was a rather poor idea, especially when still far out from the end. So press on, having lost rather a lot of elevation on this pointless excursion, heading north east with far too much traffic on these B-roads, finding it difficult to orientate myself despite being between two recent trails, and having clear views to The Chevin down behind us and across to Stainburn Forest off to the west, plus eventually gaining a view down to Almscliffe Crag and all the way out of Wharfedale off to the south east. Most of the elevation lost has been regained by the time we meet the Gas Offlake station (?) with its prominent mast at the top of Briscoe Ridge, and the view above Highfield and Briscoerigg farm opens up to the north, which has us feeling close to familiar again, with Moor Park and Harlow Hill landing centre stage, making it feel like the way on to Greater Harrogate cannot possibly go on for too long. The 220+m top of Briscoe Ridge Lane offers some fine vies to north and south, having the sort of panorama that would be gained from Almscliffe Crag if it wasn't for it forming an obscuring barrier to the north, the now familiar look to the north is always appreciated, but its good to get to see the side of the crag that isn't usually seen, as we pace on past the other high mast up here, and gain leafier cover as we go on past Rigg farm, with the occasional gateways providing the surprise views. It's mercifully quiet up here too, the traffic staying away from this road and Brackenthwaite Lane as we start our gradual descent down the lanes atop this rise between two branches of the young river Crimple, and it's not too far to go before we meet our first actual hamlet since Denton, so many miles ago, as we meet the farmsteads of Brackenthwaite at the sharp end of the ridge, though we'll be seeing only a couple of its houses before we start field walking again. To get to my finish line of choice, it's a pretty sharp field descent to the north east, in the shadow of Beckwith House, which involves a long walk through a large open field with too many agitatable cows and calves in it, which requires me to keep calm on the way down top cross the young Crimple Beck, before pulling up sharply through the thankfully empty fields on the other side, losing and then regaining 60m of elevation in pretty short order.

Briscoe Ridge Gas Offlake (?) Station.

Otley Road and the view to Moor Park and Harlow Hill.

The Back of Almscliffe Crag.

Brackenthwaite, big name, small hamlet.

We land at the top at Lund House Green, which might explain my trepidation around the cattle, and we can set course for the town now as we pass inside the Ringway and join Whinney Lane, moving on towards it and resisting the temptation of drinks in The Squinting Cat (the first pub on the trail!) which doesn't seem to be doing enough business on a hot day like today, but there's still more field walking to do to get to Rossett Green, passing around a farm conversion and then choosing your path as the ways diverge. We choose poorly to go behind what used to be a school, a large and disused building that has path that is overgrown to match, and my tiring legs had no intention of fighting through nettles and brambles as it made its way into Harrogate's suburbia, getting relief as we land in the town on Yew Tree lane and choose the greenest way forwards that leads through the extensive playing fields of Ashville College. The full bore of suburbia is met beyond, on Green Lane, confirming my belief that most of Harrogate looks expensive, and the fun is to be had in trying to identify which buildings might have pre-dated the growth and expansion of the town in the forst half of the 20th century. It's a game to carry with you as Leadhall Lane is met, where the old cottages hide among the suburban styles that pile up almost randomly and the parades of Hornbeam trees return to remind you of exactly where you are, and my predictable tastes come around as the parades of old semis met before Leeds Road reveal my personal preference again. The A61 indicates that there is not much further to go, but a crossing, by the M&S foodstore and the Bathstore (in a particularly prominent building), takes a while as the traffic seems to be overly dense, but there's more housing variety to be had along here, featuring stone terraces clustered around the board school on Hookstone Road in the initial going, along with many 1930s semis sitting opposite Oatlands playing fields a little further along. This is the way that I first came into Harrogate two years ago, but the path walked up from the Crimple Valley seems elusive to my eyes, and before we can ponder it much further the railway is upon us, and the station at Hornbeam Park presents itself for the day's conclusion, a pretty mundane sight for a name that used to fascinate us so much when we lived in Burley Park and heard its name announced on trains running the Harrogate Line. It's just an office park, although a very leafy one, and wouldn't have been worth the trip those 20(!) years ago, but it's another check off the list of local stations, and the day is done at 4.40pm, a very late finish which must have meant very slow going on the day, but we've arrived ahead of the striking trains finishing at teatime, so by that measure, today has been a success.

The Squinting Cat, Lund House Green.

Suburbia rules, Rossett Green.

The Bathstore, Leeds Road.

Hornbeam Park.

5,000 Miles Cumulative Total: 2874.4 miles
2017 Total: 309.4 miles
Up Country Total: 2630.1 miles
Solo Total: 2618.1 miles

Next Up: Across the Washburn again, with High Moors and Proper Towns.
    EDIT: Or Not, as weather and tiredness demand I rest.
                Instead, travelling Down Country without a walking plan.