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Saltaire, Shipley Glen and 5 Rise Locks Circular

Difficulty Leisurely

Walking time 3 hours 30 minutes

Length 12.7km / 7.9mi

Route developer: Christine Whittaker

Route checker: Steve Hughes

Start location Saltaire – on Victoria Road, outside Salts Mill
Route Summary A walk with variety - the World Heritage Site of Saltaire, a beautiful rocky and wooded glen, open farmland, urban woodland, followed by a fascinating stretch of canal with a spectacular flights of locks. Returning along the pleasant River Aire.
*move mouse over graph to see points on route
Getting there

By public transport: Frequent bus services through Saltaire and Bingley, and regular train services to Saltaire and Bingley. For information contact West Yorkshire Transport http://www.wymetro.com/

Parking information: Car Parks Saltaire old town (fee), Bingley -  below Co-op supermarket Car Park (free) but you will need to start in the middle of the route description. Car park above Shipley Glen on Glen Road (free) - see map

Description

[1]  At the end of Victoria Road close to (A) Sir Titus Salt's Mill, cross the bridges over the canal and river into (B) Roberts Park. Immediately, turn sharp left to walk alongside the river, bearing slightly right passing the Cricket Clubhouse.  Just after the clubhouse go through the gate on your left onto a grassy area.  Go forward, but when you come to a footbridge on your left, turn right up between houses to cross Glenwood Avenue. Then cross Higher Coach Road ahead, bearing slightly left up a bridleway to a woodland.  At the junction turn left through the woodland on an easy wide path – at the fork turn left up Shipley Glen.

[2]  Keep straight on along the valley, and where the path divides keep right on a rocky path uphill which eventually emerges at the top of the Glen.  Keep left along this open area, passing a car park (off Glen Road). When you reach a signpost, turn left down a path to a bridge and cross the beck. With the beck now on your right, walk forward on Saltaire Road, until you reach the busy Otley Road.

[3]   Cross, turn right, and then take the first left (The Green). Continue, passing the Acorn Inn, and eventually you come to a junction where you leave the road (which bears sharp right and becomes a drive to the Old Corn Mill). Instead of following the road, go up the overgrown track on your left.  You soon pass a reservoir away to your right. Turn left past a house (onto Tewitt Lane) ultimately reaching Heights Lane by Lower Heights Farm.

[4]  Cross the road, turn left and follow the sign pointing right towards a stone house.  Go towards the house, but then turn right of the building and go over a stone stile in the wall.  Go straight ahead down across the field towards the far right-hand corner.  Cross the stone stile and walk straight ahead by the wall side for two fields.  Cross a stone stile on the left and follow the path behind a house to emerge into a cul-de-sac. Go down to a mini roundabout on College Road and bear right to reach Lady Lane.

[5]   Turn right along this road past Greenhill Crag Farm.  Cross road and another junction then turn left at the footpath sign ahead into woodland.  Follow the path downhill to reach a road.  Cross and walk ahead on Pinedale to where the path continues down. Reach and turn right along Beck Lane.  Continue forward passing allotments on the left.

[6]  Turn left at the roundabout and cross over the Leeds-Liverpool Canal – or call at the 5 Rise Lock Café.  Turn left and walk back along the towpath passing the (C) 5 Rise Locks. Continue on past the 3 Rise Locks until you come to a metal suspension bridge in Bingley.  Here turn right up a ramp, off the canal towpath and onto the suspension bridge.  Walk across the bridge and across the slip road via a pelican crossing onto the opposite side. Turn left and go up Ferncliffe Road to the busy junction.  Cross over Main Street (B6265), turn left and first right between the flats/houses in Myrtle Court. Walk straight ahead through the gateway and into Myrtle Park. Follow the narrow surfaced path as it bears left, passing a playground on the far right.  At the junction continue ahead downhill on the now wider path (keeping the stone wall on your left). Before you reach the bottom, overlooking a large grassed area, turn left off the wide path onto a narrow, surfaced path which leads down to a footbridge over the River Aire.

[7]  Cross and go along the straight narrow footpath to its junction with a country lane (Beckfoot Lane). Turn left and follow the lane passing cricket and tennis clubs on the left and a golf club on the right.  Continue straight ahead as the lane widens to its junction with the main Bradford Road.  Safely cross over the main road and go through the gap in the wall of Cottingley Bridge opposite and down steps onto a footpath along the riverbank between the river and buildings.

[8]  When you reach the sports ground, the path follows the river.  As you approach a viaduct the footpath goes over a small wooden footbridge and then straight ahead under the viaduct.   Beyond the viaduct the path bears to the right up a slight incline and through a small metal gate and along a narrow walled path.  After a short distance the walled path turns sharp right. Ignore this turning and go straight ahead through the gap in the wall in front of you back down onto the riverbank.

[9]  Continue along the riverbank eventually passing the bottom of Nab Wood cemetery on your right, before going over a small footbridge and under the railway bridge to emerge into Hirst Wood. Here the path divides, our route follows the path steeply uphill to the right through the trees to join another path.  Continue straight ahead through the woodland to the car parking area at the bottom of Hirst Lane.  Turn left on the lane over Hirst Lock Swing Bridge and turn right onto the towpath to return to Saltaire.

POI information

(A) Titus Salt's Mill (Titus Salt was the creator of Saltaire)  - David Hockney Gallery and a pleasant diner   http://www.saltsmill.org.uk

(B) Roberts Park -  a gift to Saltaire of another historical  figure    http://www.saltairevillage.info

(C) The magnificent 5 Rise Locks (also a 3 rise lock nearby) and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal   http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/ll/bingleyfiverise.htm

Notes

Map: OS Explorer Map 288

Refreshments: There are cafés at The Five Rise Locks and in Roberts Park, Saltaire

Visitor Information: Saltaire Visitor Information Centre, Salt's Mill, Victoria Road, Saltaire  http://www.visitbradford.com/saltaire-airedale/

Visit the Pennine Waterways website for more information and a virtual tour along the canal  http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/ll/

Local Ramblers Group: West Riding Ramblers http://www.ramblersyorkshire.org

 

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to The Crowood Press. http://www.crowood.com/default.asp  for their permission to include this walk on the Ramblers Routes website.  The walk is based on an updated walk from their book ‘100 Walks in Yorkshire’ - part of their 100 walk books series - soon to be published.  The Ramblers of South Yorkshire and North East Derbyshire have been asked to assist in updating a number of the walks.

Additional parts of the route are based on the Aire Valley Woodland Water walk from their Self-guided walks in and around Saltaire published by the City of Bradford MDC www.bradford.gov.uk

Thanks to Bradford Visitor Information for permission to use the 5 Rise Lock photograph. http://www.visitbradford.com/saltaire-airedale/

Finally thanks to the Pennine Waterways for permission to use their photographs of The Hirst Lock Swing Bridge, Sir Titus Salt's Mills and The canal bridge below Salt's Mill.  http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk

  • Sir Titus Salt
    Sir Titus Salt's Famous Mills at Saltaire
    By - With kind permission of Penine Waterways
  • The canal bridge below Salt
    The canal bridge below Salt's Mill taking you towards Roberts Park
    By - With kind permission of Penine Waterways
  • The spectacular Bingley Five Rise Locks on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
    The spectacular Bingley Five Rise Locks on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
    By - With kind permission of Bradford Tourist Information
  • The Hirst Lock Swing Bridge
    The Hirst Lock Swing Bridge
    By - With kind permission of Penine Waterways
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