Ilkley - Mount Calvary & Middleton Woods Circular

Start/Finish         Stone steps leading to Riverside, New Brook Street  
Start Time        Mar 20, 2012 12.00pm
Distance           4.15 miles
Duration           2h:25m:59s
Avg Speed        1.7 mph
Max Speed       7.7 mph
Calories            579 kcal
Altitude            378 ft / 803 ft
Elevation          437 ft ↑ / 473 ft ↓
Weather           Very Warm & Sunny, Mist On The Horizon
O/S Map           Explorer 297- Lower Wharfedale, Washburn Valley, Harrogate, Ilkley Moor  
Terrain             Mixture of Tarmac paths, River and Woodland paths



GPS Route



With your back to the town centre, turn left and go down the steps at the bridge off the left side of New Brook Street, to walk parallell to the river, through the Riverside Gardens, passing the childrens play area and Riverside Hotel on the left.


The Bridge at the start


From here climb the steps up onto the old stone built bridge over the River Wharfe. You can get nice fish & chips down near the Riverside Hotel...but beware - the ducks like your chips as much as you do!


He wants your chips!


Turn right to walk across the bridge, turning immediately left on the opposite side of the river to follow the path along the river bank. 



View from the bridge



Carry on until you reach an electricity substation and Nesfield Road. Cross the road to turn next left up Owler Park Road. Don't be put off by the private road sign.

Looking back towards Ilkley from Owler Park Road


Continue uphill, and when you reach the entrance to the drive to Austby follow the road sharp right uphill, signed High Austby Farm, leaving behind the houses to walk between fields on your left and the woodland of Terrace Gill on your right.

Terrace Gill


Follow this narrow road uphill until you reach a 'T' junction where the road bears left, and is joined by an unmade track signposted 'Public Bridleway'.
Here take the track to the right, passing a large house on your right called 'Tivoli'.


Looking towards Ilkley just after 'Tivoli'



Approximately 250 yards after Tivoli, where the track enters the woodland, look out for a small wooden gate on your left. This is the entrance to Calvary.
Going through the gate will reveal a series of carved stone Italian sculptures forming the station of the cross. I would recommend taking the small diversion from the route to look around.















To continue, follow the track straight ahead, turning right at the end to walk downhill, passing a few cottages on the left and Myddleton Lodge on the right before turning left at the bottomto join the surfaced entrance road to the new buildings adjacent to the Lodge.
Continue straight ahead to join Hardings Lane at a T Junction, turning left uphill to follow the road as it bears right at the signposted 'Middleton' junction.
After a short distance and just beyond the house 'The Hollies' on your right, Look out for the stile over the fence into the field.





Go over the stile and down across the field heading to the left of the large tree. Look out for the stile in the fence into Middleton Woods.
As you enter the wood the path divides. Follow the wide track to the left across a small stream.







From here follow the path through the woods...ultimately going down and heading towards Ilkley. You will arrive at a road (Curley Hill). Cross this, looking for a stile on your left. Go over this and enter the wood again...following the path down. You will soon arrive at a second road (Denton Road). Cross this and walk across the small suspension type bridge crossing the River Wharfe.









Once over the bridge, turn right and follow the footpath along the banks of the river all the way to the bridge at New Brook Street where we started! and the end of the walk.

A full set of photos from this walk can be found here


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