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Below Silsden Moor from Cringles

West Yorkshire Walk

County/Area - West Yorkshire - Bradford

Author - Allan Friswell

Length - 6.8 miles / 11.1 km    Ascent - 650 feet / 197 metres

Time - 4 hours 0 minutes    Grade - easy/mod

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Walk Route Description

Photo from the walk - Below Silsden Moor
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A Bradford walk that places you on the edges of Silsden Moor, looking across wonderful vistas at any time of year, but above all in spring. One very short steep climb to reach Foster Cliffe farms shortly after the start, otherwise the ground is easy terrain. (Note: the confluence of Great Gill and Foster Cliff Becks at the bridge is generally impassable after heavy rain - best not to chance the walk then). Many stiles with 1.5 miles of quiet B-road walking.

Park your car on the left immediately after turning left into Cringles Lane from Bolton Road. Walk back and turn right, then immediately, via massive wooden gates, keep ahead through to smaller gate and then two ladder stiles. Go down, with line of hawthorns and ditch on your left, to third ladder stile. Follow farm track ahead, forking right down to Great Gill Beck. Keeping this stream on your left, cross bridge and carefully negotiate the meeting point with Foster Cliff Beck, ignoring steps on left.

This path seems little used but, following Foster Cliff Beck upstream you soon reach a stile near end of wall on right. Clamber (the most apt word) up the steep 30-foot slope with care and zigzags, taking your time. There are still remnants of steps to be found. After you reach the field and your pulse is down in the low hundreds, follow the left side. This brings you to gates at Foster Cliffe farms.

You follow r/h track past farmhouses to a cross paths where a stern notice forbids you to advance. Turn hard left along the Millennium Way, over a slightly awkward stile by the gate and security light; then before farm entrance drop right, over bridge, up steps to follow r/h edge of field. Cross stile, track and stile. Turn right, along field edge to arrive at the Low Lane stile. Take stile a few yards on left, go along field edge to cross stile at "kink"; follow hedge on left to stile; then continue along r/h field edge to reach Horn Lane. Go right, then again (Heights Lane). Left up Kiln Hill Lane for about a mile, making for Moor Gate Farm, crossing cattle grid in increasingly wide-open countryside.

At the farm go right (NOT in the farmyard!), and make for the right-hand of two gates. The obvious track leads you past Crow Trees Farm to Jenkin.

Drop left to a small wooden gate. The "bowl" of the terrain is now opening up before you. Go down the l/h field edge to a similar gate, then cross at 11 o/c to concrete track. Left, up to Low Edge Farm via a cattle grid (no gate!). Here you pass between the lions, go right, across lawn and up, following wall the length of the house to stile in r/h wall, facing wind turbine. Turn sharp right, exit via gate and climb to High Edge Farm. Pause - look at that view!

Cross barred step stile on right, and take that on left about 50 yards along. Make for gate up on right, then straight ahead up to stile in corner. Crossing some boggy ground, walk to obvious gate ahead, then descend the two fields' edge via a gate and take stile on left. Ahead to gate at Middlebrough House Farm. Walk round house front, following track to gates, where you pass through yours and the right hand one, making for Haygill Farm. There, take gate on the right (NOT ahead!), and cross over field with ditch on your right to stile in mid-wall, then to stile at Haygill Nook, passing an old barn on your right.

Go left up Bank Lane and after 150 yards, at the bench on right, follow bridleway to the end of a long field. The corner stile is not only awkward but boggy - you may decide to use gate to the left. Turn right, follow r/h wall over stile and then to ladder stile. Climb this and follow l/h wall to two gateways. Go through gate in r/h wall, then to stile behind dead tree. After passing over this it is best to leave the official path, so climb, keeping the heaps of spoil on your left, then strike out ahead for corner of field and Bank Lane. Turn left and follow road back to Cringles.

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