Walkshire

Canal walks have a strong pull with their unfolding landscapes, wildlife, alternative and intriguing lifestyle options and the general calm and peace they bestow on all those who walk along them.

Take a turn from the industrial town centre of Huddersfield, away from the view of the historic landmark of Castle Hill and the Victoria Tower dominating the skyline, onto the towpath of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal for a walk with lots of offer.

Walking along this 8-mile stretch of canal, you pass through the villages of Milnsbridge, Slaithwaite and Marsden before finally reaching the Standedge Tunnel – Britain’s highest, deepest and longest canal tunnel.  The scenery along the towpath is full of dramatic contrasts: urban life, crumbling historic mills, industrial buildings and leafy woodland later give way to stunning views of rolling, rugged hills.  It’s a walk that has everything and more, from Huddersfield’s industrial centre to the tranquil greenness of the Colne Valley. Heading towards Slaithwaite, you’ll reach beautiful open countryside and long-distance views of villages sitting high above the valley.

The Slaithwaite to Marsden section is particularly picturesque, leafy and green with the contrast of the black and white locks.  Along this stretch, intriguing paths leaving the main towpath entice the walker to explore the woodlands and delve deeper into the countryside.  Once back on the towpath, this canal walk ends at the landmark Standedge Tunnel. Here is an opportunity to take in the views, have refreshments at the Watersedge Café and visit the Standedge Tunnel Visitor Centre. This tells the story of the tunnel, from its planning through 200+ years of history, including its rescue, restoration and reopening in 2001.

This is a fabulous walk with so many options for diversions along the way. You could visit the beautiful canalside mill villages of Slaithwaite (pronounced ‘Sla-wit’, or ‘Slath-wait’ if you are local) and Marsden, where you’ll find an abundance of independent shops, pubs and eateries.   

Returning back to the start of your walk is easy:

• If you are feeling fit, there’s the option for a return 8-mile walk, retracing your steps while continuing to take in the lovely scenery back to Huddersfield
• Bus/Rail – There are train stations and bus options at the villages along the way, taking you straight back to Huddersfield

This walk of ever-changing landscapes, arriving at the edge of the wild beauty of the Marsden Moor Estate, is a celebration of the collaboration of industry and nature, of the man-made and natural and of the history between the two.

For more ramblings about walks, pub stops along the way and the love of the outdoors, you can follow @rocknramblers on Instagram.

Photographs: Julie James/Peter Claxton

The UK charity Sustrans created the National Cycle Network, with over 12,000 miles of walking and cycling routes, including many traffic-free paths on former railway lines with historic architecture. This beautiful four-mile stretch features the Grade 2-listed, seven-arch Nidd Gorge Viaduct.

Useful links

sustrans.co.uk

Visitharrogate.co.uk

Endcliffe Park is one of Sheffield’s most popular parks. It’s a great open space, with playground facilities and a family-friendly café, just a short distance from Sheffield city centre. It’s also where you’ll find the famed Mi Amigo memorial. Recently featured on BBC Breakfast, it marks the crash site of a World War II B-17 Flying Fortress.

If you’re looking for something a more than just a wander around the park, it’s also a great starting point for several other walks. In fact, Endcliffe Park is actually the starting point for one of Sheffield’s best walks, the Sheffield Round Walk. The Sheffield Round Walk is a 15-mile circular route that ventures around Sheffield, through parks and woodland. You can also break it down into four more manageable chunks.

The start of this walk is the 2-mile jaunt from Endcliffe Park, through Whiteley Woods, to Forge Dam. You can find that particular section as one of Walkshire’s featured walks here. It’s a perfect route for a Sunday stroll for families, finishing up somewhere for a nice cup of tea.

If you’d like to take your walk a little further, the full round walk part 1 route goes from Endcliffe Park to Forge Dam and continues up through Porter Clough to the very edge of the Peak District, ending up at a wonderful dog-friendly pub called the Norfolk Arms.

At Dog Friendly Sheffield, we’ve put together an easy-to-follow walking route that guides you from start to finish, with photos to help you along the way. That route can be found here: Endcliffe Park to Porter Clough.

The route from Endcliffe Park to Forge Dam can get a little busy as it is popular with families. Your dog will be fine off the lead, but you should note that there are several roads to cross. Beyond Forge Dam, the route does get a little quieter as you head up toward Ringinglow.

Children in schools across Yorkshire are taking part in the Big Pedal, from 19-30 April, to get active during their school journey. Held each year across the UK by Sustrans, the national charity that helps more people walk and cycle, this year’s challenge will see more than half a million children and young people walk, cycle, scoot and wheel to and from school.

This year’s Big Pedal is supported by Dame Sarah Storey, active travel commissioner for Sheffield City Region. According to a YouGov poll commissioned by Sustrans for the Big Pedal, almost three fifths (57%) of pupils described the environment around their school as having too many cars. The survey also found that 40% of pupils thought more people  walking, cycling or scooting to school was the best way to bring down levels of air pollution near their school. Over a third (38%) thought that walking and cycling more for local journeys was the most important thing adults should be doing to tackle climate change overall.

The research showed that children are keen to get more active on their regular journeys. Seven times as many children want to cycle to school and five times as many want to scoot to school more than they currently do. 

The National Cycle Network and other traffic-free paths through parks and green spaces are critical to help more families walk, cycle or scoot their journeys to school. With over 1000 miles of the network in Yorkshire alone, many people live within just a few minutes’ walk of their local section. Yorkshire has some of the most beautiful routes in the UK, including part of the 170-mile Way of the Roses, which passes through many urban areas and villages. There are also local paths, such as the Spen Valley Greenway between Dewsbury and Bradford, and York’s Solar System Way.

Dame Sarah Storey said, “I am delighted to be at the launch of Big Pedal 2021, it is fantastic the event is running this year and I know it will have huge benefits to all who take part. It isn’t just beneficial to our physical health that we use short journeys as an opportunity to be active, but it supports our mental wellbeing too.”

Find out more about Sustrans’ Big Pedal and check out more routes near you on the National Cycle Network