South Pennine Walks
Baildon Hill & Shipley Glen
Date: 6th Jul 2014
Distance: 5.7 miles
Ascent: 656 feet
Time: 2 hours 20 mins
With: On my own
Start Grid Ref: SE154396
Walk Summary:
A shortish ramble from Baildon to the modest gritstone edge above Shipley Glen before returning over Baildon Moor.
Route Summary: Baildon - Baildon Bank - Walker Wood - Glen Road - Shipley Glen - Baildon Hill - Glovershaw Lane - Eaves Crag - Baildon Common - Baildon
Photos: Click on the photos below to enlarge.
Video:
Walk Detail: With the Tour de France passing through Harrogate for two days in a row the scope for getting out of the town and heading out for a walk was quite limited due to road closures. This was not a problem on the Saturday when my family and I joined the huge crowds to watch the riders approach the finish line of the first stage of the Grand Depart. The following day I found a spot just across from the bottom of my street to watch the peloton pass once more.
As enjoyable as all this was come Sunday afternoon I really wanted to get out for some kind of walk. Due to restrictions in how I could actually get out of Harrogate I figured out that realistically the only places I could get to for a reasonable length walk was the eastern end of Ilkley Moor or the more modest Baildon Moor to the south-east. In the end I plumped for the latter as I'd had the Baildon Hill trig point on my to-do list for a while.
Starting from a car park in the centre of Baildon itself I set off along the top of Baildon Bank which provided sweeping views across the Aire valley to Idle Hill, Shipley, Saltaire and Bradford. After passing around the boundary of a school playing field I dropped down below Baildon Bank, an impressive gritsone edge for a short climb up through Walker Wood. A short quiet road then brought me to the access area above Shipley Glen.
A popular local recreational area Shipley Glen is a short steep-sided and heavily wooded valley the rim of which is lined with gritstone outcrops. The next half-mile was an enjoyable exploration of the outcrops though the views down into the Glen itself were severely curtailed by the tree cover. Eventually I crossed Glen Road to take a bridleway which led me to the top of Baildon Hill with its summit trig point and view indicator. The view was substantial with Leeds now added to the panorama of urban sprawl. Perhaps surprisingly to the west, beyond the South Pennine moors, I could make out the Bowland Fells.
Rather than taking the direct path back to Baildon I set off north and north-west to explore the area a bit more crossing on my way part of Baildon Golf Course. Eventually I made my way back round to Eaves Crag, which looked like a former quarry, and then crossed Hawkesworth Road so that I could bag my second trig point of the day. Situated in long grass almost next to the road the Baildon Common trig point has to be one of the easiest there is to visit. On the other hand the view was nowhere near as extensive as that from Baildon Hill.
From the Baildon Common trig point it was then a simple walk back in to Baildon. While the largely urban views found on this walk might not appeal to everyone this was still an enjoyable little amble and in the circumstances managed to fulfill my need to get out for a walk on a weekend when my options were severely limited.
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