Hebden Bridge Walkers Action - 906 bus walks 12: Blake Dean to Gibson Mill

HEBDEN BRIDGE WALKERS ACTION

906 Bus

906 BUS WALKS 11
Blake Dean to Gibson Mill

Main features of the walk
This is a short walk on tracks, meandering footpaths and stone steps following Hebden water downstream.

Length and time
It’s about 3 km (approx 2 miles) and should take about an hour to Gibson Mill. The return will take you a little less time. So, approximately 2 hours in total not including your stop off at the café.

Gradients – how strenuous?
There is a short steep climb uphill on stone steps at the beginning and uneven stony footpaths some of the way.

Terrain – how uneven?
The walk is all on a good paths but they are quite uneven in several places.

Obstacles – stiles, steps etc.
There is a wooden stile on route and four wooden footbridges to cross

Facilities on the walk
At Gibson Mill there are toilets. The HBWA stone steps photo mosaic can be seen at the Weaving Shed café which is open at weekends (if you show your bus ticket you can have a free hot drink in the café) There are also toilets at Midgehole (20p). There is usually a mobile signal on this walk.

What to take?
This walk is quite sheltered once you have dropped down into the woodland. However parts of the path can be very muddy after rain and the stones can be wet and slippery. Good boots are worth having.

Detailed directions for walk 12: Blake Dean to Gibson Mill

This walk starts at Blake Dean

The 906 bus will take you to Blakedean on the way to Widdop. Ask to be put down before the bus takes a sharp left hand bend uphill by the old Scout hut.

1. Walk ahead for about 10m and take the gate on the other side of the road down steps towards the river. Cross the river over the wooden footbridge, turning right to follow the path uphill partly on stone steps. Take the grassy track ahead to follow the course of the river downstream high above it. Look down to the river to see the stone built remains of the bridge of the railway line that once ran up the valley.

2. Cross the wooden stile and follow a well worn path as it meanders through heather and bracken towards some pine woods. In the woods follow the path to the left as it forks upwards, heading towards the field above the wood. Enter the field through a break in the low wall by a large upright wall stone. Turn right and continue ahead passing a cottage on your left. Here the path turns into a track that is easily followed downhill until you reach a wooden railed bridge over a clough.

3. Here you can follow the track straight ahead, turning right when it reaches a tarmac road that heads down to Gibson Mill. We recommend though that you turn right on a footpath downhill straight after the bridge. This path takes you back down the river to cross it on a wooden footbridge. Turn left again on the opposite bank and follow the footpath along the river.

4. Cross the river again over the next footbridge. Continue to follow the river downstream and cross back over the river over the third footbridge. Follow the footpath again, past a mill pond until Gibson Mill comes into view.

The Return Leg

1. From Gibson Mill you can return to Blake Dean by taking the estate road just past the Mill left uphill until you reach a fork in the road then take the track off to the left to retrace you steps back to the bridge where you turned off before.

2. Continue uphill past the cottage and take the path again through the field above the wood, down through the wood then back through heather and bracken to the grassy track and the path back to Blake Dean across the river.

Or
You can head to Midgehole from Gibson Mill, on the return leg of the path in Walk One. (Midgehole to Gibson Mill and back) This path takes you on footpaths up through the woods above the estate road , finally emerging at the top car park at Midgehole. Here you walk back downhill to the 906 bus stop to take you back to Hebden Bridge.

You can head to Midgehole from Gibson Mill on the return leg of Walk Two (Clough Hole car park to Gibson Mill and Midgehole) Take the estate road right uphill and continue on this track to Midgehole and the 906 bus stop where you can take the bus back to Hebden Bridge.