HEBDEN BRIDGE WALKERS ACTION

906 BUS WALKS 3
Widdop Gate to Gibson Mill
via old railway and stone steps

Map and Directions below

Main features of the walk
This is a short circular walk mainly in woodland and partly following the route of an old railway line used to build local reservoirs.

Length and time
It’s about 3km (approx 2 miles) and should take you about 1½ hours (+ stops).

Gradients – how strenuous?
This walk is mainly a gentle descent with two steep flights of stone steps – one up and one down.

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

Obstacles – stiles, steps etc.
There are two stiles with gate alternatives.

Facilities on the walk
At Gibson Mill there are toilets, the HBWA stone steps photo mosaic and the Weaving Shed café (if you show your bus ticket you can have a free hot drink in the café). There are also toilets at Midgehole. There is usually no mobile signal on this walk.

What to take?
The walk is quite sheltered, but parts of the path can be pretty muddy, especially after rain, so you need some decent footwear

Detailed directions for walk 3: Widdop Gate to Gibson Mill via old railway and stone steps

This walk starts at the 906 bus stop at Widdop Gate.

1. Cross the road and walk back ten metres to take a way-marked path through a wooden gate. The path drops down and then becomes a set of stone steps. At the bottom of the first flight, turn right at a signpost. You are now on the route of an old railway line.

2. After ½ km you reach a signpost where you keep straight ahead. Shortly after, the path begins to go gently downhill.
3. After ½ km the path reaches the river which you now follow downstream on a partly paved rough path.
4. After another ½ km you reach a mill pond which you walk around. At the far end of the pond, take a set of stone steps and continue following the river. After 200 metres you arrive at Gibson Mill, where a stop for refreshment would be in order.
5. You now have a choice: to finish the walk will take you about 25 minutes to get up to the bus stop at the Clough Hole National Trust car park, so check the timetable and if it fits, fine. If there’s a long wait, you might want to consider walking down to Midgehole bus stop, using the routes from Walks 1 and 2.
6. Return over the bridge and take the fantastic flight of stone steps opposite. At the top of the steps you arrive at a path where you turn right. This path joins a track, where you turn right again, heading uphill.
7. Pass through two stiles by gates and then take the short flight of steps up to Clough Hole car park where you can catch the 906 bus back to Hebden Bridge.

HEBDEN BRIDGE WALKERS ACTION

906 BUS WALK 2
Walk 2: A gentle walk from Clough Hole car park
to Gibson Mill and Midgehole

Map and Directions below

Main features of the walk
This woodland walk drops down to Gibson Mill and along to Midgehole.

Length and time
It’s about 3 km (approx 2 miles) and should take you about 1- 1½ hours.

Gradients – how strenuous?
The first part of the walk from Clough Foot National Trust car park to Gibson Mill is quite a steep downhill. The track from Gibson Mill to Midgehole is easy going with a gentle incline and descent.

Terrain – how uneven?
This walk is all on good tracks that are suitable for people who find uneven terrain difficult. It may be possible to do this walk with an ‘off road’ buggy with large wheels.

Obstacles – stiles, steps etc.
There are a couple of stiles with alternative gate access.

Facilities on the walk
At Gibson Mill there are toilets, the HBWA stone steps photo mosaic and the Weaving Shed café (if you show your bus ticket you can have a free hot drink in the café). There are also toilets at Midgehole. There is usually no mobile signal on this walk.

What to take?
Some of the track down may be a bit muddy after rain, so you need a pair of reasonable walking shoes; even if you set off in fine weather.

Detailed directions for walk 2: Clough Hole car park to Gibson Mill and Midgehole

The 906 will take you to Clough Hole National Trust car park on the Widdop Road where the walk starts.

1. From the car park, take the sign-posted steps or the path behind the car park ticket machine; both join the track heading down hill.
2. Pass through two gates (or use the stiles) to enter woodland and follow the wide track for 300 metres until you reach a junction.
3. At the junction, you turn sharp left, heading downhill’ sign-posted Gibson Mill. The track comes out of the wood, passing the toilets and on to the bridge at Gibson Mill.
4. Before you leave Gibson Mill, we suggest that take a detour to see the mill pond located behind the mill. Go out of Gibson Mill, go straight ahead and then turn left alongside the Mill. After 50 metres you will see a footpath going off to the left which will take you to the mill pond. From the end of the Mill Pond you will get the best view of Gibson Mill.

5. Return to the entrance of Gibson Mill and take the track sign-posted ‘Car Park’. It starts off with a gentle uphill climb, but then levels out. After about 1km the track begins to descend to the main entrance of Hardcastle Crags where you keep straight ahead (ignore the track heading up to the left).
6. You come out to a car park near the main entrance to Hardcastle Crags, with the toilets and the 906 bus stop back to Hebden Bridge a few metres ahead.

If you want to walk back to Hebden Bridge, Hebden Bridge walkers Action have produced a guide to the route

HEBDEN BRIDGE WALKERS ACTION

906 BUS WALKS 1:
Midgehole, Gibson Mill and back

Map and Directions below

Main features of the walk
This circular walk takes you through the delightful wooded valley of Hardcastle Crags, along a riverside path and back through woodland above the valley. There is the added attraction of visiting Gibson Mill.

Length and time
It’s about 5km (approx 3 miles) and should take you about 2 hours (plus stops).

Gradients – how strenuous?
The outward walk along the riverside has a couple of short climbs but mainly is on the flat. The return walk also has two quite steep climbs.

Terrain – how uneven?
Both the outward and return walks are very uneven in places. One or two spots are likely to be a bit muddy and slippery after rain (especially the outward riverside route).

Obstacles – stiles, steps etc.
There are a few sets of steps, some of which are quite uneven.

Facilities on the walk
This walk has National Trust red arrow waymarks along the route. At Gibson Mill there are toilets, the HBWA stone steps photo mosaic and the Weaving Shed café (if you show your bus ticket you can have a free hot drink in the café). There are also toilets at Midgehole. There is usually no mobile signal on this walk.

What to take?
You need a pair of reasonable walking shoes with ‘grippy’ soles as parts of the route can be muddy after rain. If you want to walk back to Hebden Bridge from Midgehole, pick up a copy of ‘Three way-marked walks from Hebden Bridge’ from Hebden Bridge Visitors Centre. This has a description of the route.

Detailed directions for walk 1: Midgehole to Gibson Mill and back

The 906 will take you to the Midgehole car park at the entrance of Hardcastle Crags where this circular walk starts. Most of this route has National Trust red arrow waymarks.

1. Walk up the main track and after 30 metres you take a path on the left signposted Mill Walk and Picnic Area. This path joins the way-marked path which follows the riverside.
2. After 50 metres the path goes up a set of rough stone steps on to the flat. You can stay up on the way-marked http://healthsavy.com/product/synthroid/ path, but it is more interesting to take the set of wooden steps back down to the riverside path which goes through a stand of pines, but then you have to go up some more steps to rejoin the way-marked path.
3. Keep on this path as it winds and undulates through the woods always following the river.
4. There s a short section along the riverbank where you need to take care as it can be slippery, especially after rain. The path then climbs up above the river.
5. A little further on, the path turns sharp left back down to the riverside and a set of stepping stones. Carry on upstream on the way-marked path until you reach Gibson Mill. This stretch of the walk should take you about an hour.

The return leg

6. From Gibson Mill, take the estate road which heads back to Midgehole sign-posted Car park. After 100 metres take a path off to the left, going uphill and sign posted ‘Mill Walk’. The rough path with some stone steps climbs steeply. After about 15 minutes you near the top of the trees and the path levels out.
7. After about 250 metres the path descends through some Larch woods towards the main track to Gibson Mill. Just before you reach the track you take a way-marked path bearing left through the woods. 100 metres later, the path turns left at a way-mark and climbs to some large boulders.
8. As the path levels out, it first bears to the right, continues through the woods, then turns left uphill, finally meeting a paved packhorse path, where you turn right downhill.
9. The stone path goes to the right along a walled path between two fields. It comes out at a National Trust car park. Here you turn right down the track leading to the start of the walk and the 906 bus stop.