HEBDEN BRIDGE WALKERS ACTION

Nature ramble to Mytholmroyd and Brearley

Mo has submitted this walk:

A convalescent nature ramble. 5 miles flat circular!

Start outside the P.O. in Hebden Bridge and take the canal towpath to Mytholmroyd, encountering geese,ducks an occasional kingfisher and resident alligator. At the tunnel entrance stop to watch boatmen walking the tunnel roof and also for small birds such as finches in the bushes.

You can gather dock leaves in April, raspberries in July and blackberries in August. Cross the Burnley road carefully to pick up the towpath again and continue to Mytholmroyd, in winter looking for thrushes,redwings and fieldfares across the boat-turning area opposite the old Walkley's clogs factory, and to see a mandarin duck if he's still resident. Herons often fish this stretch.

Take a detour through Redacre woods in spring and enjoy the bluebells, listen for woodpeckers and watch out for jays. There grows a lot of wild garlic in May along the stream.

Continue on the towpath all the way to Brearley where the huge wall of an old mill remains on the opposite side of the canal, then turn right through the village and back on yourself past the grand buildings which were Brearley Baptist chapel, school and Manse.

Now follow the track across the railway and round to follow the old footpath parallel to the cycle track, taking you through a silver birch copse where jays live.This is a great patch for fungi in October.

You can walk on to the railway station or turn off to take a track that brings you to The Good Shepherd church in Mytholmroyd village. From here walk along the Burnley road in the Hebden direction but turn left along Caldene Avenue and follow this through to the old clog factory from where you can pick up the cycle track to Hebden Bridge station, through hordes of dock leave pickers in spring!

Stroll through the park to complete your circle back to the start.