Haltho one

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 100.00% of reviewers

This is a beautiful walk with mixture of urban , fields, heathland , woods , hilltops and glorious views.It is not suitable for wheelchairs and has very steep and muddy terrain in parts. There was one section in Queensbury where I could not find path ( as previous review ).

The walk starts with a steep cobbled path up from old lane after going under the bridge. This path is very steep and isolated , hidden from view and lots of litter. It’s worth seeing tho and is not too long. It can be avoided by walking over the beautiful North bridge instead .
Photo 1 -the path through the woods to the right off Range Bank
Photo 2 - the steep steps up side of house off Clarendon road
Photo 3 - stile through fields above Clarendon road which take you onto Bradford old road
Photo 4 views over Halifax
Photo 5 Scout hall
Photo 6 welcome yellow arrows show you the way past Scout Hall

There are quite a few routes out of shibden valley that will take you to the A647 and then on to fleet lane ( there is a nice cafe about 500 yards further on the A647 ) photo 7

If walkers preferred to see black Dyke mill ( cafe there too ) they can head out of shibden valley towards deanstones lane and then turn right along a ginnel below the church to the crossroads in the village -
There’s an alternative route down station road to the great northern trail - which could be wheelchair friendly - though station road has potholes and deep ruts .

Back to the route up fleet lane and on to glazier road -
Take care crossing the A 644 - there is a pelican crossing further on by the school
I followed the bridle path down to low lane as I couldn’t find the path off here down to spring head farm ( like the previous reviewer )
Followed the road down to the Junction Inn - the footpath is narrow here in parts
Photo 8 - the footpath sign to Thornton alongside the great northern trail - takes you down the hill through the golf course.
Photo 9 - lovely cafe and pub south square , Thornton.

This is a good walk which has two steep climbs and one short, steep, descent, which some may find difficult. It is unsuitable for Wheelchair users, or prams, because of steps stiles and sections where the path is degraded.
The start, inevitably, requires a steep climb from the end of North Bridge, Halifax to Claremount, Halifax. The Route taken is less satisfactory than that used by Denhal one, and, as both Routes use a section of access track from Lee Lane to Scout Hall, in the Shibden Valley, I would suggest that an amendment is made to this Route.
Haltho one climbs Range Bank until 200 yards up hill of the Prospect Inn, here it takes a Victorian stepped footpath to the right. Crossing Claremount Road it briefly uses a private house drive to enter a footpath which takes a flight of steps to pass the buildings. There, it goes left and follows the contour on a track, which becomes an indistinct footpath over a small stile to reach Bradford Old Road in front of a house. Turn right along Bradford Old Road, climbing initially. The views are tremendous but this is a popular ‘Rat Run’ for motorists and care should be exercised. At the Sportsman’s Inn and Ski Slope (refreshments available in opening hours) turn right down the cobbled Lee Lane. This is known to cyclists as “Shibden Wall” and is uncomfortably steep to walk down, and surprisingly popular with motorists.
At the Hair Pin Bend turn left onto the track which leads to Scout Hall. This, in turn becomes grass surfaced before it splits as two footpaths. Turn right downhill on a partially paved path to reach a bridge over the Red Beck with steps beyond onto a road. Turn left and follow the road as it loses its surface and rises the other side of the valley. When it splits go left up a stepped track and when this splits take the lower, left branch. This leads through woods to another bridge over the Red Beck and then a long climb, steep in places out of the valley towards Queensbury. I agree with the previous reviewer that this becomes difficult to follow, and care is needed with the OS Map. Keeping left on the road at the top of the path led me to Ford Hill (A647) where the Route goes right. There is a small general store here. The Route goes left on Fleet Lane which is largely straight and leads to a footpath and right turn on a wide track to the A644 at Mountain.
Turn right on this busy road, and a bridlepath sign on the left directs you down hill. There should be a path turning right from here, but I couldn’t find it, and used the road to get to a Pub and below it, West Scholes. From this delightful hamlet tracks and footpaths take you steadily downhill to Thornton. The route is generally straight on but; (a) after crossing a footbridge over the former railway, you need to continue under the same bridge (effectively a left turn); and (b) at Headley Lane where the Railway path continues to the viaduct, look for the ‘path to Thornton,’ and follow it. The path takes you down to the Headley Golf Course with the curving viaduct on your left. Across a Green is a gate leading onto a steep, paved, path to Lower Kipping Lane. Turn right and its 100 yards to the destination.

An enjoyable route particularly the woodland part down the Shibden Valley. I would recommend one small change at the Queensbury end where the marked route is not easy to follow - rather than taking the footpath right partway down Hill End Lane, which becomes indistinct in the woods on the other side and can leave you lost in low trees - as a local I walk a few hundred yards further down to Hazel Hirst Road and take the pathway right at Hazel Hirst Farm, which is clearer and joins on to the marked route a little further down.

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