Skicro three

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Skicro here.

Heading along the road south from Skipton bus station, access to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal towpath is gained immediately after crossing the canal. The path is hidden just in front of a restaurant and has three steps then a short, cobbled slope down to the towpath. (An alternative to this, is to leave the bus station opposite the road end, over a footbridge over the canal, where you can then gain access to the towpath.) The route follows the towpath for four miles, all the way to Kildwick. It has a wide, level, gravelled and well-maintained surface and is very pleasant going. There are numerous swing bridges to add further interest. There are benches at Low Bradley, and a bit further on at the Polish Airmen Memorial Site, and also beyond there too. Low Bradley also has a pub and a corner shop. The canal route is particularly nice as it passes Farnhill Wood. All along, there are glimpses between the trees of the hills across the River Aire flood plain.
The only downside (hence 4* not 5*) is that most of the route runs alongside the always busy A629 and traffic noise is an almost constant companion. The canal is higher than the road, and trees and shrubs between them often hide the road from view though.
At Kildwick it is necessary to cross the canal via the swing bridge, go through a gate, and walk down the quiet road and through the short tunnel under the canal. Just after Kildwick Bridge, over the Aire, there is a footpath passing under the main road, making a safe way to get past the big roundabout and onto Station Road and into Crosshills. It is possible that this path could be flooded by the River Aire during and after heavy rainfall.

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