Leaving Ilkley, the route headed fairly steeply up the pavement of a tree-lined housing road. There were quite a lot of footpaths over the moorland, but this route stuck to the slightly lower one that climbs only gradually. Eventually the other side of the ridge appeared, and I could see Keighley and half of the Ilkley to Keighley Slow Ways route that had I walked a few months ago. Both ends of the route had good ranges of shops, cafés and pubs, but the bulk of the route was remote from any facilities....

Mary Oz

The main part of the route along the Dales High Way was lovely, and all was fine until, as I descended into Silsden, on the footpath down from North End Farm, the footpath access to the road at High Brunthwaite appeared to have been blocked by the farmer, with ramshackle fencing with no gate or stile. I have uploaded an alternative route....

Mary Oz

The walk from Skipton started along a town road, reputedly of Roman origins, and featured the lovely Old Toll House, which is Grade II listed. We reached a tarmacked farm road which went right past the wind turbine, and then continued as a country road. After a couple of fields and a paddock (containing horses and surrounded by an electric fence), we had a short section of road, then joined the Millennium Way, along a doubly fenced field edge next to a stream....

Mary Oz

*This field looked as if it may contain crops in the future which left me wondering how reliable this Right of Way will be. I reached a tarmacked farm road which went right past the wind turbine. The public footpath past the house named, ahem, Cocklick Laithe, a little further on, looked private and a dog came running out barking at my heels, and I was relieved to reach the gate into the next field. Just after this you need to use a gate onto a path between a fence and a hedge, then a small bridge and a wooden stile. The footpath at Bracken Hill Farm also looked private, but there was a stile which led into a steeply descending field, with nice views into Silsden....

Mary Oz

This route goes underneath the road which leads into the town centre, and then along a very short street for access to that road. This avoids stairs, but it would also be possible to ascend a flight of stairs to the road before going under the bridge; or a short distance earlier you could descend a flight of stairs and go underneath the canal on a back road into the centre, via the route taken by SilKei One....

Mary Oz

The path across the golf course is obvious, unlike the next section between the canal and golf course. I think I would recommend taking the right fork from the golf course to Booth’s Swing Bridge, then using the canal towpath to reach the lane that branches off to Lower Holden Farm. Just after Hainsworth Farm, the footpath goes on the other side of the hedge (not the lane), skirting the start of the small industrial estate...

Mary Oz

At Kildwick Ings, before the sharp footpath turnoff, it is easy to be misled into continuing alongside the river, but the route starts to move away from the river, by crossing a stile then following the field boundary to cross to another field....

Mary Oz

It is possible to stick to the main roads into Cross Hills, but this route uses a footpath which is accessed just before the petrol station, over a stone stile, which is a bit hidden from view....

Mary Oz