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BLACK BROOK

A delightful valley with old lanes and field paths offering excellent views.
Approx 6 miles. 1:25 000 South Pennines Outdoor Leisure Map

Directions to walk: Park In the Moselden Picnic Area on the B6114 Elland to Saddleworth road near to the North West corner of Scammonden Water, which it overlooks.

1. Go back to the road and walk left along it for a few yards before taking the lane on the right. At the next road turn left for 50 yards to another lane on the right (PF sign). This lane heads down to a derelict farm. A few yards prior to this, cross a step-stile in the wall on the left, then another stile in the fence. Follow the path to the left of the buildings. This leads down with the beck on the left, over several stiles and to a footbridge over Black Brook.Once over it, turn left, then right at the end of the birches up a fenced track, then left over the next stile. Bear slightly right over the field to another stile, pass to the left of a ruined building and cross a gap stile into a pasture. The path contours round to a stile close to some holly bushes, then continues with a fence on the left. Cross the bottom of a walled lane and continue with the fence until a small gate gives access to a farm-road. Turn left and follow it past the farm to a T-junction with another road.
2. Now go left, and at the mill at the bottom turn left between the buildings to cross a footbridge. Take the stile on the right and follow the beck to another stile by a wall, keep on with a wall on the right. Presently you are in an old lane which you follow to the next motor-road. Turn right down the hill towards another mill. Just prior to the house called Penny Hill, where the cobbled road bends right, cross a stile ahead by a gate. Follow the path to another stile and continue straight on through another stile to pick up a wall on your left.
3. Pass through a gap-stile into a lane which leads to the rear a derelict farm and follow the track to a macadem road. Walk down it, ignoring a cobbled lane to the left, and at the paper mill turn left between the buildings, keeping the beck to your right, and at the far end of the mill continue on its access road.
4. Opposite the end of the next mill, a few yards before the main road, is on the left, a short lane leading to a gate. The line of the old lane ahead is marked by holly and hawthorn trees, bear left with them some way up the hill to a stile at a road. Turn right, passing some houses and follow the walled track (the 17^th Century house on your right is Barkisland Hall). Here the track becomes tree-lined and starts to climb.
5. At the garden wall of a large house turn left through a stile along it. Cross the stile in the field-corner, and the beck, and cross the next field to another stile in the wall opposite. Keep on with the wall to your right to the next stile in the corner. Looking back you will have an excellent view. Now bear slightly left towards the chimneys of the next farm. The track leads between the barn on the left end the architecturally very fine farmhouse on the right. Turn right along the lane. At the next macadamed road go right In another 50 yards at the fork take the walled-lane ascending left.
6. At the top keep straight ahead to the road junction. Turn left for a few yards, then right at the fork. This road has amazing views of the valley of Black Brook. When you reach the main road at a T-junction go left along it, but where it turns sharp right take the right hand of two minor roads straight ahead. Follow this until you enter a no through road and eventually reach just beyond some houses on the right the lane where you started of the walk. Go up the lane, and at the top the car park is a few yards left.

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