Alder Carr Wood

Map Reference: OS Outdoor Leisure 21, South Pennines, grid reference 05 45

A walk with admirable views over Airedale through a woodland nature reserve, fields and moorland paths. Approximately 6 miles.

Directions: at Holden Gate: from the A650 Bradford to Keighley road turn right onto Granby Lane, opposite East Riddlesden Hall gateway. Cross the canal and trace the road round. Continue along the main road to the left of a fork, and climb to a t-junction. Turn left, signposted for Silsden, and drive for approx. half a mile to a large layby on the right hand side, just past Holden Gate Farm.

  1. Walk back to the farm and take the grassy path on the right opposite the farm entrance. This heads down, through a gate into a walled lane. Keep on through the next farmyard, and down the grassy track in the direction of a pylon. Pass through the gate a few yards to the left of the pylon and continue along the grassy track through a field that gently curves to the right to a style by a gate.
  2. Continue straight through the next field to a stile in the wall ahead, giving access to the nature reserve of Alder Carr Wood. Follow the path take the left fork. After passing to the left of a pylon, the path drops steeply to exit the wood at a stile. To your left you will see the Leeds and Liverpool canal.
  3. Cross the next field to a gate to the left of a pylon, go through it a follow the wall along the farm-road to the main road. Turn left here across the bridge and go though the gate immediately on the right and cross to a step stile in the wall on the left.
  4. From the stile ascend, bearing to your right, towards a wooded pylon and continue to a stile on the right amid two wooden fences. Continue in the same direction to cross half-right over the corner of the next field to a stile.
  5. Turn left, keeping parallel with the wall. Cross the next stile and set off right up the road. Where the road curves to the right, cross the stile on the left by a gate and follow the edges of the golf course. Where the wall bears to the right, continue straight on where you will rejoin the perimeter of the golf course. Go past the front of the clubhouse and onto a paved path to a stile. From here turn right up the road.
  6. Follow the road as it curves to the right and then to the left, where you will go into a narrow tarmaced road on the left. Just before the farm, take the right at a fork, passing above the farm. Go through the gate and keep to the wall on the right up to the corner. Turn left and follow the wall on your right to a stile by a gate. Follow this track to the stile at the next gate.
  7. Turn left along the road. You will shortly pass laybys on the left. Take the stile on the right and ascend, keeping the wall to your right. As the ground starts to descend away to the left, at the corner of the wood, cross the stile in the wall on the right and continue up the hill. Follow the wall with the wood to your right. At the top of the slope the wall curves left, continue climbing to the left along the edge of the escarpment.
  8. Where the path comes upon another that approaches steeply from Addingham turn right and head across to the stile in the wall. Continue to Doubler Stones where you are offered fine excellent views of Airedale.
  9. From here, drop down to the farm entering the yard. After passing with the buildings to your left, turn left to a gate. Ahead is another gate with a large boulder. Go through the gate and follow the wall to your right to a gap stile.
  10. Continue straight across the next field to another gap stile and footbridge over the beck. Continue along the side of the fence to a track. Turn left, following the wall on the right to a gate between two trees. Keep the wall to your left. Follow the track disregarding the gate in the wall. Go through the next gate and walk down the field to a step stile at the gate on the left. Veer right to the stile at the right of a gate in the wall by the beck.
  11. After a few yards, you can cross the beck on stone slabs. Climb the slope to the gap in the wall ahead, then bear left to a gap stile to the right of an old barn. Proceed across a narrow field to a gap stile. Bear slightly right where you will meet a cart track; follow the track left to a farm. Pass this on the left following the wall until you come to a stile by a gate. Take the ascending track that will convey you back to the start.