Silsden to Bradley 

Starting point  and OS Grid reference: Silsden – pay and display car park (SE 042465).		Ordnance Survey Map OL 21 - South Pennines. Buy this map from List of OS Maps Commission from map sales is used to fund the website, so keeping it free to use.
Distance: 7.6 miles	Date of Walk: 6 March 2014
Ascent: Descent: See Walking Time Calculator	836ft (255m) 836ft (255m)
Traffic light rating:    (For explanation see My Walks page)
For advice on .gpx files see My Walks page	Click the PDF logo above to give a printable version of this walk without the photos.

To view route as a dynamic Ordnance Survey map click here.

Introduction: This walk from Silsden provides some pleasant views en route, over towards Cowling Pinnacle and Pendle Hill, Sharp Haw and Rough Haw and Rombalds Moor.

Silsden will be a place of mystery for many as they whiz past the signposts to it, on their way to the Yorkshire Dales or Lake District, up the A65 or A629 major roads. It is known locally as Cobbydale, as the "River Cobby", in reality a small beck shown on the OS map as Silsden Beck, flows through it. It is served by Steeton and Silsden railway station.

Surrounded by agricultural land originally, it prospered in the Industrial Revolution, with the establishment of various mills and the proximity to the Leeds Liverpool Canal. It began in the 1760s when William West brought the skill of nail making to the town. A sculpture by the town centre car park celebrates this piece of history. Industry developed into clog iron making and a thriving textile industry.

The town’s folk are friendly and it has a fair smattering of independent shops and several pubs.

Bradley is a quiet, tranquil, picturesque village with two sections, High Bradley and Low Bradley. The best reason to visit is to enjoy excellent food and beer at the Slater’s Arms!

The return journey is via the Leeds/Liverpool Canal. A pleasant waterside stroll, if somewhat marred by the drone of traffic, along the nearby A629.

The walk starts from the main car park in Silsden (reasonable price). To get there, turn south off the A65 at Addingham, or north off the A629 at Steeton on to the A6034 and simply follow it to the centre. Alternatively, you could walk the mile or so from Steeton railway station.

Start: From the car park (SE 042465), cross the main street (Kirkgate) and walk along Briggate immediately opposite. At the top, turn left along Skipton Road and second right, along Foster Avenue (SE 040465) and walk to its end, passing some garages. Keep on the track straight ahead.

At a yard full of plant machinery, go through the footpath gate to its left. Make sure you keep straight ahead and do not be sidetracked along the left hand footpath. You soon find yourself walking alongside a beck.

Cross the beck via a little ford (watch out for slippery stones) (SE 036469) and go through the gate opposite into open fields, climbing gently. Follow the right hand side of the field as it follows another beck.

The route passes through a small gate into the yard of Low Bracken Hill Farm. Cross the yard and fork right, following the farm drive. As the farm drive bends right, keep straight ahead along the left hand side of the field (SE 033472).

Cross a stile in the corner of the field and stay on the left of the field to the next stile. Once over this, keep straight ahead heading for a white painted house (Hole farm) in the near distance. As you get to the line of trees by a brook just below the house, cross a stile and walk up the left hand side of the field to a metal gate on the left. Go through the gate and turn immediately right.

After a few yards, turn right over a wooden stile then left around the edge of the hen pen and over another stile. Go straight ahead now to come out at the road, to the right of Bridge House (SE 024476). Turn right along the road and almost immediately left over a stone stile indicated by a fingerpost.

Keep to the right of the field, to the far right hand corner, passing under some power lines. Here, go through a small walkers' gate and immediately left through another, then go clockwise around the property (Bloomer Hill Farm House).

Look out for the yellow arrows indicating the route and go right through a gate. Then, exit the field via a ladder stile on to the drive, turn left then left again at the road.

Walk along the road for about a quarter of a mile and just after Delph Feline Retreat, a boarding cattery (Delph Farm on the map), note the trig. point in the field on the right hand side (SE 017479).

Continue along the road and at the brow are good views ahead of Sharp Haw and Rough Haw and to the left (SW), Cowling Pinnacle, with the mass of Pendle Hill behind it. Just past the brow, turn left over a stone stile to follow the public footpath fingerpost.

Head for the opposite corner of this field. Go over the stone stile, turn right and through the gateway, to walk more or less down the middle of the field, through another gateway and to the stile beyond in the right hand corner. The edge of Bradley is visible ahead.

Keep to the right hand side of the fields to the drive to the property Sirebank House, on the left and turn right along it. At the lane turn left and immediately right over another stile. Bradley is below you. Aim more or less for the tall chimney you can see, entering Bradley between two rows of cottages – Sunny Bank. Turn left at the end of the row, along Main Street.

To get to the Slater Arms, just follow Main Street as it curves left. Note the last road you pass before the pub (Matthew Lane) is the continuation of the walk down to the canal.

Walk down Matthew Lane and at the ‘T’ junction, by the mill chimney, turn left. Cross the canal via the swing bridge and turn left to follow the towpath.

Walk along the canal, passing Farnhill and Kildwick. Keep a look out for the memorial to Polish Airmen (SD 999477) at the next bridge.

Stay on the canal towpath until you reach bridge 191 (SE 032458). Cross it and turn immediately right following the public footpath fingerpost. Follow the canal for a short distance until you come to a tarmac path leading to the moorings. Turn left here.

Cross the broad track to the farm keeping straight ahead. Come to a stile on the right formed from three slabs of rock. Turn right here and follow the path slightly uphill to the modern housing estate at Woodside Road. Turn right. Keep right at the next junction and follow Vale View and Elliot Street down to Silsden’s main street, Kirkgate. This gives you a chance to see what Silsden has to offer. Turn left back to the car park.

If you need to buy any hiking equipment/clothing before your trip see the Hiking Store

All information on this site is given in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of any damage, loss or injury which might result from acting on it.