A walk back in time

The nostalgia of Hebden Bridge station feels like a set from an Agatha Christie film and sets the tone for this wonderful literary walk, says Paul Besley

- Paul Besley

This walk starts at Hebden Bridge station which feels like a step back in time. The route follows the canal towpath out of town where it climbs to Heptonstall and an amazing church. The graveyard is the resting place of ‘King’ David Hartley, one of the Cragg Vale Coiners and poet Sylvia Plath, who was married to the Poet Laureate Ted Hughes, born in nearby Mytholmroyd. The walk then works its way across a hill via two wonderful cloughs. Dean Delph is a surprise as is the high waterfall that cascades off the hill and into the ruins of the old mill. The walk crosses Calder Valley and rises to Stoodley Pike for impressive views. The route descends into Cragg Vale before crossing the moors, passing the Bell House Moor home of ‘King’ Hartley and returning to Hebden Bridge.

DIRECTIONS

1 From Hebden Bridge station walk down Station Road, cross the bridge then immediately turn left into Calder Holmes Park. Keep to the right-hand path and follow the Rochdale Canal towpath west to cross over canal bridge number 17 at Black Pit Lock. Continue west along the towpath. Shortly after passing a mile post turn right onto a footpath to the A646. Cross the road diagonally right and take the path between the rear of a house and a road sign.

2 Walk for 50m and turn right up a steep wooded slope. At a junction of four paths, turn left continuing uphill with views over Mytholm. At the next path junction turn right and, on reaching a wall, follow it to the left past allotments. Keep left at the recreation ground and follow the track across a minor road to Heptonstall Church.