Woodland Wander

Stretch your legs on this gentle walk not far from the centre of Leeds

- Terry Fletcher

IT can be hard to get out for a decent walk during the all-too-brief daylight hours of mid-winter so this short and accessible outing onto the escarpment overlooking the lower Wharfe Valley is ideal for the shortest days around the Solstice. Although it is virtually on the doorstep of our largest conurbation and just a few miles from Leeds city centre it has a surprisingly rural feel and breathtaking views.

The route begins in the attractive village of Bramhope and initially follows field paths out into open country before a gentle meander through the trees of Otley Chevin Forest Park. This woodland, once part of the Danefield Estate, is now managed by Leeds City Council and has been designated a nature reserve for almost 30 years. Quiet walkers are often rewarded with a close encounter with the resident deer population so it is small wonder that the park is popular with all kinds of outdoors enthusiasts from naturalists and geo-cachers to horse riders, mountain bikers, walkers, runners, rock climbers and picnickers.

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