TWO BECKS AND SHIPLEY GLEN
This is an easy stroll in typical South Pennine countryside marked with dry stone walls, causeway, moorland, woodland, waterfall and
reservoirs. You will mostly follow two becks across farm fields overlooking the Baildon Moor and Bingley Moor and then at the end
will be the highlight of the journey, Shipley Glen.
By bus, it’s 15 minutes from Bingley Train Station. Bus stop is Eldwick, Otley Road Spring Lane, line 622 or 623. It's a short distance
from the start of the walk which is at the Acorn pub car park. Lots of parking space there if you come by car. Refreshments and toilets
will be available at the pub as well as The Old Glen House pub.
A LONG T HE G REEN FROM T HE A CORN PUB CAR PARK
Once you leave the Acorn, the start of this walk is on a well surfaced track called The Green
with a small ascent. Follow the track up to a junction with a dirt track.
Photo: The Green / Author: Cedric Farineau
F ROM T HE G REEN TOWARDS T EWITT H OUSE
At the junction, take the left turn. You will then be on a steeper track with a rough surface
leading towards Tewitt House
Photo: dirt track leading to Tewitt House / Author: Cedric Farineau
T HE M ONKSWAY UP TO THE C OMPENSATION R ESERVOIR
After the steep ascent and once you have Tewitt House in view, look for a path on your right. It
is called the Monksway. Do not go up to the farm! Take the Monksway which is a really
beautiful straight causeway flanked with high dry-stone walls on both sides. It will lead you up
to the Compensation Reservoir.
Photo: The Monksway / Author: Cedric Farineau
C OMPENSATION R ESERVOIR TO O TLEY R OAD
Before you arrive at the Compensation Reservoir, you will have to cross the Loadpit Beck at a
ford. After that the track will look much more accessible. Have a look at the reservoir from the
top and continue on the track up to Otley Road.
Photo: Compensation Reservoir / Author: Cedric Farineau
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O TLEY R OAD TO T OILS F ARM
Be careful once you arrive on Otley Road, it can be really busy at times and cars can't really see
you in the bend (especially those coming from the left). So turn left on Otley Road and then
right to make your way to Toils Farm. Once there go through the courtyard between the farm
buildings on the left and the actual accommodation on the right. You should find a stile in the
middle of the fence (see picture). Go over it.
Photo: stile at Toils Farm / Author: Cedric Farineau
T OILS F ARM TO D ALES W AY L INK
After Toils Farm you will soon join the Dales Way Link (Bradford-Ilkley). The Dales Way is a
famous long distance footpath from Ilkley to Windermere. There are three stiles on this
section, two of which go over dry-stone walls and aren't really easy to cross, so take extra care.
The first one goes over a fence and lands you in a small wooded area. The second one is
through some bushes and you will land in a field that can be boggy at times. Just follow the
wall on your right up to the other side of the field where you will find the second stile. Cross it
and you will be on a well surfaced track.
Photo: view of Baildon Moor from Toils Farm / Photo: Cedric Farineau
D ALES W AY L INK TO OPEN FIELD BEFORE G OLCAR F ARM
You are now at the northernmost point of your journey. Time to go south! Go right along the
track towards the houses. Pass the houses on your left and you should see a gate in front of
you at the end of the surfaced track. Open the gate (don't forget to shut it) and you are now in
a field track with a fence on your left and a dry stone wall on your right. You should have a
really nice view of Baildon Moor in front of you. Carry on all the way down the track up to
another gate. There is a stile between the gate and the wall on your right. Go over it and you
are now in an open field.
Photo: view of Baildon Moor / Author: Cedric Farineau
O PEN FIELD BEFORE G OLCAR F ARM TO G LOVERSHAW
Once you are in the field, you should see a sign post on your right (see picture). You will need
to take the South East direction (Public Bridleway - Dales Way Link) across the field towards a
gate. There might be some livestock in the field so be careful. At the gate you should see a stile
on the left, go over it and you will land on a field track with a fence on your left. Carry on all the
way to a gate. Open it (don't forget to shut it) and now the pathway veers right. Carry on to
another stile. You now arrive behind Golcar Farm and soon will see a metallic fence. Open it
(don't forget to shut it) and soon will find yourself on a well surfaced access road. Golcar Farm
is actually a rescue and training centre for Border Collies, the famous sheepdogs. Go down the
access road now. Once at the main road, be careful there is often a lot of traffic.
Photo: Dales Way Link sign post in a field / Author: Cedric Farineau
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G LOVERSHAW TO S HIPLEY G LEN
Cross the road in front of the farm building - you should see a Public Footpath sign. There
behind a holly bush is a small opening in the dry stone wall. Go through it and around the farm
building to find yourself on a pathway following down the Glovershaw Beck. Just follow this
beautiful pathway down and you should eventually arrive at a waterfall. After the waterfall the
pathway leaves the beck going up where you should see a metallic gate followed by three steps
behind. After that you will be in the Open Countryside Land. Just go up on the track and you
should find yourself on Shipley Glen next to a surfaced road.
Photo: Waterfall on Glovershaw Beck / Author: Cedric Farineau
S HIPLEY G LEN TO T HE O LD G LEN H OUSE
Shipley Glen was formed when the ice sheet of the last ice age started melting and made large
rivers – now the small becks you've been following on this walk. The surface was completely
eroded and exposed the rough stones that you can see today. This beauty spot has been used
for quite a long time and was really famous during Victorian times when a tramway was even
built to come up here from Saltaire (The Shipley Glen Tramway). If you have some time take a
visit to the Bracken Hall Countryside Centre and Museum, the building located on the other
side of the road. It will give you more information about this area. After that make your way to
towards the Old Glen House pub at the far end of Shipley Glen.
Photo: Shipley Glen / Author: Cedric Farineau
T HE O LD G LEN H OUSE TO T RENCH W OOD AND
R ESERVOIR
Go down the public footpath behind the pub in the woods. It's quite a steep and rough surface
so be careful not to trip. Walk down up to a junction and turn right in the Trench Wood. It's a
beautiful wood with tall oak trees. The path will take you to a small reservoir built in Victorian
times when Saltaire was built.
Photo: Trench Wood / Author: Cedric Farineau
T RENCH W OOD AND R ESERVOIR TO S HERIFF L ANE
Pass the reservoir and go up the footpath. It's quite a steep path but you will have a beautiful
view over Saltaire. At the junction take right still going up and all the way to a beautiful metallic
kissing gate (see picture). You are now on Sheriff Lane. Carry on a little bit further and you
should see a house on your right in the distance. The Public Right of Way follows the wall on
the right towards the house. You will need to go through a gate first. Now make your way
towards the house walking along the wall on your right up to a fence where there is a small
opening. Go through and you will now find yourself in the house courtyard. Once there you will
see a sign "No Public Right of Way this side. Footpath => turn right between garages". Just
follow the sign and go towards the garages. At the end of the footpath between the garages is
a gate and you are now in the wood on the other side of Shipley Glen.
Photo: Metallic kissing gate on Sheriff Lane / Author: Cedric Farineau
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S HERIFF L ANE TO E LDWICK AND BACK TO THE START
After the gate go left - you should be able to hear the river down the steep hill on your right.
The pathway is quite uneven with a lot of tree roots and follows a dry stone wall on the left
almost all the way to Loadpit beck. Once there you are walking on Saltaire Road which is a well
surfaced road. You will soon be in Eldwick. Once you arrive on Otley Road turn right (there is a
church across the road) and then down the road turn left on The Green to go back to the Acorn
pub.
Photo: Shipley Glen on the other side / Author: Cedric Farineau
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