We set off at 10am when it was still frosty on the ground. However there was a bright winter sun and it felt good to be out.
We went down into the village and then across the golf course into Toftshaw.
We took a footpath that cuts a corner and avoids a bit of road walking.
Eventually we come out into Bierley and walked down to Bierley Woods.
Now was brought up in Bierley and Bierley Woods was my childhood play area. There used to be a very old hall there called.....Bierley Hall that was laterlly used as a hospital. This eventually became derelict and burnt down. Before it burnt down though it was used as a squat and my eldest brother (who was eccentric but very intelligent) actually slept in what was the morgue! There nothing much there now although you can see some of the layout of the grounds.
Leaving Bierley Woods we went into the industrial estate and out again as we took a footpath that took us into another green area. It is now known as Toad Hole Beck although locally it was always known as the Rowdy Dowdy for some reason. Its a couple of ponds and lots of roughish grass and bullrushes surrounded by trees.
Leaving this we come out into Oakenshaw and walked down the road and into the park. There was no-one about and I noticed that they have a couple of exercise machines here (adult playthings) so tied the dogs to a fence and had a go on them.
Well it would have been rude not to! Anyway we carried on through the park and out the other side and walked up Green Lane and joined the Spen Valley Greenway.
It was fairly quiet on the Greenway and we only encountered maybe half a dozen people. One lady had the prettiest little Westie puppy. Evie made friends with her but Bear looked like he was going to eat her so we didn't go near.
After a fair walk on the Greenway we came off and walked down to the main road. On the way down I was looking forward to getting a coffee at the cafe on the corner. What, oh no! It was closed!!!!
Putting aside my disappointment we set off up the lower part of Hunsworth Lane and I started thinking that when I got a bit further up I might have a sit down on the first bench I saw. However benches were few and far between. In fact there were none right up to the main road. Crossing this road and carrying on up Hunsworth Lane a bench was becoming more attractive but very elusive.
I noticed a cyclist go past me that I had seen on the Greenway. He was an elderly chap but he continued up the lane unperturbed whereas I wibble about going up here on my bike. Then what did I see......a bench and decided against a sit down as it was starting to look a bit dark. So we went up the hill and near the top there is another bench. The old man was sat here having a cup of coffee from a flask.
As I got nearer I had a little chat with him about cycling and it turned out he had done quite a lot of cycling including Lands End to John O'Groats and a lot of the continent. In return I regaled him with my Bradford to Hamm and back adventures. (I didn't sit down on this bench by the way).
We set off again up the rest of the hill and back into East Bierley Village and home.
We had made it without getting rained on or blown about. A tad over seven and a half miles in total and three hours of actual walking, not counting the chatting time.
A daisy in early January
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