A great walk which follows the easy canal path and back in the other direction along the river Aire. With decent pubs at Apperley Bridge and Calverley you have a choice of places to enjoy your well deserved drink or meal!
Parking: Roadside parking is available at Calverly Bridge, but be aware it can get busy and some spaces are for residents only.
Route: Starting at the Railway pub, walk along the canal to Apperley Bridge. Climb the short flight of stairs onto the main road, navigating through the grounds of Woodhouse Grove to pick up the river path (more on this to follow).
Access: Whilst the canal path is suitable for pushchairs the river path is not, being extremely muddy and you’d need to carry the chair up the stairs or continue further along the canal to come off. The walk to Apperley Bridge and back could be a nice option, particularly if you have lunch at one of the lovely pubs there. If you have an off road buggy you could potentially try the route if it is dry in summer.
Facilities: There are good pubs at both the start and mid-way points. At Calverly there is also a picnic area.
Vlog on walk: (be prepared for my ramblings) https://youtu.be/DXvBU_ae-rM
If like me, you’re doing this walk in winter, be prepared to get muddy! I’m not great at walking over a couple of miles in wellies (my calf muscles suffer), so I tend to stick to walking boots and avoid the mud where I can!
If you’re doing this walk with children, take a look at some of the great ideas and activities available from the charity the Canal & River Trust, to look after this waterway!
The two halves of the walk are nice and different. The first half is straight up to the canal, the path is surfaced and so easy walking and easy navigation. A train line accompanies you on the walk, so you are frequently greeted with the passing of trains. There are some beautifully picturesque parts that make you eager for more!
On arrival in Apperley Bridge you pass under a bridge, continue for another 100 yards and you’ll come to another bridge. To your right, take the stairs up to the main road.
Turn right and walk along the road until you reach the entrance of Woodhouse Grove School. It isn’t immediately clear how to get onto the river as the route has recently changed, but some friendly groundsmen gave me directions. On entry to the grounds head on the right hand road towards the pavillion. Just after this you’ll see a small path straight ahead that follows the other road. When you reach the wall turn right and head towards the 5 bar gate that takes you onto the riverside path.
The path takes you along the side of the River Aire and is a really lovely stretch.
Eventually the path leads away from the river, along the side of a field to join a little lane.. be aware this part can get really muddy!
If like me, you have an older map you may find yourself having to use your phone to navigate the streets of a new housing estate back to the start point. Essentially the easiest way on leaving the lane is to go straight ahead until you reach Calverly Lane. Turn right to take you to the bridge that takes you to your starting point.
The best end to the walk is to enjoy a home cooked meal at the Railway pub! It’s a really lovely route with plenty to see on your way round. Enjoy!!
