17/06/2026
We get the directions for a lot of our walks from guide books. Sometimes they are very good, others have some really good sections. This was the latter.
Once we left the houses behind we crossed over a recreation area then through multiple fields and then a wooded path between two fields, before probably the nicest part of the walk.
This was a a long downhill section with views over to Almscliffe Cragg and Arthington Viaduct, through a field with a lot of wild flowers.
The landscape was ever changing due to the movement of clouds.
There were even breaks where we were walking. This is looking back up the hill.
But after a while things were not as good. There was approximately half a mile walking along a muddy track with high fencing on both sides. Then about a mile on the path on the side of A659, which had a lot of traffic along it.
On the outskirts of Arthington the road passed the side of a park with a nice variety of trees
At the end of the village just before the church we went back onto tracks.
The fields around the church were all used for horse paddocks.
A little bit of fun with perspective
Looking away from the church
The walk from Arthington up to Bank Top was a similar view as walking down the hill from Bramhope, except the Arthington church now featured,
Walking up the hill we did see the unusual site of a red kite sat on a pole.
At Bank Top the path initially followed a narrow wooded area, before field margins then a quiet lane.
It then passed through some woods to the edge of the village.
The last 20 minutes or so was all uphill, mainly through narrow ginnels between high garden fences. Though with one oddity a water pumping station.
We finished with a drink in the Fox and Hounds, a really nice “country” pub.
There were enough nice parts to this walk to make it enjoyable, Would I do this walk again – no there was too much road walking for my taste. And most of the time the view was just slightly different views of the sam landscape elements.
And there is always the thing to bear i mind – this walk was only 9 miles from the centre of Leeds.