Monday 5th June 2023
Monthly Short Walk: Kirklees Valley, Woolfold and Owler Barrow.
It was another sunny, but chilly morning when twenty-three walkers left Greenmount Old School and headed down Brandleshome Road, as far as a narrow footpath, on our right, just after the cricket ground. At the end of the path, we turned right onto Shepard Street and walked as far as Tower Farm. The farm was built by Joshus Knowles in 1840 to stable his horses and was modelled on Nuttall Hall Farm in the village of Nuttall, it being built in the 14th century. After walking down, the side of the farm we crossed the footbridge, and made our way passed the ruins of Tottington Mill and continued along the path as far as Kirklees Street.
After turning left, we headed down the cobbles to the footbridge, over Kirklees Brook and made our way passed Holcombe Hunt Kennels to the kissing gate, which is the entrance to Kingsbury Wood.
The wood was looking glorious in the morning sunshine, with the elderflowers just coming into bloom and the hawthorn still in flower. Once through the wood we turned left on Garside Hey Road and walked as far as the stile, on our right and joined a footpath which took us down into Kirklees Valley. After crossing the footbridge, over Kirklees Brook, we climbed steeply up to Kirklees Trail and after a short distance we turned right and headed for Greenhalgh Moss Lane where we crossed Tottington Road. The next section of the walk took us through Bolholt, once the site of a large calico dye works, and up to Elton Vale. From here it was just a short walk through the fields to the play area, in Owler Barrow, where we made use of the benches to sit and drink our morning coffee.
Once across Walshaw Road we walked through the fields over to Tottington Road, which we crossed and took a footpath which led back to the Kirklees Trail. To make the return journey more interesting we turned off the trail and followed the Village Link Route through the woods, eventually returning to the trail and headed back to Greenmount, having covered 7 sunny miles.