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Cookridge/Horsforth History Walk

Didn’t intend to walk this far today. It was cold, breezy and very, very muddy. Mike and Tetley talked me into it. So as a little compromise, I drove to Cookridge cricket club and started the walk from there.

The bridleway down as far as the railway bridge is easy going if a little pot holed.

on this last photo you can see the tails of the airplanes that are going nowhere at the moment.

The above is Moseley Wood Farm which has been split into four properties.

This is Moseley Farm, a grade 2 listed building, reputed to have been built as a house for the owner of the bleach works (demolished), remains of which are on the hill slope to south and east of the house.

Early C19, altered C20. Coursed squared gritstone, low-pitched stone slate roof with stone copings and kneelers. On site of or reusing parts of a C17 house. 2 storeys, 3 windows. Quoins. Garden front faces SW and has central door with tie-stone jambs, flanking large square windows with plain surrounds and C20 wooden frames; gutter brackets, end stacks. Rear, uphill side: entrance to right of centre with tie-stone jambs, recessed chamfered window surrounds to left and 2 to 1st floor, a tall central stair window with blocked opening below, centre.

The mud started on the railway bridge and continues ad infinitum!

Here starts the Bramhope tunnel. After the railway bridge we carried on up the hill, passing what I took to be part of the old bleach works factory.

Nethersprings Bleach Works circa 1900 – drying the flax.

Nethersprings was one of north Horsforths many flax bleaching mills which was used for linen. The Flax seed would have been used for oil and the unbleached fibres of the plant for twine and rope. Ropeworks were many in Horsforth as well in the Woodside area and over the boundary at Clayton.

This handsome couple are Hannah Morfitt Pullan nee Ingham and Mathew Pullan who together started Nethersprings Bleach Works in 1860

The Inghams owned Dean Grange Farm and still do. It has been owned by the Ingham family since the 1700’s. One of the sons Robert opened a pub called the Bay Horse for the navvies building the Bramhope Tunnel. In it he organised prize fights for his customers! You can imagine some quite riotous times here.

The above houses are where the beer house would have been.

Samuel Inghams will of 1825 shows that he also had an interest in Crag Farm, Cookridge, where his son William was sub-tenant. Rosanne Clelland (nee Ingham) also tells us that Samuel held the lease for Moseley farm as well as Crag and Dean Grange farms. Moseley and Crag farms are in Cookridge, whilst Dean Grange is across the stream in Horsforth.

After Samuel’s death, William took over Crag farm, Robert took over Moseley.

I have trawled through the family history of the Inghams and they were obviously an important family within the areas of Horsforth, Cookridge, Arthington and Otley.

It is a big farm but looks like its seen better days. The final photo was a cold store. All these buildings including the cold store are listed grade 2.

And so after all the history we walked on up to meet Scotland Lane. All this area is actually known as Scotland. Horsforth has had two royal visitors. The first was William the Conqueror, who crossed the Aire at Newlay on his way to confront rebellious Danes at York and took possession of land in north Horsforth from the Anglo Danish Earl Gamal. The land was later granted to one, Robert de Bruys, whose Scottish decendant ‘Robert the Bruce’ laid claim to the Scottish throne. He passed this way on one of his raids into Yorkshire after his victory at Bannockburn, reportedly spending the night at Dean Head Grange on the Horsforth Estate. That outlying area of Horsforth has been known as ‘Scotland’ ever since.

After the history lesson, back to the walk. We turned left, crossed over the road and a short while took the path over the field toward the airport runway. O my goodness was it boggy! We reached a fenced area around the perimeter of the runway and I proceeded to have to walk whilst doing the splits, in order to stay out of the deep mud and water streaming down a gully that was a path. We slid down ankle deep into it numerous times, which was funny to start with but soon lost its fun element. After a while we legged it over a lower bit of fence onto Horsforth golf course, that someone else had obviously done before us and made our way over to the road – Bayton Lane. We were quite glad to walk on the road but it wasn’t very pleasant; you would not think for a minute that we were in “lockdown” with all the traffic! We eventually turned off left after the golf course following a path back over field to Scotland Lane. We crossed the road and went down a lane that led to Owlet Grange circa 17th.

Another listed building. In 1200AD, Horsforth became part of the domain of the Abbots of Kirkstall who exploited its resources by quarrying and farming as well as using the water-power of the beck, to drive their famous forge. Monastic farm houses, often manned by lat brothers, were known as granges. We have Newlay Grange and two granges on the de Bruys land, Dean Head Grange and Owlet Grange.

And this one….

Some absolutely gorgeous dwellings around this area.

And then came the baptism in mud. We walked through a farmyard and entered a field that had had a great deal of tractor activity. We again snack up to our ankles in bog like mud, having to haul our feet out against the suction! I tried walking in the tractor track but it was so deep I could hardly get out!

We eventually made it back to Dean head Farm and our way home. FUN! And learnt so much history afterwards.

Mr and Mrs Mandarin

The male mandarin duck has the most elaborate and ornate plumage with distinctive long orange feathers on the side of the face, orange ‘sails’ on the back, and pale orange flanks.The female is dull by comparison with a grey head and white stripe behind the eye, brown back and mottled flanks.

They were introduced to the UK from China and have become established following escapes from captivity.

Seen at Pauls Pond and Golden Acre Park.

Bramhope Tunnel update

Today I found some footpaths across the top of the Bramhope tunnel and found the shafts that were dug for the diggers to be lowered into the tunnel. Some of them were left as air vents.

The tunnel starts not long out of Horsforth station.

The first air vent appears just off the Otley Old Road.

The next is between that road and Bramhope village.

I just had to touch the brick work and feel the history absorbed within the stonework.

Theres a lot of mounds along the route, which maybe some of the earth that was dug out. It can’t possibly be all of it though. I assume most was transported away somewhere???

Lastly i got closer to the sighting tower. You can see the platform at the top and theres a window which suggests that there may be a room there.

Broken Ankle Recovery

So, I broke my ankle on the 17th November 2020, whilst descending, with my bike, from Ilkley Moor. I spent 6 weeks in a pot (that’s a plaster cast for those of you southerners) up to just below my knee. Non weight bearing, so I had to use crutches which was painful on the shoulders and chest muscles for a while. We were also in lockdown, due to Covid 19, so there was not a lot I could do. I occupied myself with this blog, reading, playing my guitar, watching tv and playing on my x box, but theres only so much you can take of this routine. I was so relieved to get the “pot” off on the 31st December, but his is just the start of recovery. I found my heel hurt a lot when I put weight on it and the joint was incredibly stiff, which was only to be expected. So after a few days walking around the house and finding supportive shoes/boots, I had a wander around Ilkley. Next day i tried to walk down to Adel church – a distance of 2.5 miles in total. No way! I had to stop and come home after getting a third of the way there and I was soooo slow! I had baths and did exercises and today I put on my walking boots and made it, there and back! So pleased, but it did ache a lot after. So in the bath again and gentle exercises and rest.

Ive blogged about St Johns church Adel before. Hit the link. Its not only a beautiful place but so full of history. I took a few photos of things I have not done before and found an 18th century grave. In fact there were a few graves Ive not seen before covered by undergrowth by the wall on the right hand side. I didn’t investigate them this time due to the ankle.

The photos above are taken of items that have been found within the graveyard and are all by the gate as you enter. I don’t yet have any information on the items but they look like old graves.

There is so much information to be had from graveyards but not for much longer, as most people are now cremated and ashes scattered, often with no memorial and certainly not the information that was put on gravestones of the past. Look at that last photo all from the 1700’s and so young, yet the last to die was 80! The photo in the middle at the top is of new life poking their head out of the icy ground – spring is just around the corner.

I shall be back to investigate further.

Website check

I‘ve just spent some time over the last few days correcting a lot of lost links. I think they all work now. Please let me know if you come across anything that doesn’t work. Don’t forget you can click on the photos to make them bigger coz I’m dead proud of some of them. Having trolled through so many old posts I am most proud of my photos of the barn owl eating a vole. You can see this on the BIRD page by clicking Barn Owl, believe it or not! Then the photos of Morcombe Bay at Arnside and Silverdale too. You can see these on the places page. And I’d forgotten how many different birds I’d had at my garden feeders over the years. Recently I seem to only have house sparrows, dunnocks, blackbirds and pigeons. Oh sorry, robins, great tits, blue tits, coal tits and squirrels too.

Enjoy a look around and please comment.

GETTING INTO CYCLING

Last year I bought myself an electric, pedal assist, bicycle. I pre-empted lockdown and boy, was I glad I had. I could still get out and about, exercise and enjoy the freedom of the great Yorkshire countryside. At the time, I fancied a classic dutch style bike and fell in love with the Volt Kensington bike pictured below.

I try not to use the battery unless I have to but its great when struggling up hills and gives you the confidence that you’ll be able to make it home. I really enjoyed getting around on this, but after a while when I started to try to go off on bridle ways or along the canal, I found it a little bit of a bone shaker. So I started looking at mountain and hybrid bikes. I thought a full suspension mountain bike was going a bit far, so I did loads of research on hybrids and plumped for a Cube Kathmandu Pro. There are so many bike manufacturers now, but again the Kathmandu had very good reviews. So here it is.

The battery is supposed to last for 60miles, which i presume is on the low setting. There are five different levels and are pretty good, obviously you still have to pedal, which is why its actually called “pedal assist”. The motor is in the mid section of the bike, as this is more effective than on the rear hub. The motor kicks in at each power mode, when the three sensors measure the rider’s pedal power, cadence and speed over 1,000 times per second. This facilitates an organic interplay between you and your eBike.

I’ve been going out regularly, about every other day, unless the weather is foul. To start with I was doing 10mile each time, then upped it to 15ish then 20. I then managed to do 44 miles, but its averaged out at about 20 to 30 miles. Ive explored loads of areas around Bramhope, the Chevin, Otley,Ilkley, Bolton Abbey, Wetherby, Harrogate and had a great time on a ride in the Dalby Forest.

It wasn’t winter that halted the progress but a broken ankle. The occurred coming down off Ilkley Moor not riding but pushing my bike!! Just when I was getting really into it. So I’m now using the time to relive it all on my blog.

ALMSCLIFFE CRAG CIRCULAR

So this one goes from Adel church , Eccup Lane, past the New Inn, down to Weardly and hit the A659 to Harewood, on meeting the A61 to Harrogate turn left, over the River Wharfe and next left towards Dunkeswick. Lovely quiet country roads to Weeton. Arrive at the junction of Harrogate Road and cross almost straight over onto Gravelly Hill Lane. Again lovely quiet country lanes. Turn right onto the Sleights, at Crag Lane turn left onto Merrybank Lane. Along here you will come across Almscliffe Crag. Here is a good mid way stopping point. Continue along the road to Stainburn and onwards to Leathley. By the church hall turn right along this road until the left turning onto Cinder Lane. Going down this lane you will see the farmhouse, ahead and on right, that was used for many years as Emmerdale farm. Cross over the River Washburn and eventually meet the B6451 at Farnley by All Saints church. Turn left onto Farnley Lane towards Pool in Wharefdale. Turn right after crossing the bridge. At Harrogate road turn right onto the main Harrogate road until the roundabout at Pool. Here take a left through Arthington. Turn right after going under the railway bridge onto Creskeld Lane. There is a big hill here and I have to admit I needed my pedal assist on the highest setting. At the top turn left to Bramhope, which meets the A660 and home.

https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/my_routes

A glimpse of Norwich

Just to give you a taste of this lovely city. I don’t remember having been before and I was pleasantly surprised. A permanent market, lanes with independent shops, some nice cafes, pubs, restaurants and some lovely old lanes and buildings holding a lot of history.

Above is around by the river walk.

Covid 19/Lockdown

So here we are at the end of week 7 of lockdown. I have quite enjoyed it in a funny sort of way, but Im one of the lucky ones with a house and a front and back garden, a husband who is my best friend and a dog who is also my best friend! Its been lovely and quiet. The airport is silent, even though it’s not normally intrusive for us, it is noticeable that there are no flights in or out of Leeds Bradford airport. So I’ve done loads of gardening and loads of online shopping! I’ve walked, cycled, read, cleaned and completed lots of jobs that needed doing but i just never got around to them.

Above are some of the most peaceful scenes I’ve come across whilst out on my bike. The top one is looking over to the airport which is just full of parked up planes. The second is of a deer I saw whilst cycling through the Harewood estate. Next looking across newly ploughed fields where the Red Kites circled above. A mother with her foal, more horses and beyond the silent airport. Ending with a map of my ride that day.

CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE.

Theres so much beauty all around from the bluebells in Adel church, to the deer beyond my bike and on the path at Harewood to the gorgeous blossom on the trees. The lock down has given me more “down” time to appreciate these things.

It could just be something as simple as a blackbird taking a dip on my patio or the thousands of tadpoles we get in our pond every year. (Where do they all go?)

Or the mighty beautiful awe inspiring trees that I pass under on my local walks.

And then theres the wildlife – mainly birds…..but that’s for another post.

Good Craft Beer Places in Leed

So, Mike and I are always on the lookout for some nice places to go for craft beer. I suppose all beer is actually “crafted”, but in this instance I mean Keg beer as opposed to Cask Ale. Cask Ale is generally referred to as Real Ale, although I’d argue all ale is “Real”. Cask Ale or Real Ale is live, meaning it’s still fermenting and unpasteurised. It needs careful looking after and doesn’t last as long as Keg. Its supposed to be served at a temperature of around 11 -13C. Its pulled through the hand pump from the cask by gravity, so its flat. in the North of England, people generally like a “head” on their beer. It’s generally a clear liquid and you will hear people complaining when its cloudy. You can often get a bad pint of “Real Ale”.

Craft beer as Keg beer is generally referred too, is colder, often cloudy and pasteurised, so no bad pint! Its easier to keep and the quality is more uniform. It is served from a “tap” and comes from the keg with the help of CO2. I find it really tasty compared to Real Ale and I also find it more refreshing. There has been a massive boom in the craft beer industry, with hundreds of small breweries popping up all over the country.

In Leeds, Northern Monk and North Breweries are two of the bigger ones. North, have several bars and a Tap Room and Northern Monk has a lovely Refectory in Holbeck and one in Manchester. Find links at the bottom of this post.

Recently, we went to town to try out a few of the places that have a good selection of craft beer.

The Assembly Underground is where Carpe Dieum used to be. The place has had a make over and there are several street food outlets along with a veritable plethora of keg beers and a few real ales. Its a really lively place, great atmosphere and the burgers are to die for. Theres also a little cocktail room if that’s your thing.