Race Details

Distance

7.55 miles

Start

Wainstalls Road, SE 039287

Finish

Shelf (Bridle Stile Road), SE 122283

Registration

11:00 am to 12:30 pm

First runners expected

11.45 am

Leg cut-off

1.00 pm

Records
  • Men:  47.56  M Speight & G Watkins (Bingley Harriers, 1989)
  • Ladies:  56:15   Caitlin Rice & Helen Thornhill (Ribble Valley, 2019)
Garmin

Leg 5 Map which you can download to your Garmin

Bradshaw to Holmfield Section

Coming through the fields from Bradshaw Church, turn right onto school lane then, immediately after the farmhouse, turn left. As you get to the end of the farm buildings (on your left) you come to a stile through the wall with a Calderdale MBC Footpath badge on it. Do not take this.

Instead, go left through the unmarked gateway. After about 40 metres go right on the wide path between two stone walls. Approximately 300 metres along that path you will come to a stile on your right. There is also a stile to your left at this point for reference. Take that right turn and follow the path to the industrial buildings in Holmfield.

See map below.

View Map

View larger version of the map below

Race Map

Bradshaw to Holmfield Section

Race Route

Climb the stile and bear right along a cairned path to a stream. Cross a small weir then head for a wall corner and continue above the wall to a lane. The building opposite is the former Moorcock Inn. Turn right and left into the forecourt and look for a slim stile opposite.

Over the stile, follow a paved path below an embankment to the road at Moor Bottom. Go left about 30 yards then right through a stile to a footbridge over a stream.

Up the first field keep the wall on the right to a step stile; cross to a small gate stile and keep the next wall on the left towards Hough Gate Farm; detour left round the farm onto the access lane and Cold Edge Road.

Cross the road and take the grass track between walls, following the signed path over Hunter Hill to where it forks after about 500 yards. Follow the middle path forwards and downhill until the track peters out at a derelict gateway above a group of trees within sight of Mixenden Reservoir.

Bear left and right, down to a solitary stone gatepost and track at Goose Clough. Go left then right through a gate and follow the path to Stod Fold, one of the few horticultural farms in the area. Go round another gate then follow the road down and uphill to Lane Head.

Bear right and up the road for Lower Brockholes (Croftmount Labradors), after which turn left up some steep steps. Continue on a flagged path to Mount Zion Church at Upper Brockholes. Go up Per Lane to Keighley Road (A629 and bus route).

Cross the road and take the track on the right, Blind Lane, walking almost due east to Pavement Lane (bus route); cross the road and follow the path through a small gate at West Scausby Farm (note the sign about not running through the farm!!), then cross the field to another gate near Upper West Scausby.

Turn sharp left behind the end outbuilding through a gate; follow the faint flagged path towards the church, through a stile and short ginnel to Riley Lane (bus route). Cross the road diagonally left then round the side of the farm on a field path down to cottages at St. John's Cross. Go right and then left after about 5 metres.

Go straight for about 20 metres then sharp left through metal gate past the farmyard, between barns (do not go straight on through the wall onto the Calderdale badged footpath), after about 20 metres bear right onto track between two stone walls. Follow this until the path drops towards Strines Beck. There is a point with a stile to the left and a stile to the right directly opposite. 

Turn right through the narrow stile towards the trees and continue through more stiles to a muddy lane. On the left is a factory. Continue along the lane through an iron gate to Holdsworth House Farm (1692).

Turn left into Holdsworth Road (bus route). Four schools share a large site on the right. On the left is Holdsworth House (1633), now a hotel, built on land which once belonged to the knights of St. John of Jerusalem.

Walk downhill, then left over a disused railway cutting, then turn sharp left up Windy Bank, noting the Holmfield Industrial estate on the left. After going under the first set of pylons turn right up the cobbled Crook Lane.

At the top of the hill, turn left into Queensbury Road (A647) in the direction of Catherine Slack and Bradford boundary. After 20 yards turn right into Swalesmoor Road.

After 100 yards turn left opposite Slack End; go down a steep track for 200 yards; at the first junction turn sharp right and follow the path downhill past a thick bank of holly, then half left down a slight gully above the ruins of Water Scout to a stone gatepost.

Continue forwards to a cairn and again slightly left down to another large patch of holly. Turn sharp left through a gap in the holly and follow a fenced path to a stile near the track to the 17th century Scout Hall and Farm.

Continue downhill over a small stile on a narrow path between wire fence and stream.
Cross the stone footbridge over Shibden Brook and follow the steps up to a lane.

Turn right towards Simm Carr. Beyond Simm Carr look for a ladder stile on the left and follow the path up the fields through two stiles bearing left near a water trough to a further stile round to the right of the next corner. This leads up a partly paved way to a wall stile near Adders Gate.

Turn right to the farm noting the view up the valley and continue up the lane for some distance to a metalled road.

Bear right onto the road and on as far as the sharp right bend near a water trough.

Go forwards along the track for 20 yards then right through a stile, keeping close to a field wall up the hill to Cut Lane.

Continue forwards between holly bushes, noting on the right Marsh Hall and Northowram hospital. Bear right near Barms Hill Farm to Tanhouse Lane.

Cross the road to a stile and follow the path behind farm buildings to another stile and onto a farm track; bear left along the track away from the farm and continue forward through several stiles, ignoring a gated lane to the left; follow a path marked with stone slabs as far as the road opposite Burnley Hill Cottages.

Turn left and right, and cross the A6044 for the Duke of York Inn and the Stone Chair (note inscription).

Turn down West Street into Shelf Hall Lane and continue past the Junior School to a signed passage on the right which leads to Bradford Road (A6036).

At this changeover, there is no baton change.

Incoming runners finish at the roadside barrier on the main road.

Leg 6 runners will be started by a marshal in Bridle Stile Lane on the opposite side of the main road.