Walking in Calderdale

Calderdale is a special part of Yorkshire. Few locations offer this blend of beauty and history in such a small place. Our location in Pennine Yorkshire gives us the wonderful rivers, hills, valleys and moorland, but Calderdale is much more than beauty and great views. Calderdale is full of places that need to be there, that have a purpose, not just places to see. These places are part of the soul of Calderdale, places which help to tell Calderdale’s story. And what a story it is. There’s no better way to immerse yourself and discover more about this beautiful area than on foot.

 

Calderdale was the cradle of the industrial revolution. Mills and factories brought wealth and prosperity. The people who worked in them brought a sense of true community. Most of the shops, theatres and public buildings which those communities built are still here. Victorian and Edwardian architecture framing stories of the people, who not only strived to make a success of their lives and their communities but who helped to change the world.  You can find out much more about our beautiful architecture and industrial heritage through many of the guided walks on offer that allow you to experience town and country in just a few hours; so time to don your walking boots and get ‘happily lost’ in Calderdale.

Walking Information & Guides

There are so many walking routes in Calderdale, you’re spoilt for choice!

 

Hebden Bridge pioneered the UK initiative ‘Walkers are Welcome’ in 2007 with the aim of encouraging and creating a network of towns and villages that are welcoming to walkers. Now over 100 towns and villages across the UK have joined this community-led scheme.

 

Hebden Bridge,  Mytholmroyd, and Todmorden are part of the Walkers Are Welcome scheme and each of these towns and villages offers several waymarked walks so you can explore their local landscape.

 

Whether you are looking for short, easy walks or a more strenuous option, there are many walking guides (leaflets, booklets and books) about the Calderdale area are available at to click and collect from VisitCalderale at Halifax Central Library and from the Heart of the Pennines on-line shop.

Guided Walks

There are plenty of options if you prefer to walk with a group or with someone who knows the area and the landscape and heritage.

 

A programme of guided walks exploring the heritage of Calderdale is offered all year round by Calderdale Heritage Walks. The majority of these walks are centred on towns and villages, but some have a more rural feel exploring the old lanes, paths and settlements of our extensive countryside. Almost all walks take place on Sundays and cost £3 per person.

 

Calderdale Council’s Safer Cleaner Greener Countryside Team offer occasional guided walks as part of their extensive events programme.

Bus Walks

There are lots of linear walks that can be done by using local buses.

 

You can plan walks on your own by using the West Yorkshire Metro website.

 

Alternatively, to make it easier, local walking groups have produced some bus walk guides, available from local Visitor Information Centres. Bus walks make it easy to do linear walks and can get you up on to the tops without a big effort!

 

Todmorden Bus Walks

E-Trails

E-Trails give you the opportunity to download images and spoken descriptions of some of the highlights of the walk as well as having an accompanying printed guide which contains a map and walk directions.

 

The e-Trail Apps provide audio commentaries & historical photographs which can be downloaded to a phone or tablet. They include stories of local events & people as well as information about the awe-inspiring ecology & outstanding industrial and political heritage of the area.

 

The printed Route Guides allow you to still enjoy the e-Trail if you don’t have a mobile phone or tablet – with the written script available to download from the website.

 

There  are 13 e-Trails which are available from the Heart of the Pennines on-line shop

Easy & Family
Friendly Walks

You can explore the landscape of Calderdale without needing to do a strenuous hike!

 

There are gentle walks on relatively flat routes (the canal towpath is an ideal gentle route with you being able to choose how far you want to go). A range of these walks are on the Easy Walks page of the Hebden Bridge Walkers Action website.

 

There are short walks that may be a bit more strenuous but only take an hour or so. ‘Pop Out’ walks are available from Todmorden Information Centre with an example walk available on the Todwalkers website.

 

Halifax has a surprising and quite amazing music history. The Halifax Music Heritage Trail celebrates this important cultural history of the town. From Dusty Springfield, Rod Stewart, Iggy Pop to Joy Division, Pulp, The Cure, The Jacksons, the list of artists who have played the town is long and diverse. There is usually and annual guided tour of the Trail, if one is coming up soon the details will be on our What’s On pages.

 

Town and village walks that explore the heritage of the area are available from the Heart of the Pennines online shop.

Pennine Bridleway (Mary Townley Loop)

The Pennine Bridleway runs for 205 miles (330km) from Derbyshire to Cumbria. The Pennine Bridleway runs roughly parallel to, but separate from the Pennine Way and offers access for Horse Riders and Cyclists in addition to Walkers.

The Mary Towneley Loop is a 47 mile section of the Pennine Bridleway with a variety of tracks, looping past Blackshaw Head, Heptonstall, Hebden Bridge, Todmorden and Walsden. You will encounter open moorland, hidden reservoirs, ancient packhorse tracks sweeping into valleys with gritstone walls, mill chimneys and canals, all offering a glimpse of past histories.

 

It is easy to plan shorter walks using the Mary Townley Loop- a leaflet and map are available to download from the National Trails website.

Arrow (Down)

Calderdale Parks

Calderdale’s parks are great for fairly flat walking on good paths and you can combine a walk in the park with woodland walks and canal towpath walks.

 

Shibden Park, Halifax

 

Manor Heath Park, Halifax

 

People’s Park, Halifax

 

Savile Park, Halifax

 

Wellholme Park, Brighouse

 

Calder Holmes Park, Hebden Bridge

 

Centre Vale Park, Todmorden

 

When you’re enjoying Calderdale’s countryside, please follow The Countryside Code.