Holmfirth - Last of the Summer Wine Country

Graham Wilson

You need to log in as a member of Walkingworld to access the details for this walk and have an active subscription. Please join, or log in above if you are already a member.

'Last of the Summer Wine' Country is justly renowned the world over. It is gloriously open countryside bisected by steeply-sided wooded valleys. This circular walk gives you the opportunity to taste the countryside around the town of Holmfirth, but is also short enough to provide time for exploring the town itself.

Syd's Café is shown on the introduction photograph, with some of the many craft events which take place over the year caught outside. There are tea- and giftshops galore, together with plenty of choice for eating.

Aside from the robust stone architecture famous in this part of the world, the local countryside is still relatively unspoilt with mainly fields laid to pasture, studded with small oak woodlands. The mix provides a haven for birds and flowers in the right seasons. This walk is a great start to a day out in this wonderful area.

England - North England - Yorkshire - Pennines

Features

Birds, Butterflies, Cafe, Church, Food Shop, Gift Shop, Great Views, Hills or Fells, Industrial Archaeology, Museum, Pub, Public Transport, Restaurant, River, Tea Shop, Toilets

10/12/2020 - Simon Worrall

Walked October 2020. Pleasant walk around the Holmfirth area with good views from both sides of the valley in which the town lies. Interesting information boards dotted around the banks of the River Holme highlighting wildlife and the industrial history of the area. We saw a kingfisher on the river bank by Hinchcliffe Mill (being redeveloped into housing). NAVIGATION WP17 - avoided any rights of way confusion referred to in previous comments by walking straight on at the bottom of the field, over a stone stile, down a couple of ginnels between the houses which brings you down onto the main road and the church at WP19. NAVIGATION WP 26 - after crossing the stile into the field from the river bank, continue a short distance (150m or so) along the path that runs next to the river bank before you go diagonally uphill towards the wood. There is a marker post half way up the hill before reaching a small copse of mature birch trees and a stile that marks the boundary of the wood. Once over the stile and into the wood head uphill, angling eastward, towards the quarry. NAVIGATION WP27 - the next path you take at this junction is now overgrown and quite difficult to pick out but angles uphill and eastwards in the same direction you came up through the wood. At the time of writing there was a West Yorkshire Police notice (concerning illegal snares in the wood) nailed to a tree marking the narrow path you take uphill to the next WP.PARKING - the main long stay car park is now £2 up to four hours and £4 all day.There is a large CO-OP adjacent to the car park and start of the walk if you need any sandwiches etc.

9/1/2015 - tony durkin

Just a small note to say that most of the styles especially one of the squeeze type between WM 16-17 are not large dog friendly.

4/21/2015 - Andy Booth

At WM16 after the 'steep steps down a wall' we carried on straight forward towards the red-brick houses keeping the wall on our right. Just as it looks like you are going enter someones back garden there's a gate on your right. Go through this and almost immediately there's another gate on your left and it is signed Public Footpath. Go through the gate and between the houses. At the end of the passageway just turn right and walk until you meet up with the road and turn left. This should eliminate the confusion about the Private Road at WM17. Still a great walk!

5/18/2014 - paul smith

Really enjoyed this walk. Instructions were spot on and views all around the walk are great. Well worth the effort with it being a touch hilly

6/30/2011 - stanley gilroy

At waymark 17 there was a small sign informing us this was a private road with no access for cars or walkers but with the sign being a scrap of paper on a board we ignored it but then got stopped and told it was a private road but we continued on and noticed a much bigger board at the end of the mill pond informing us no access to cars or walkers. Is it possible the author can check this out. I was very impressed with the clear and precise instructions making the walk easy to follow.

8/13/2009 - Suzette Maguire

We really enjoyed this walk. It did get a bit confusing, however, when the script said "walk past the house in the picture" and the house in the picture was nowhere to be seen. We eventually found the right one, but we're as sure as we can be that it wasn't the one in the picture. Some white gates mentioned later on were missing too. All in all though, we enjoyed the walk - our first one from the site - and we will use the site again.