Leave Norman behind!

Mar 22 2008 by Sarah Bull, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

‘A fine walk on field paths and old tracks with some fine views of the landscape and near some fine houses’

PARK in Norman Road, Denby Dale, then walk down Norman Road, cross the road at the bottom and continue up Trinity Drive.

Pass the church and take the left-hand one of two surfaced paths across the field.

Turn left along the road for a few yards, then right up Broombank. Near the end of this street is a ginnel on the right which leads up under the railway. Cross a stile and walk straight over the field to the wood. Cross another stile and turn left along the walled lane.

In a quarter of a mile you will reach a crossing of tracks. Turn right along another walled lane and follow the track round outside the wood. At a fork keep left, cross a stone step-stile and continue to the end of the wood. Do not go through the gate ahead, but turn right along the remains of the old lane, keeping the wall on your left.

Cross a stile just before a gate and after passing along the edge of a field, now with the wall on your right, you are soon back in a walled lane.

In 150 yards, just before a gate, cross a stile on your right and follow the wall on your right down to cross a beck and climb the other side to a stile. Turn right along the track. Pass a farm entrance on the right and where the track drops and curves right run left through a swing-gate by a larger gate into the trees.

Walk straight through this parkland, keeping a short way from the wall to your left. Where this wall comes closer, and about 50 yards before a gate ahead, leave the path and drop half-right through the trees to a step-stile in the wall. Keep the same direction across the field towards the next wood, to find a stile in the fence. Drop steeply down to a footbridge over the River Dearne.

Cross the stile into the field and bear left round the edge until you come to a stile on the left. Pass over it and immediately cross a beck by a stone slab. Bear right on a faint path through the bracken. Where you see the beck over on your right again look out for a clear path coming in from your left; go right along it to a footbridge over the beck on your right.

Do not turn right up the walled lane, but keep forward on a path through the trees. Now you are walking parallel to the beck down on the left. When the way seems to be barred by a wall (where a ginnel comes in from the right) bear left down towards the beck and then continue in the same direction as before.

The path leads straight along (avoid a branch left down to the beck) to a step-stile out of the wood. Bear slightly right up the field to a gap-stile about 20 yards to the left of the corner of the barn.

Turn left along the track. Where it turns sharp left, follow the footpath sign right and walk down with the wall on your left.

Cross the beck and bear right to the edge of the field. Now turn left and walk up with the wall on your right to a stile onto the road. Cross diagonally left to a stile (PF sign) in the wall opposite. Walk straight down to the main road (fine views ahead).

Cross the road and walk a few yards right to take a farm access road on the left, dropping to pass to the left of the farm. Where the track curves right, round in front of the house, find steps straight on leading down in front of the garage to a stile into a field. Bear slightly right to another stile in the wall opposite.

Bear very slightly right over the next field to another stile. Cross the beck and follow the wall on the left to the road.

Turn right. Pass a road-end on the right and continue along Birkhouse Lane. At the end of the buildings of Birk House Farm on the right turn right along a macadamed lane which soon becomes an unsurfaced walled track.

Where this ends at a stile by a gate bear slightly left across the next field to jump a beck (caution!) and cross a stile at a line of trees. Keep in the same direction towards a large group of farm buildings in the distance. When you meet a cross-wall turn left along it.

At a wide fenced gap in this wall there is a stile. Cross it and walk straight up the middle of the next field, aiming to the right of the trees which are to the right of the farm.

Cross another stile and keep on up with the wall on your left to another stile and the road. Turn left through Upper Cumberworth. About 50 yards before the end of the 30mph limit, between two redbrick bungalows on the right, follow the foothpath sign along a ginnel.

Continue in the same direction along the edge of the field for about 50 yards before crossing left into the next field and bearing slightly left away from the hedge on your right to a stile in the wall corner. Follow the wall on the right for a few yards to a stile in it. Cross this and follow the wall on your right to another stile.

Cross the track and stile opposite and then cross diagonally left towards the quarry. You will find a stile in the corner of the field leading to a fenced path round the edge of the quarry.

This ends at a stile. Now turn left along with the fence on your left; at the top of a slight rise, where the fence bears left keep straight on down the field to a large gate (head for the right-hand end of a row of redbrick chimneys). A stile beside the gate takes you on to a lane which brings you down past a factory car park to the old station yard. Keep straight on down a rough walled lane which emerges at the main road near the Midland Bank.