Climbs steeply up to the solitary beauty of rugged Slaithwaite Moor

THE Kirklees Way is a 72-mile/116 kilometre circular walking route.

It takes its name from the ancient estate of Kirklees, meaning “church clearings”.

The walk was inaugurated in 1990, and follows waymarked public footpaths between the villages that surround Huddersfield, Cleckheaton, Batley and Dewsbury.

It has been divided into easy sections and here we feature the five-mile stretch from Marsden to Scammonden.

After leaving the hustle and bustle of Marsden and the incredible achievement of Victorian “navvies” who tunnelled through the Pennines, the Kirklees Way climbs steeply up to the solitary beauty of rugged Slaithwaite Moor above Scammonden Water, before coming to pleasant pastures.

Marsden can be reached by bus, train, car and even canal boat, and makes an ideal starting place for the Kirklees Way. However, it must be noted that the canal to Marsden is the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and therefore not all boats can make the trip to Tunnel End. The Marsden Information Point on Peel Street will direct visitors to local recreation facilities in the Colne Valley. Postcards, guidebooks, videos and souvenirs of the area can also be purchased. Do not miss The national Trust “Welcome to Marsden” exhibition off Station Road, beside the car park.

Begin the walk from the station, follow the towpath due west towards the Standedge Visitor Centre and Tunnel End. Turn right over the footbridge and right again, passing the entrance to the Visitor Centre. At the top of the lane across the road and take the track to the right hand side of the Tunnel End Inn, where walkers are welcomed. Follow the left-hand side of the dry stone wall up hill.

The Huddersfield Narrow Canal, which opened in 1798, rises 436 ft between Huddersfield and Marsden via forty-two locks, before disappearing into the Standedge Tunnel. This amazing engineering feat was dug by hand over 17 years by hundreds of navvies, over 50 of whom lost their lives in the dangerous conditions. The term “navvy” was given to the men who travelled the country in great gangs constructing the canals or “navigations” that linked the towns of England.

At the cottages follow the stone steps passing through the garden area, up the hill before turning right onto a tarmac lane. This eventually becomes an unmade track with great views back down to Marsden, and across the valley to Butterley Reservoir. At a fork in the track turn right up hill. Turn left at a farmstead, leaving the track over a stile to follow a sunken lane, (Huck Hill Lane) up hill.

To start with, Huck Hill Lane is boggy, but the path follows the dry top of the remains of the wall to the left-hand side. Eventually it rejoins the walled lane and leads to the top of Shaw Heys. Tussocky grass and long heather stretched for miles across Slaithwaite Moor at this point, giving panoramic views over the Pennines, Saddleworth Moor and Huddersfield.

On Garside Hey the route briefly joins the Colne Valley Circular walk, before the two walks separate at a stone bench erected to the memory of Rodney Roberts, 1942-84. Keep straight ahead to pass Cupwith Reservoir, turning right onto the A640 New Hey Road.

After a short distance turn left down West Carr Lane, an unmade track to Waterman House. Go Straight through the farmstead, passing the old buildings and the house, before climbing a stile and turning left down the hill to Deanhead Reservoir. Cross the dam wall and turn right. Turn right down the tarmac road (New Lane) and then turn left into the picnic area after crossing the bridge over Black Burne Brook.

Deanhead reservoir and dam were built in 1836 to power mills further down the valley; along the banks of Black Burne Brook, silver birch, beech, holly, alder, European larch, oak and sycamore have all been planted to create a very picturesque setting with fine views over Scammonden Water. There is car parking here.

Follow the brook downstream to the edge of Scammonden Water and turn right along the back of the reservoir. Turn right up the asphalt track and left towards the Activity Centre. Just before the Centre, turn right up steps and cross a footbridge in a holly hedgerow. Take the right fork at the back of the Centre and follow the green lane, as it winds uphill, turning left onto Sledge Gate.

Scammonden Dam was built in 1969-71 and is the largest earth-filled dam in Europe, at 245 feet (74.6m) high and half a mile (0.8km) in length. To the west stands the largest single-span bridge in Europe, with a deck-length of 656 feet (199m). With an altitude of 1,220 feet (371.8) above sea level, the M62 is Britain’s highest motorway, and was formally opened by Her Majesty The Queen in 1971.

Take the second footpath on the right leaving Sledge Gate via stone steps and a wooden stile. Keep to the wall side rejoining New Hey Road at Pleasant Pasture.

At this point an old millstone indicates that is only six miles (9.6km) to Huddersfield. Much nearer is the Nont Sarah’s public house, just over half a mile (0.8km) up the road, and reputedly named after the aunt of a previous owner who financed his purchase of the property, and the Jack O’Metre pub (formerly The Upper George) half a mile (0.8km) in the other direction. The Lower George pub is a few hundred metres beyond this. Take time out to rest your weary limbs, slake your thirst and replenish your energy with a hearty meal, before heading for home or resuming your journey along the Kirklees Way.