In
Jane Eyre's Footsteps
Walk
Submitted To Cowlingweb
By: Nicky Bunting -
North Yorkshire County
Council Countryside
Ranger |
|
Difficulty
rating: |
Medium. There
are few waymarks,
you will need OS
map South
Pennines OL 21 |
|
Distance: |
Approx. 5 miles |
|
Description: |
A circular walk
through
undulating
countryside,
with long
distance views-
& a Bronte
connection. A
nice autumn
walk. |
|
Accessible by
public
transport:
|
An hourly bus
between Keighley
& Colne,
alighting at
Cock Hall,
Cowling (5 min
walk to start of
route). |
|
Parking: |
Outside Holy
Trinity Church,
Gill Lane,
Cowling. Grid
Ref SD 967 430. |
|
Walk map: |
In Jane Eyre's
Footsteps Walk
Map
( Res: 1000x1400
pixels, Filesize:
557kb) |
|
Print map: |
>
Printable
Version < >
Download = right
click "save as"
< |
|
|
|
1) |
Go through the
hand gate at the
side of the
churchyard &
follow the track
to a farm
building. |
|
2) |
Turn left over a
timber stile &
follow the wall
to a stone stile
in the field
corner. |
|
3) |
Bear half right
down to the
beck, then right
& follow the
beck. |
|
4) |
At a stone
gatepost with a
round hole in
it, turn left,
down a bank to a
footbridge. |
|
5) |
Cross the
bridge, turn
right, & follow
the beck to a
large
footbridge. |
|
6) |
Don’t cross
here, but turn
left & follow
the track, known
as Donkey Lane,
uphill. Follow
the track, now
tarmaced, until
you meet a rd |
|
7) |
Turn left &
follow the rd
uphill. |
|
8) |
Just after the
entrance to
‘Dairy House’,
turn right down
an unsigned
track running
between a wall &
a hedge. |
|
9) |
Follow the track
downhill, over a
lane, then a
footbridge, then
uphill to the
first property
on the left. |
|
10) |
Turn left by the
cattle grid,
through the
middle of the
buildings,
between a pair
of short stone
gate posts, &
through a gap in
a beech hedge,
to a stile. |
|
11) |
Turn right to
the top of the
field, then left
& follow the
wall, via a
stile, to a
narrow strip of
woodland. |
|
12) |
Turn right then
immediately
left, over 2
stiles, & walk
along the top of
the wood. |
|
13) |
At the end of
the wood, turn
left at the
stone gate
posts, & follow
the track
between the
field & the
wood. See if you
can spot the
sweet chestnut
trees. |
|
14) |
At the second
‘ditch’, bear
half-right,
towards a white
house a couple
of fields away.
Go downhill to a
clump of holly,
& across a
footbridge. |
|
15) |
Bear half-right
to a stile on
top of a bank.
Then straight on
& through
another stile.
Look back for a
stunning view of
Stone Gappe. |
About:
STONE GAPPE
Charlotte Bronte
worked here as a
governess. Stone
Gappe may have
been the
inspiration for
Gateshead Hall
in her novel,
‘Jane Eyre’. Its
very likely she
walked down
here, maybe with
her young
charges. |
|
16) |
Bear half-right
to the field
corner, & over 2
stiles to meet a
track. Turn left
& follow the
track to the
lane. |
|
17) |
Turn right &
follow the quiet
lane all the way
to the
T-junction at
Cowling Hill. |
|
18) |
Turn right &
almost
immediately
left, up a bank
to a stile
signposted
‘Pennine Way’. |
|
19) |
Go downhill,
keeping to the
edge of the
field, & over a
stile. Then
straight on, &
to the
right-hand side
of the old farm
house. |
|
20) |
Go through a
stile next to a
Pennine Way
signpost, round
to the front of
the farmhouse,
then straight on
downhill towards
a field gate. |
|
21) |
Cross the stile
next to the
field gate, turn
left,, over a
stile & turn
right. Walk down
the side of the
field & over
another stile. |
|
22) |
Go straight on
downhill, over 2
stiles until you
get to a Pennine
Way signpost. On
your right are
the ruins of
Higher Gill
Bottom Mill. |
|
23) |
Go through the
small gate next
to the signpost,
turn left &
follow the track
to the rd. |
|
24) |
Turn right, over
the arched stone
bridge, up the
hill to the
T-junction. Turn
left & follow
the lane back to
the church at
the start of the
route. |
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