Stead Crag circular walk
Overlooking Stead Crag towards Burley and Almscliff Crag
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A circular walk on the south side of the village onto the edge of Burley Moor including the hamlets of Stead and Burley Woodhead, with refreshments available towards the end.
Published in Burley Village Handbook 2019 Distance: 5.7 miles (9.2km) Ascent: 754 feet (230 metres) Time: 2.5 to 3 hours Summary: This walk takes you via the edge of Scalebor Park to the hamlet of Stead. Stead and the nearby hamlet of Burley Woodhead formed an 18C township. Indeed, Stead could have been a Roman outpost on the Adel/Ilkley Roman road. At one time it had a hall or manor but now only the farmsteads remain. In the 16C, the manor belonged to the Knights of St John. Stead Hall Farm and Low Stead Farm are Grade II listed. Beyond Stead, the route heads to Burley Moor, passing old quarries, before following the edge of the Moor past Stead Crag, along part of the Ebor Way. Although not easily visible from above, Stead Crag is popular with climbers and has routes with interesting names such as Skyliner and The Lion of Justice. The views across Wharfedale from here are spectacular ranging from Otley, Almscliff Crag and Beamsley Beacon to the distant Yorkshire Dales. The walk then crosses Coldstone Beck. Job Senior, a hermit (from which the nearby pub gets its name) is believed to have lived alongside this beck, where it meets the road. He was famous for his fine singing voice. He died in 1857. The walk then proceeds to Green Lane and makes its way down to Bleach Mill where refreshments can be had, before returning to Burley via Hag Farm Road. A shorter alternative route back (5.2 miles) can be had by dropping down to Moor Road in Burley Woodhead from Stead Crag, and then using the new footpath alongside Moor Road to reach Moor Lane, and a possible refreshment stop at the Hermit. |
The route
With your back to the door of the Roundhouse (SE 166464), turn left and walk through the park to Grange Road and turn right. At the junction, turn left and walk up Station Road and under the railway bridge, where it becomes Moor Lane. Continue up Moor Lane, passing Hag Farm Road (on the left) and William Fison Ride (on the right). Just past the sports field, turn right along the tarmac drive, indicated by the public footpath fingerpost (SE 159456). Stay on this drive passing the sports pavilion until you reach the sign for Scalebor Park Farm, branch off left here following the yellow footpath arrow.
On reaching a tarmac lane, turn right. Follow the lane past the small development of houses on the right, then branch off left, through an old green painted metal gate, indicated by a public footpath sign – the lane past here is a private road. When the path forks, carry straight on through the gate and follow the left hand field boundary along the fenced in path. Go over a stile and through a kissing gate keeping straight ahead. In the far right hand corner of the field, go through a second kissing gate and keep straight ahead onto Stead Lane (SE 147459). You now stay on this track for half a mile passing through a cluster of buildings which is Stead.
After passing Dog Kennel Farm, walk straight through the farmyard of Stead Hall Farm. In less than 100 yards, look out for a tall kissing gate on the left. Through this gate, follow the fenced path to a second kissing gate then follow the right hand field boundary. At the end of the field, go through a stone “slit” stile. Just before reaching a second stile (SE 144463), bear off left at about 45°, up to a farm gate visible at the far side of the field. Go through this gate and straight across the tarmac drive through a gate indicated by a blue bridleway arrow. Follow the path to a gate to then follow the edge of some trees. Views across the valley start to open up and you pass a small reservoir on the left. Deer can sometimes be seen here. At the end of the trees, go through a gate and follow a wall on the left to the road (SE 140461).
Ignoring the bridleway fingerpost, cross straight over the road and follow the old quarry track as it climbs steadily up to the edge of the moor, passing to the left of a couple of old quarries. At the moor edge, join a broad track (Ebor Way) and turn left. Before doing so, a fine view up Wharfedale can be had by turning right and briefly walking to the top of the rise. Return to where you joined the path and continue to a wall at a corner. Continue on the relatively level path to the right of the wall. Stead Crag is over this wall (SE 144453). (NB the path dropping down on the left at the end of this wall provides a quicker road side way back to Burley. Descend the grassy path, leaving the moor by the gate, and walk through the lay-by and wooded area down to the Coldstone Beck road bridge. Cross the bridge and using the new path on the right hand side of the road created by Walkers are Welcome in 2018, walk to the top of Moor Lane in Burley Woodhead, and then follow the path back to the village. Alternatively carry straight on for a short distance to visit the Hermit pub for refreshments!).
Stay on the path as it descends to Coldstone Beck and continues steeply up the far side, ignoring a path off to the left. When the path forks, take the right fork, heading for the property Crag Top which is the large house directly ahead. Do not confuse with the farm lower down the moor towards Burley. At a crossroads of paths, go straight across. At Crag Top (SE 149448), meet a broad track and turn right and follow it to the cluster of houses at York View. As you approach, there are fine views across Otley and on a clear day, you can see the edge of the North York Moors. Indeed, York View gets its name because it is supposed to be possible to pick out York Minster – on a very clear day! York View sits on a tarmac track which is Green Lane SE 149446).
Leave the moor and follow Green Lane all the way down until it meets Moor Road. Cross over very carefully as there are blind corners here, and continue down the steep tarmac drive to reach steps in the parking area at the bottom. Crossing over the beck and stile, follow the path over another stile as it skirts round a silted up mill pond and chimney on the right until you reach an unusual three stone stile. Keep right to descend alongside the mini canyon of Carr Beck to reach the Ebor Way and a post with multiple footpath signs. Turning right towards Menston will bring you in a few yards to Bleach Mill where refreshments can be had. Turning left and through the gate will bring you to Hag Farm and the beginning of Hag Farm Road and the return to your starting point via the railway station.
With your back to the door of the Roundhouse (SE 166464), turn left and walk through the park to Grange Road and turn right. At the junction, turn left and walk up Station Road and under the railway bridge, where it becomes Moor Lane. Continue up Moor Lane, passing Hag Farm Road (on the left) and William Fison Ride (on the right). Just past the sports field, turn right along the tarmac drive, indicated by the public footpath fingerpost (SE 159456). Stay on this drive passing the sports pavilion until you reach the sign for Scalebor Park Farm, branch off left here following the yellow footpath arrow.
On reaching a tarmac lane, turn right. Follow the lane past the small development of houses on the right, then branch off left, through an old green painted metal gate, indicated by a public footpath sign – the lane past here is a private road. When the path forks, carry straight on through the gate and follow the left hand field boundary along the fenced in path. Go over a stile and through a kissing gate keeping straight ahead. In the far right hand corner of the field, go through a second kissing gate and keep straight ahead onto Stead Lane (SE 147459). You now stay on this track for half a mile passing through a cluster of buildings which is Stead.
After passing Dog Kennel Farm, walk straight through the farmyard of Stead Hall Farm. In less than 100 yards, look out for a tall kissing gate on the left. Through this gate, follow the fenced path to a second kissing gate then follow the right hand field boundary. At the end of the field, go through a stone “slit” stile. Just before reaching a second stile (SE 144463), bear off left at about 45°, up to a farm gate visible at the far side of the field. Go through this gate and straight across the tarmac drive through a gate indicated by a blue bridleway arrow. Follow the path to a gate to then follow the edge of some trees. Views across the valley start to open up and you pass a small reservoir on the left. Deer can sometimes be seen here. At the end of the trees, go through a gate and follow a wall on the left to the road (SE 140461).
Ignoring the bridleway fingerpost, cross straight over the road and follow the old quarry track as it climbs steadily up to the edge of the moor, passing to the left of a couple of old quarries. At the moor edge, join a broad track (Ebor Way) and turn left. Before doing so, a fine view up Wharfedale can be had by turning right and briefly walking to the top of the rise. Return to where you joined the path and continue to a wall at a corner. Continue on the relatively level path to the right of the wall. Stead Crag is over this wall (SE 144453). (NB the path dropping down on the left at the end of this wall provides a quicker road side way back to Burley. Descend the grassy path, leaving the moor by the gate, and walk through the lay-by and wooded area down to the Coldstone Beck road bridge. Cross the bridge and using the new path on the right hand side of the road created by Walkers are Welcome in 2018, walk to the top of Moor Lane in Burley Woodhead, and then follow the path back to the village. Alternatively carry straight on for a short distance to visit the Hermit pub for refreshments!).
Stay on the path as it descends to Coldstone Beck and continues steeply up the far side, ignoring a path off to the left. When the path forks, take the right fork, heading for the property Crag Top which is the large house directly ahead. Do not confuse with the farm lower down the moor towards Burley. At a crossroads of paths, go straight across. At Crag Top (SE 149448), meet a broad track and turn right and follow it to the cluster of houses at York View. As you approach, there are fine views across Otley and on a clear day, you can see the edge of the North York Moors. Indeed, York View gets its name because it is supposed to be possible to pick out York Minster – on a very clear day! York View sits on a tarmac track which is Green Lane SE 149446).
Leave the moor and follow Green Lane all the way down until it meets Moor Road. Cross over very carefully as there are blind corners here, and continue down the steep tarmac drive to reach steps in the parking area at the bottom. Crossing over the beck and stile, follow the path over another stile as it skirts round a silted up mill pond and chimney on the right until you reach an unusual three stone stile. Keep right to descend alongside the mini canyon of Carr Beck to reach the Ebor Way and a post with multiple footpath signs. Turning right towards Menston will bring you in a few yards to Bleach Mill where refreshments can be had. Turning left and through the gate will bring you to Hag Farm and the beginning of Hag Farm Road and the return to your starting point via the railway station.
