Living in Otley I often play at Stainburn which is superb. Looking at the map to link up with the new stuff round Swinsty Wood I find a load of bridleways from Timble over to Denton and Round Hill. Anyone know what they're like? Specifically it looks like I can get from Swinsty to the top of the A59 on minor roads and tracks. Then there's a bridleway up Round Hill, down towards Ilkley then back over the moor to Timble Ings. Has anyone ridden this? I can't find it on any books or on the web so wondered if it's a) a barely there on the ground bogfest or b) dull gravel farm tracks.
I know people will say just get out and explore but with a small child time is limited and I don't want to waste a ride carrying my bike over a bog!!
Thanks
Fom Blubberhouses go across the A59,up the road untill a rh bend go straight ahead thro gate on Bridleway (Kex Ghyll)which runs parallel to A59.At top follow old road to start of bridleway up to round hill.
Can be a bit boggy and a bit of a push but worth it to come down round hill.Turn left when you hit track at bottom.This is ok for a while but becomes very boggy then ok to ridge line.
Choice 1 go straight ahead which leads to track just above Blubberhouses. Can be very boggy and indistinct.
Choice 2 go thro gate on right and follow down to a ghyll,boggy in places,then up a nice track to Lippersley pike and down towards gate at top of denton track.
On way down there is a small stone pillar and a track on left leading into the top of Timble Ings.
All worth doing.
From Otley go to Denton on the backroad, up onto denton moor, singletrack through timble ings and then over the road down to swinsty. Up the other side on road, left then right onto pennypot lane. Drop down the bridleway to John of Gaunts and down the valley to the pub. Up into Nowood/stainburn then out the bottom. Turn right to Folly Hall and along to swinsty. Up the road through timble then left back onto Denton Moor.
From there either right and over toward round Hill (I'd usually climb to gawkhall ridge and push up) or back down to Denton. Down the hill, right over the ford and then right toward Langbar Down the byway to Nesfield and back along the road.
Obviously that's a fairly long loop but you can break off bits as you see fit.
Tom, email me I can send you links to a couple of rides I've done over that way.
The bridleway from the A59 to the top of round hill is quite often boggy and not good for riding up, OK for Down.
From the A59 I use a "Track" to the top of Round Hill, its a landrover track and can be ridden all the way up. The track is 1/2 a mile west of the bridleway on the A59, map ref SE11773 54720. Never been challenged.
From the top of roundhill there is a nice route [not a bridleway so no way would I suggest you ride it]west to the top of Beacon Hill and then down to the Langbar road, then 1/2 a mile SE is another drop down on a bridleway to the Nesfield road, fraid its road back to Otley. Lots of stuff on Ilkley Moor our club [Ilkley] rides it Thursday night, pop in JDs bike shop for more info.
The rocky descent from the top of Beamsley Beacon looks like it would be a lot of fun to ride 😉
From the bottom there is way back over the moors to Round Hill? and then on to Tumble, but the first bit is a bit hard to follow as some drainage ditches have been put in where the path was.
Thanks for all the advice. It looks like I'll have a bit of an explore one day. My usual 'local route' is Bolton Abbey to Rylstone, so good to have a change I think.
I've seen the landrover track up Round Hill from the A59, I had assumed it was the bridleway.
I might pop into JDs an ask about the thus evening rides. What sort of rides/toughness do you do, as I am far from the worlds greatest rider!!
Simon - thanks for the offer, I've sent you a pm
Got your email.
Two rides last week slow and the quicker lads, try North Leeds as well on faceook