Leeds to burnley by the canal…

Looking at a couple of days away with my better half and contemplating an overnight or two in burnley. Can anyone tell me what the stretch of the canal between Leeds and Burnley is like for (easy) pedalling and where it might be suggested to start along that stretch (it’s going to involve either a pedal or car to get there anyway)?

Cheers

It’s all flat so easy enough but the bits that are full of roots and pot holes become tiresome after a while. Plenty of sections have been resurfaced so are great but it’s a bit here, a bit there etc. There’s some lovely scenery, especially between Skipton and Colne.

Burnley’s a dump though so not sure why you’d choose to stay there?

Yeah Burnley is bloody horrible but, randomly it has a (supposedly) wonderful spa, so the plan would be book a couple of nights there and drag the Mrs on out on a nice easy ride to get there. Roots and potholes I’m not too worried about, if it’s all passable traffic free ish will score me enough brownie points to cover my disappearing on the bike whist she’s in the spa.

Other option is the lakes but it lacks a nice day’s pedal to get there.

the section from leeds to riddlesden is spot on. good surface to riidlesden.
I came off there and followed some lanes through connonley and Carleton in craven to gargrave.
got back on at bank newton and then it was nice again.
I think the bits either side of skipton are crap surface for some reason.

I think the bits either side of skipton are crap surface for some reason.

Keeps the tourists in skipton. Probably a good thing, they’d never come back if they made it to Keighley

Been to the spa in Burnley, it’s decent too. But there’s a Michelin star pub in Fence near Burnley that is absolutely amazing and not expensive at all.

When your Mrs heard about the spa in Burnley are you sure she wasn’t hearing about the SPAR? Burnley is in the original list of 40 crap towns, it’s a dump. Does it really have a spa?

Burnley’s a dump though so not sure why you’d choose to stay there?

It’s really not a dump. 🙂

And Crow Wood is a lovely place, according to Mrs S.

Try the Loom Makers for food, or the Bay Horse in Roughlee for one of Britain’s best pubs (tell them Pete sent you). Try the steak pie.
The Kettledrum in Cliviger is nice too.

This….https://www.rosehillhousehotel.co.uk
….is a lovely, quirky hotel, food’s pretty good too.

Have a ride around the Towneley Park and visit the house, well worth a trip.
https://www.google.com/search?q=towneley+hall&safe=off&client=ms-android-motorola&prmd=minv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj8rMLMjITgAhWUUhUIHdhoCvIQ_AUoAnoECAwQAg&biw=360&bih=512#imgrc=gv-Sz5e8KousBM

Drop me a line if you want any more info. ☺

Apparently so

Homepage

But there’s a Michelin star pub in Fence near Burnley that is absolutely amazing and not expensive at all.

The white swan?

I’ve not been there but that’s also a very good call. I’m thinking this has the makings of a plan…

Grand thank you Rusty, I’ll take a look at those.

Don’t forget Rowan Sorrell’s Hustwood trail, very short but great fun.

So much good riding from there it’s obscene. 🙂

Oh, and the Carradice factory is just down the road too – you can pop in if you’re passing. Friendly people.

let us know how you get on. me and the good lady get plenty of weekend off on the bike. not been to the darkside yet.

The bits either side of Skipton, well Silsden to Bradley and Skipton to Gargrave, have been given the go-ahead to be resurfaced. Don’t know when it will get done. At the moment they are grassy/muddy depending on time of year. The section on the Leeds side of Silsden was resurfaced last summer.

We did a weekender trip last year: LL canal to Wigan; Bridgewater canal to Stockport; Transpennine trail over to the Barnsley area then one of its branches up to Leeds and back via the LL canal. There’s a lot of bends in that there LL canal!

Keeps the tourists in skipton. Probably a good thing, they’d never come back if they made it to Keighley

I know, once you’ve experienced Keighley, nothing else measures up. 🙂

Done this route load of times. Usually from Burnley out to Foulridge to visit Cafe Cargo.

The section from Barrowford to Foulridge and beyond to Bank Newton is nice. There are a couple of nice places for cake and the scenery is pretty.

From Barrowford to Burnley its pretty grim to be honest, until you get to Thompson park in burnley which is OK again.

If you want a decent ride then consider parking at Malham and then cycling down the 68 to the canal and then on to Burnley. its all pretty flat and about 30 miles each way I think.

However, I’m pretty sure there are some spa’s/nice hotels on the canal that don’t involve going near Burnley.

Don’t forget Rowan Sorrell’s Hustwood trail, very short but great fun.

I spotted two on trail forks above padiham- thunder and magic bean which looked tiny, is it those? Or there’s a few above Hurst green but they look like they may be a bit beyond ride from the door distance.

let us know how you get on. me and the good lady get plenty of weekend off on the bike

Certainly will, if its going to involve a posh dinner it might have to wait a little longer mind, we’re at Adam’s in Birmingham at the end of the month and my wallet still hasn’t fully recovered from the raby hunt.

I know, once you’ve experienced Keighley, nothing else measures up.

Except maybe a pine box

It’s all flat so easy enough but the bits that are full of roots and pot holes become tiresome after a while.

Leeds to Burnley is all uphill??, 3 rise Locks followed immediately by 5 rise locks in Bingley being to worst bit, but also at least 3 climbs before (fishermans locks Bingley, bridge beyond fishermans, locks at shipley, possibly one more near to Leeds. Locks at Bank Newton nr Gargrave, all are up hill. I can’t think of any downhills between Leeds and Barnoldswick.

I think the worst of the roots and potholes have been sorted over last 2 years (Leeds to Skipton)

the section from leeds to riddlesden is spot on. good surface to riidlesden.

They’ve now extended it to Silsden, so includes surfacing the really bad section just after Riddlesden and before Silsden. I haven’t ridden it yet it was closed last summer.

I think the bits either side of skipton are crap surface for some reason.

Keeps the tourists in skipton.

They’ve surfaced Skipton to Bradley (the worst potholes around Skipton) 2 years ago. So now surfaces from Skipton to the WWII Polish air crew memorial.

So Leeds to Skipton is probably more than 80% surfaced now. only unsurfaced I can think of is a couple 100 yrds in Shipley and Silsden – Kildwick – WWII Polish aircrew Memorial

Skipton to Gargrave is a bit of a drag on the grass.

I’ve never been into the Badlands beyond Barnoldswick so can’t comment.

Hustwood is south east of the town centre, just next to Hustwood reservoir.

Great ride over to Hebden from there too, steep mind.

You ride around most of Burnley without touching a road and it’s all safe. Just link up the green bits.

From the canal you can get to Hustwood via Thomson park and Rooley Lake, all traffic free.

Drop us a line and we’ll put the kettle on. 🙂

Drop us a line and we’ll put the kettle on. 🙂

careful what you wish for 😉

Hustwood is south east of the town centre, just next to Hustwood reservoir.

Got it ta. Hmmm recce ride might be in order.

Even Skipton to Gargrave isn’t too bad if it’s had a couple of days to dry out, or is frozen. And it’s only four miles or so.

B.A.Nana – There’s actually quite a few locks between Leeds and Shipley, maybe fifteen or so. There’s a section of poor surface just on the Leeds side of Shipley, maybe 400m or so.

another idea would be the canal from Leeds, via methley, Stanley ferry, wakefield, Dewsbury, and up to todmorden then long causeway.

I rode back from Manchester on the Rochdale/calder canal last year. was pretty nice. 70 miles to methley I think. then 8 or so to leeds.

Hustwood is south east of the town centre, just next to Hustwood reservoir.

Hurstwood.

Unno ow hat appened. 🙂

Why does music always start up when I look at this thread?

I’ve ridden all that route at different times, I’d be tempted to start at East Marton (Cross Key Pub)(Abbotts Harbour Café used to be good) – Barlick Town Square is full of eateries – Foulridge to Barrowford is my former riding area – on to burnley get more industrial and less pretty.

Ake sure you know how to get from end to end of the mile tunnel as its not necessarily obvious

A decent ride over all, kind of want to do it myself now