If you are looking for a car free and train walk destination in West Yorkshire, Bingley is definitely one of the best places you can find! Located on the Metro Airedale Line between Leeds/Bradford and Skipton, the town is very accessible from the major Northern cities. Even London is only a step away! And with its sister railway station Crossflatts you are spoiled for choice. Both stations have also recently been adopted by a local community group called Action Stations. We have listed some walks which start from the train stations and if you don’t want to do it yourself, why not join one of the guided walks regularly organised on the line?

Panoramic view of Bingley Train station from top of steps on Park Road

View of Bingley Train Station from top of the steps

Train stations locations

Bingley railway station

Wellington Street
Bingley
BD16 2NA

Grid Reference: SE 108 391

Crossflatts railway station

Keighley Road
Crossflatts
Bingley
West Yorkshire
BD16 2RZ

Grid Reference: SE 103 402

Click on the map to see their location!

Journey times to and from Bingley

Both Bingley and Crossflatts railway stations are located in Zone 3 of the West Yorkshire Metro Rail network within easy and direct reach of Leeds or Bradford. To see a map of the train network, go to the Metro website

Local journey times by rail (approximate)

Trains to BingleyTravelling timeChange
Leeds18 minutesNo change
Bradford15 minutesNo change
Skipton20 minutesNo change
Shipley6 minutesNo change
Saltaire4 minutesNo change
Keighley6 minutesNo change
Ilkley45 minutes1 change
Baildon20 minutes1 change
Burley-in-Wharfedale35 minutes1 change

Bingley is also a stop on the Leeds-Settle-Carlisle Line and Bentham Line (Leeds to Morecambe/Heysham Port) therefore connecting the town to the Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District and the West Coast.

Intercity off peak journey times by rail (approximate):

Trains to BingleyTravelling TimeChange
London2 hours 40 minutes1 change
Manchester1 hour 20 minutes1 change
Carlisle2 hours 20 minutesNo change
Settle50 minutesNo change
Lancaster1 hour 30 minutesNo change
Morecambe2 hoursNo change
York1 hour1 change
Sheffield1 hour 30 minutes1 change
Airedale Train Line

Bingley and Crossflatts are on the Airedale Line

West Yorkshire Metro Rail Network Map

Click here to download the Map of the West Yorkshire Metro Rail Network (PDF)

Leeds to Carlisle & Leeds to Morecambe Railway Line

Bingley is a stop on the Leeds to Carlisle & Leeds to Morecambe Railway Line

List of train walks from Bingley & Crossflatts Railway Stations

Below is a list of car free train walks starting either from Bingley or Crossflatts railway stations.

Walk TitleDifficultyDistanceStart
Bingley & LocksTiming: approx. 1/2 hour
1.2 miles - Linear Walk
Easy
Crossflatts Railway Station
The Bingley Five Rise Locks Family WalkTiming: 1 hour
2.1 miles - Circular Walk
Easy
Bingley Railway Station
Crossflatts - Sir Fred Hoyle Walk 2Timing: approx. 1 hour and 30 mins2.9 miles - Circular Walk
Easy
Crossflatts Railway Station
Discovering Bingley – A walk around the townTiming: 1 hour 30 minutes3.6 miles - Circular Walk
Easy
Bingley Railway Station
Between Two Waters and the Seven Arches AqueductTiming: 1 hour 30 minutes4.2 miles - Circular Walk
Easy
Bingley Railway Station
A Walk Around St Ives Estate BoundariesTiming: 2 hours4.75 miles - Circular Walk
Moderate
Bingley Railway Station
A ramble in the Harden ValleyTiming: 5 hours10.4 Miles - Circular Walk
Hard
Bingley Railway Station
Ilkley Moor WalkTiming: 5 hours11.8 Miles - Circular Walk
Hard
Crossflatts Railway Station
The Stanza Stones - Bingley to IlkleyTiming: 7 to 8 hours
14.5 Miles - Linear Walk
Hard
Bingley Railway Station

Linear Walk – 1.2 Miles – 1/2 hour

From crossflatts to Bingley along the canal towpath, this family and pram friendly walk is ideal to discover the Five and Three Rise Locks of Bingley. Finish with a nice stroll into town for a deserving break!

Circular Walk – 2.1 Miles – 1 hour

This easy canal walk which features one of the ‘seven wonders of the waterways’ mainly uses the towpath. It is suitable for everyone and is also pram friendly!

Circular Walk – 2.9 Miles – 1 & 1/2 hour

This walk is all about the places where young Sir Fred Hoyle spent time observing the many wonders of engineering and manufacturing factories surrounding Bingley at the time.

Circular Walk – 3.6 Miles – 1 & 1/2 hour

This easy walk will take you all around town on a walk of discovery! It’s one of our favourites and is perfect for first time visitors or residents alike.

Circular Walk – 4.2 Miles – 1 & 1/2 hour

The River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool canal form an easy to follow route on this walk. You will also see a local architectural wonder known locally as the “Seven Arches Aqueduct".

Circular Walk – 4.75 Miles – 2 hours

St Ives estate near Bingley is a popular destination for all types of leisure activities. It’s a big wooded estate and is owned by the Bradford & City Metropolitan District. This walk will take you all around its boundaries.

Circular Walk – 10.4 Miles – 5 hours

The Harden Valley, in the heart of the Brontë Country is definitely a little gem of a ramble on a nice sunny day! You won’t be disappointed by the variety of features it has to offer: woods, waterfalls, viaduct, moors and of course the views!

Circular Walk – 11.8 Miles – 5 hours

Ilkley Moor is one of the most iconic moors in Yorkshire and there are many features on this walk that might leave you speechless. And of course, the views from the top are quite something!

Linear Walk – 14.5 Miles – 7 to 8 hours

You will visit three stones (Dew Stone, Puddle Stone and Beck Stone) as well as the Poetry Seat. Starting in Bingley with the Five Rise Locks, the gentle towpath walk becomes a climbing up to Rombalds Moor, crossing Ilkley Moor and finishing in Ilkley.

Volunteer Organisations and Guided Walks

Action Stations (Bingley & Crossflatts)

Action Stations Bingley and Crossflatts Logo

What do they do?

Action Stations is a group of volunteers who have “adopted" Bingley and Crossflatts train stations under the formal Northern Rail station adoption scheme. They aim to involve the community in projects that make everyone proud of their local stations.

Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line (FoSCL)

Friends of Settle Carlisle Line logo

What do they do?

The Friends of the Settle Carlisle Line is a rail user group and support group. Originally formed in 1981 to campaign against a proposal to close the route. A decision which was overturned in 1989 when the Government decided that the line must remain open. Since then they have acted as a user group to improve facilities and services for passengers, and as a support group for the train operating companies.

Friends of DalesRail

Friends of Dalesrail Logo

What do they do?

The Friends of DalesRail is a walking society, who specialise in organising and leading guided walks for the general public. Most of these walks use railways in the Yorkshire Pennines; this means that we can easily do linear walks.