Between Two Waters: a walk to the Seven Arches Aqueduct

It’s safe to say that Bingley is not Venice, but with the River Aire running alongside the Leeds & Liverpool Canal for much of this route, you will rarely be far from water. The highlight of the walk is the Seven Arches Aqueduct at Dowley Gap, where the canal is carried 30 feet above the River Aire on a structure engineered by James Brindley. Stand beneath it and you will really feel like you are between two waters.

But the aqueducts don’t stop there: crossing the river at Cottingley, you will also encounter what looks remarkably like a castle bridge. This is in fact the Yorkshire Water Nidd Aqueduct, carrying fresh water from Nidderdale all the way to Bradford, hiding in plain sight above the river. The walk threads together these waterway wonders through Hirst Woods and along a stretch of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal towpath that was fully resurfaced in 2024, making for an easy, rewarding route out of Bingley town centre.

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There are public toilets on this walk and are located on Myrtle Place (by the market square) in Bingley.

There are many shops, cafés, restaurants and pubs in town but below are specifics businesses which we recommend if you go on this walk. Feel free to visit their site and contact them.

These local businesses proudly support Bingley Walkers are Welcome. Look for the WaW logo in their window – walkers are always welcome inside.

An old venue which is a great place to have a drink at the end of your walk.

A lovely café serving coffee & cakes, and brekkies n butties that’ll fill your face!

Located by the canal, this is the perfect place for a drink or food on this walk.

Last edited: 8th May 2026

Leaving the station on Wellington Street, turn right towards The Station Masters House. Cross the road and turn right on Park Road, pass Sue Ryder charity shop and then go over the bridge. On the other side, just before the first building on the left, go down towards the Leeds & Liverpool Canal towpath. Follow the canal with Damart Mill on your right hand side up to the Three Rise Locks. Once there, cross over the locks to find yourself on the other side of the canal.

Optional: Here you can carry on along the canal to go and see the Five Rise Locks (see Five Rise Locks Family Walk for more info)

Take the pedestrian bridge to cross the bypass named after Bingley-born astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle – you will see Bingley Parish Church on your right. At the traffic lights in front of Bingley Fire Station, cross the street towards The Old White Horse, said to be one of the oldest public houses in England. This is the oldest part of Bingley and still bears some cobbled streets.

Go towards Ireland Bridge and stay on the left-hand side, pass the Curio Cottage Antic Shop and soon after take a path on your left before the bridge. Soon you will find yourself walking along the river. The path is called Riverside Walk and it will take you to Myrtle Park. On the way, you should see a plaque stone in the middle of the footpath with the inscription “The Throstles Nest of Old England, Bingley".

At the end of the footpath, a large open space will come into view. This used to be the site of the Bingley Music Live festival from 2007 to 2018. In the distance, you should also see a house high above the river bank – this is where you are heading. Walk across the field towards the pedestrian green bridge over the River Aire, known as the Festival of Britain Bridge. Once on the other side, walk towards the woods and go up some steps. At the crosspath, keep left along the path above the river bank up to the house. Walk in front of the house overlooking the river and the park – please be considerate of the house owners when walking through the grounds and keep to the path.

Going down the river bank, soon you will arrive at Beckfoot Packhorse Bridge. The houses on the other side are some of the oldest still standing in the area, dating back to the 17th century. The settlement is said to have links to the Knights Templar, with markings on one of the derelict buildings thought to support that connection. After the settlement, you will find yourself on a tarmac road – Beckfoot Lane – and you should pass along a golf course (Shipley Golf Club). Carry on all the way up to the busy Bradford Road.

At the end of Beckfoot Lane, on your left is Cottingley Bridge going over the River Aire. However, you need to cross Bradford Road to find an opening in the wall on the other side. Be careful while crossing the road, there is no pedestrian crossing there!

Note: Stop for a coffee and a bite at the Willow Bridge Cafe!

Behind the opening in the wall is a steep flight of stairs taking you down into a private garden which has been fenced up on both sides. However the path is a right of way, so you are allowed to cross this private garden. Again be considerate of the garden owners and stick to the footpath. You are finally walking back along the river. Soon you will encounter a strange looking “castle bridge" going over the river. This is part of the Yorkshire Water Nidd Aqueduct, a 32-mile man-made watercourse running from Angram and Scar House reservoirs in upper Nidderdale, North Yorkshire, all the way to Chellow Heights water treatment works in Bradford. Built in the late 19th century, it travels mostly underground – making this dramatic river crossing at Bingley one of the very few places where you can actually see it. It is well worth stopping to take in the scale of the structure before continuing along the river path. Soon after, you will see the Bradford and Bingley “Bees" RUFC training ground.

You will skirt the training ground remaining on the path with the river on your left. Notice the Bradford and Bingley Canoe Club’s grade 2 rapid and numerous training gates on River Aire too. After the rubgy training ground, the path follows a new boardwalk installed along the River Aire following flood damage in 2020 – a significant improvement on what was there before. Soon after, you will cross a wooden bridge over Cottingley Beck and then pass under the modern concrete Bingley Relief Road flyover. Continue forward to join a path between high walls just behind the Mercure Bradford Bankfield Hotel. At the end of the walls, carry on following the path with the river on your left, passing under the railway’s Victorian steel pylons just before Hirst Woods. This stretch along the River Aire is one of the quieter and more secluded parts of the walk, offering a contrast to the open canal towpath you will return to shortly.

After that bridge, go left along the river and then follow a footpath through the woods. At the end of the path, you should be on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. Go left and you are now on the Seven Arches Aqueduct – also known as the Dowley Gap Aqueduct – carrying the canal 30 feet above the River Aire. Take a moment to look down at the River Aire below and up at the pitched stone lining beneath each arch, placed there to protect the structure if the river floods. It is also a well-known roosting spot for bats in the summer months. After the aqueduct is a small settlement which used to be warehouse buildings for the canal. The path goes around the settlement and passes the Bingley water treatment works to re-join the Leeds & Liverpool Canal towpath just before Dowley Gap. Stay on the towpath, take in the locks at Dowley Gap, and from there it is all the way back to Bingley along the canal.

Note: You might want to stop at The Fisherman’s Pub, located just after Dowley Gap Locks, for a pint or other refreshments.

To go back to the railway station, you don’t have to walk all the way back to Three Rise Locks. There is a pedestrian bridge above the canal and the bypass which will take you just behind the Aldi store. From there, the station is only a few minutes away.

Have you done this walk yourself? Don’t hesitate to give us some feedback by leaving a comment below!