Harden Moor And More

On this moderate 8-mile walk, you will see some beautiful scenery and a bit of (pre)history. Starting with a steady climb up Altar Lane you will then stop at Druid’s Altar to admire the views of the Aire Valley. Then, make your way towards Harden Moor to find a prehistoric stone circle before walking through the lovely hamlet of Ryecroft. From there, you’ll go down into the Harden Valley and find remnants of what was once called the “Happy Valley" before going back towards Bingley via Bank Top, Black Hills and Beckfoot.

1. Essential info about the walk

2. WaW supporters along the walk

3. Map, elevation profile and downloadable files

4. Walk directions

5. More information about Harden Moor and the Harden Valley

Start: Bingley Arts Centre

Bingley Railway Station is only a step away from the start of this walk making it a car-free train walk! We encourage walkers to use public transport, rather than cars, as much as possible.

Difficulty: Moderate – approx 4 hours – 8.5 Miles

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

Refreshments: 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.

The Malt

A classic rural pub near Harden Beck Bridge serving homemade traditional food and great ales. Perfect for a break on this walk!

Market Square Tavern

This pub is a brand new addition to Bingley town centre. It has replaced the Ferrands Arms but has kept most of its old character and still serve great beers!

Bingley Arts Centre

Main Street
Bingley
West Yorkshire
BD16 2LZ

Grid Reference SE 106 390

Unfortunately, we can’t provide the route on an Ordnance Survey Map. Although we have provided digital versions of the track below, we still recommend that you acquire an O.S. Map for backup.

Find out more about these downloadable files and how to use them

Last edited: February 2023

1. Bingley Arts Centre to Altar Lane.

Starting in the town centre outside Bingley Arts Centre, to its right is the old covered market and buttercross. Pass this beautiful feature towards a car park and in the bend of Queen Street is the entrance to the Riverside Walk. Go down the stairs and at the bottom on the floor you should see a stone plaque with text: “The Throstles Nest of Old England Bingley". Turn left and follow the path running along the River Aire all the way to Myrtle Park. Once there, go towards a green tubular iron bridge known as the Festival of Britain Bridge. Cross it and turn right immediately after the bridge, walking in the meadow on the other side of the river. This will take you into some wooded area, the path will run along a private lake before arriving on Harden Road. Cross the road carefully and enter on Altar Lane which is directly opposite.

2. Altar Lane to Druid's Altar

In terms of direction, this is rather easy: keep going until you reach a fork of different paths. However, we won't lie to you going up Altar Lane can be exhausting. Over a relatively short distance (1km) you will go from an altitude of 100m to 230m.

Once you've reached the fork, we recommend that you do a small detour to go and see Druid's Altar. So take right into the heather where you should find a track which will lead you towards some big rock boulders in the distance. Once there, climb up the rocks – be careful not falling, stay away from the edge – and you will have some fantastic views over the Aire Valley, stretching from Ilkley Moor to Baildon Moor. Once, you've seen enough retrace your steps to the fork of path. You want to carry on up Altar Lane with a stone wall on your left. At the end of Altar Lane, you will arrive at a crossroad with Keighley Road / Harden Road.

3. Keighley Road to Harden Moor

Cross the road with care as there is a bit of a blind spot and cars might not see you there. Go straight on the track towards a horse riding centre. There is a gate across the track, please make sure you have closed it behind you. At the end of the track, you will arrive at a fork, take the right hand side path. Do not go through the gate on your left. The path should start curving left and you will have great views over the Worth Valley and Keighley in the background.

You will then arrive at a fork, keep walking on Beck Shaw Lane which is the better track going slightly to the left – do not enter Harden Moor through the kissing gate at this point. Pass the farm entrance on your left and then when the track bends 90 degrees to the left, take a right turn through the wooded area. There is a path, a gate and then you walk up the hill to arrive on Harden Moor. There is a great view to have over St Ives Estate and beyond if you climb the rock on top of the hill.

4. Harden Moor to Ryecroft

There are many paths on Harden Moor and it's easy to get lost. From the rocks, take a turn towards the South. You should see some electricity pylons in the distance. Keep walking towards the one closest to the edge of the moor. Before you reach the pylons, you should come across the Harden Moor Stone Circle. This Neolithic landmark is actually a small ring cairn. Please leave only footprints and take only pictures! When you leave the place, carry on towards the electricity pylons – the path will go under the lines – towards the dry stone wall at the edge of the moor. Once there, take a right turn and follow the wall which should now be on your left hand side.

After you reach the end of the dry stone wall, the path will start going down and it will veer left slightly. Keep going left and go through a small wooded area which will lead you towards the back of a property's garden. The path follows the fence of the property to finally arrive on a track leading into the hamlet of Ryecroft. This beautiful settlement has some magnificent views over the Harden Valley. At the end of the track, you will arrive on Ryecroft Road. Cross the road and find an opening in the wall with a footpath sign leading into a field.

5. Ryecroft to Harden

Once in the field, make your way down the track with a dry stone wall on your right hand side towards a farm in the distance. Despite walking above the B6429 road, the views are still really nice. Once you arrive at the end of the field, you will have to go through a first gate. Soon after you pass the farm, you will have to go through a second gate. After a short while, take a path turning left. Go all the way down the path until you see a farm on your right and soon you will reach the B6429 road. Take a right turn and walk down towards Cullingworth until you reach “Hunters Green".

Across the B6429 road, you should see a footpath sign. Cross the road carefully and take that path. It will run just above the Cow House Beck, a tributary to Harden Beck. This area is really pleasant and is a mix of open meadows and wooded area. A small heaven for wildlife too. However, this is private land so make sure that all the gates are closed behind you. When you reach a junction of path, take left through a gate and you will now walk in an open field. From there, you should see a static caravan park, and in the distance a strange tower near some electricity pylon, go towards it.

The tower is actually the remnant of a chimney belonging to the former Goit Stock Mill (this is located as “Chy" on Ordnance Survey map).  Past the chimney, you will see a gate leading into Leech Lane. You'll see the old mill workers' cottages lines up on the left. In Summer, a magnificent purple vine ornate their front. Carry on the lane and just before the bend, look for a path turning right. It goes down in a small wooded area towards a small stream which you will cross at some point. After the stream and the wooded area you will enter a field with a dry stone wall on your left. Follow the path along the wall towards a farm in the distance. One at the farm, take the track going left. After a short while, you will notice the roofs of for former imposing Harden Hall on your right. Carry on the track up until you reach Wilsden Road in Harden.

6. Harden to Black Hills

Turn right here and walk on the pavement towards Harden Beck – walk on the bridge carefully as there isn't any pavement anymore.

Note: On the other side of the bridge is The Malt pub, a great traditional public house serving home made food – perfect if you need a break on this walk!

Once you are ready to go, instead of walking on busy Harden Lane, we strongly invite you to take Mill Hill Top up to Stephen H. Smith's Garden & Leisure Centre.

Note: this is another great place if you need a break and we totally recommend the café, Hattie's Restaurant.

Cross Harden Lane in front of the Garden Centre main parking entrance to continue your walk, where you'll come across a recently repaired kissing gate on the opposite wall. The path was temporarily closed due to flooding but has now been improved. Walk down the path, cross Mytholme Beck over a wooden bridge, and go through the gate. Then take a left turn onto a steep path. Choose between staying on the main path with a building overhead or following a wall on your left-hand side on a very steep path. Once you reach the top of the path, you'll arrive at the entrance of a working quarry and find yourself on Lee Lane, a tarmacked road. Continue past Banktop Farm until you see a footpath sign pointing left into a field. This is the Millennium Way, which takes you towards Black Hills.

7.Black Hills to Bingley Town Centre

As you cross the fields, take in the distant view of Norr Hill to your right, and then enter the Black Hills woods until you reach a crossroads. Turn left and head down a steep and rough path that takes you outside the plantation. You'll be treated to gorgeous views of the Harden Valley and the St Ives Estate across from you. Continue along the path, bearing right as you cross the field, then step over a stile and into the Shipley Golf Course. Follow the white rocks as you make your way towards Beckfoot Lane, cross Harden Beck via a footbridge, and then turn right towards the old pack horse bridge.

After reaching the Beckfoot Pack Horse Bridge, take a moment to enjoy this landmark, which is one of the most charming parts of Bingley. Cross the beck, then pass a small settlement of houses and follow the tarmac road along the allotments on your left. Soon, you'll turn left onto a footpath, keeping the allotments on your left. This path leads to Myrtle Park and crosses the River Aire on a large steel bridge. Walk through the park towards the playground and cenotaph, then exit the park and see Bingley Swimming Pool on your left and the Lidl supermarket on your right. From there, you can easily return to the town centre and find Bingley Arts Centre.

Note: we recommend that you stop at Market Square Tavern on the Town Market Square for refreshments before leaving Bingley.

Harden Moor Stone Circle is actually a small ring cairn, which is a type of prehistoric monument that consists of a circular arrangement of stones or rocks. Ring cairns were commonly built during the Bronze Age and were used for a variety of purposes, including burials, rituals, and ceremonies. The stones at Harden Moor are thought to have been placed there for spiritual or religious purposes, although the exact function of the site is still not fully understood. Like many other ring cairns, the stones at Harden Moor have suffered from weathering and erosion over time, and some of them have fallen or been removed. Nevertheless, the site is still of great historical and archaeological significance and is considered an important example of a small ring cairn in the region.

The tower is in fact the remnant of the former Goit Stock Cotton Mill. This is a reminder that the Harden Valley was once a thriving industrial area. Mills were built along the becks to take advantage of the fast flowing stream to power the spinning and weaving machines. By the beginning of the 19th century, there were at least three textile mills processing silk, cotton and worsteds along the valley. Many worker's cottages had also been built to house them. However, competition from Bradford and Leeds meant that cotton spinning wasn't profitable anymore in the area and by the end of the 19th century all the mills were closed. Instead, the area became well known for its beauty spots and workers from the surrounding big cities flocked in at the weekend, helped by easily accessible train and tramway systems. With that in mind the 20th century saw a rebirth for the area when “The Happy Valley Pleasure Resort" was opened in 1920 in the grounds of the old mill site. The main attraction was a dance hall and large restaurant/cafe. The grounds offered various other forms of entertainment, including a boating lake, bowling green, miniature golf course, aviary, monkey house, and bandstand for concerts. Saturdays and holidays saw costume concert parties, and other seasonal events included a May Carnival, July Music Festival, August Athletic Meeting, and a September Grand Firework Display. In 1927, a fire destroyed the resort, which was never able to fully recover. Despite refurbishment efforts, it eventually faded away.

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