The Welcome Way Bingley Loop

This moderate 8.5-mile loop starts at Bingley Arts Centre in West Yorkshire and heads out through Myrtle Park, crossing the Grade II listed Beckfoot packhorse bridge before following the River Aire into Hirst Wood – thought to contain the remains of a 2,000-year-old settlement – and on to Hirst Lock on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Keep an eye out for the Welcome Way’s distinctive waymarkers along the way, as well as the wildlife that lines the riverbank and towpath.

From here the route crosses into Shipley Glen, part of the Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve, on the edge of Baildon, then climbs past Loadpit Beck into Eldwick and Micklethwaite, two of the area’s oldest hamlets, reached along ancient snickets and ginnels. The path then drops back down to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal towpath, following it past the Grade I listed Five Rise Locks and over the Three Rise Locks and Sir Fred Hoyle Way, before finishing back in Bingley town centre at the historic Market Square.

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

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.

Cosy café serving all-day breakfasts, butties, homemade soups, gourmet burgers and classic comfort food!

A good old fashioned country pub, set on the edge of Baildon Moor on the beautiful Shipley Glen

This traditional pub in Eldwick is a great place to sit and have a break on your walk.

A welcoming café located right beside the famous Five Rise Locks.

Last edited: 12th September 2026

Starting in the town centre outside Bingley Arts Centre, make your way towards Myrtle Park via Myrtle Place and Myrtle Grove passing the swimming pool on your right and Lidl Supermarket on your left then enter Myrtle Park through the main gates. Pass the bowling green on your right admiring Bingley Town Hall beyond and the gardens. Take the path on the left side of Bingley War memorial towards the playground and Skateboard park. Turn left with the wall on your right and continue ahead descending the flights of steps. At the bottom of the steps look diagonally to the right and cross the field to a metal bridge known as Festival Bridge after the 1951 Festival of Britain.

Cross the bridge and at the far side veer slightly left, cross the field and ascend the steps into the wood. At the top of the first set of steps turn left and keep ahead through the woodland (do not ascend the second set of steps). Continue through the woods gradually climbing above the river on your left-hand side. Leave the wood via a gap stile and follow the path ahead passing along the rear of the house. From here you can appreciate the views across the river and park towards Bingley town centre. Carefully descend the bank, cross the field towards the angle in the fence, beware as occasionally there are cattle grazing in this field, then veer right and follow the fence towards a stone wall and using a gap stile exit the field and turn left onto another Packhorse trail. Cross the ancient Beckfoot Packhorse Bridge, noting the ford, pass the Knights Templar house on your right entering Beckfoot Lane; although this is normally a quiet road please beware of cars. Follow this lane for 0.5 mile to reach and carefully cross Bradford Road.

Within the parapet of Cottingley Bridge there is a narrow opening (marked footpath). Descend the steep steps, and follow the footpath along the right-hand bank of the River Aire. Take care, after heavy rainfall this footpath can be slippery and muddy. During this part of the walk you will pass an unusual stone-built bridge carrying water supply pipes across the river taking fresh water from high in the Dales for treatment and use in Bradford. The path follows the River Aire through the Bradford & Bingley Rugby Club fields. Continue with the river on your left to reach a wooden bridge over Cottingley Beck and then under the 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, river on the left, to reach and pass under a three-arch railway bridge. You are now in Hirst Wood which is thought to be ancient woodland containing a 2000-year-old settlement. On entering the wood and beyond the railway bridge turn right up the hill and follow the footpath for 750 yards exiting through a car park onto Hirst Lane. Turn left, you should now see Hirst Lock on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

Cross the Leeds and Liverpool Canal swing bridge and towpath, keeping the derelict nursery on your right. Turn left at the back of the nursery and cross the River Aire once again using the footbridge on the left. After crossing the bridge, go straight on and pass between the houses, crossing Glenwood Avenue to reach Higher Coach Road. At this point there is a bus service available. Almost directly opposite can be found a footpath signed ‘Public Bridleway and Dales Way Link Footpath’. Please read the information board before proceeding along the path. Follow this path through Trench Wood keeping to the right to arrive at the rear of the Old Glen House pub where you may enjoy refreshment in this hostelry.

From the Old Glen House, take the footpath onto Shipley Glen, heading northwards alongside Glen Road for about half a mile, with Baildon Moor rising away to your right. Along the way you’ll pass Bracken Hall Countryside Centre, a volunteer-run visitor centre with a small exhibition on the natural history of Shipley Glen and Baildon Moor. When the path reaches a fork, don’t continue straight ahead – bear left and follow the path down alongside Loadpit Beck to a stone bridge over the beck.

Note: From Braken Hall Countryside Centre, you can also carry on the Welcome Way walk finishing in Baildon where there is a public transport link.

This bridge marks the boundary between Bingley and Baildon. Cross the bridge and walk up Lode Pit Lane which becomes Saltaire Road. When you reach Otley Road in Eldwick, turn right at the junction and very carefully cross the road. Down the road and turn left onto The Green and pass The Acorn Public House on your right. The Green is a quiet tarmacked narrow lane with Eldwick Beck on your right. After 300 yards where the lane bears right, turn left up a bridleway track. This lane is known as Tewitt Lane, an ancient packhorse trail. After passing Tewitt House, carry on the lane all the way to a junction with Heights Lane. Cross the road onto a signed footpath through a copse to a metal gate in the wall opening into a field. At this point, due to the contour of the land the path through the field is a little unclear, therefore head towards the clock tower and a stone stile at the bottom of the field. Cross this stile and another keeping the stone wall on your left. Before the field-gate, take the marked stile on your left and follow the path between the houses to emerge into Nicholson Close. Continue downwards through Lady Park Avenue and College Road to meet Lady Lane.

At Lady Lane turn right and carefully cross over onto the far footpath. After 150 yards veer left down the steep Greenhill Lane following the narrow pavement on the left side. Please be aware this is a very busy road and be vigilant of the traffic. Immediately before the sharp left-hand bend take the narrow footpath on the right-hand side of the road. Follow this path through the trees, go ahead at the gate and follow the path above the Fairlady Farm buildings, after passing through another gate continue across the field to reach The Green in Micklethwaite.

Turn left and follow the steep road around the sharp hairpin bend. Immediately before the Methodist Free Church, now converted into living accommodation, turn right into Beck Road and at the footpath sign at the back of the converted church turn left and immediately right through a farm gate. Follow the path with the wall on your left-hand side, pass through a farm gate and follow the roughly paved path down to a stile. Through the stile and after 30 yards go through the narrow-gated gap stile on the left. Continue down the field with Morton Beck on your right to a gate. Go through the metal gate and walk above the stream bank until you reach a wooden foot-bridge. Cross the bridge and take the path away from the stream. On reaching a path junction turn left leading to a gap in the wall onto Morton Lane. Beware of traffic as there is no pavement, turn left, cross the canal swing bridge and turn left onto the Leeds and Liverpool Canal towpath.

Follow the towpath for 1.3 miles passing the famous Five Rise Locks. Then on reaching the Three Rise Locks complex turn right over the footbridge to cross the Bingley Relief Road, named the Sir Fred Hoyle Way after the famous local astronomer, and railway to reach Main Street by the Fire Station.

Carefully cross the road and take the narrow pavement on Harden Road towards the river bridge. After approximately 30 yards turn left onto the signed footpath. Follow this path downstream with the River Aire on the right, look out for Ailsa’s Well and the ‘fish’ in the railings. When you see the stone “The Throstle’s Nest of Old England Bingley” in the footpath take the steps to the left and ascend into Bingley’s Market Square where you should see the historical Bingley Market Hall and Butter Cross.

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