Emley Boundary Way
A fourteen mile walk around Emley and its surrounding countryside.
Boundary walks or Beating the Bounds, were part of English village life from Saxon times, to pass information about the parish boundaries from one generation to the next. They died out long ago in most parishes, but Emley's was revived in 1863. They have usually been held every seven years since then.
The actual Boundary Walk uses PRIVATE land for much of its course and is only used once every seven years with the kind permission of the Landowners. It must NOT therefore, be used at any other time. THE BOUNDARY WAY, described in this leaflet, therefore, uses the nearest PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY to the boundary on footpaths, lanes and by necessity, in places, the roads.
Traditionally, the walkers meet at Emley Cross car park, walk down to Flockton Mill and follow the boundary. For anyone wishing to start elsewhere, suitable points with refreshments available, would be the Woodman Inn at Park Mill, Clayton West; Thorncliff Working Men's Club at Kirkburton and the Dartmouth Arms at Flockton Moor. For others starting in Emley, the Green Dragon, White Horse Inn and Upper Lane Fisheries have food available. Car parking is available at Emley Cross (behind the Post Office), opposite the White Horse Inn, and in the lower car park at the Green Dragon. Car parking is also available at the Dartmouth Arms and at Thorncliff WMC. Emley is served by the Huddersfield to Wakefield bus service and there are frequent services to both Clayton West and Skelmanthorpe from Wakefield, Huddersfield, Holmfirth and Barnsley.
There are interesting historical features on the walk and these are in the text, marked with an asterisk.
Long before coal mining began, Emley had an iron mining and smelting industry from about 1200 AD. Operations were controlled by the monks of Byland Abbey. They had iron ore Bell Pits which can still be seen at the top of Bank Wood, in High Trees, and at Bentley Springs. They used charcoal burnt from the trees in Bank Wood to smelt the ore, before the advent of coke. There was an iron furnace in Bank Wood from whence Furnace Grange gets its name. The name Grange indicates the monastic links, hence the names ending in grange at Kirkby, Furnace, Bentley and Thomcliffe. The old Wakefield pack horse way came from Emley down Thorncliffe Lane and Lezzes Lane across to a ford in Bank Wood and on to Midgley and Horbury. Pack horses then took the iron ingots away down to the Calder for shipment. The Lezzes is the Emley name which comes from Lazars, who were lepers in the middle ages.
They lived in crofts, downs Lezzes Lane. On the church wall by the War Memorial, is one of the stone crosses of the Knights Hospitallers, or Order of St. John. These men looked after sick people in the village.
Coal mining was the main industry from about 1750 all round Emley Parish. Within the Parish were pits until the closures in the eighties at Emley Moor, Springwood and at Park Mill, Clayton West, as well as many day holes. There were also Coal Screens, Coke Ovens and Railway Sidings for Emley Moor pit at Park Gate, Skelmanthorpe. The mediaeval gems are of course St. Michael's Church, Emley and the Packhorse Bridge at Park Mill, Clayton West. Then there is the C.16th Kirkby Grange on the way to Flockton Mill.
The Walk
Please respect the land over which you walk, by following the country code, particularly closing gates, walking in single file over fields, avoiding litter and keeping dogs under control. The walk will need strong footwear and is not suitable for prams.
From Emley Cross car park, walk down Church Street, passing the fine mediaeval St.Michael’s Parish Church * and the Knight Hospitallers' Cross* in the church wall, towards Flockton, pass the C.16th. Kirkby Grange*, taking care of the traffic, especially on the bends in Clough Road. At the bend at Flockton Mill (where Clough Road changes it's name to Pinfold Lane) turn right on to Mill Lane for 100 yds, turning off right over the bridge and go round to the left of Mill House, along the beck and over the stile. Keep along the bank for 100 yds, go forward to the biggest tree in the group of trees in front of you and over the stile. (Do not follow beck) Cross two more stiles and fields to the concrete lane, just below *Furnace Grange* Cross over the lane and over the stile opposite and cut across field to the marker post and stile in the hedge. Cross into next field and with hedge on left, go 100 yds to two trees in the hedge and then cut diagonally right to Clough Beck stone clapper bridge, with it's stone stile. Turn left, uphill and follow the hedge on your left, up over the stile and across big field into Lezzes Lane *(marked as leisure Lane on the O.S. map) (Pause to look at Bank Wood *over on your left and forward to High Trees with it’s two remaining Bell Pits)*
Go straight on over the stile in front of you and go across the fields, with hedge on your left, for 400 yds, to double right angled stile. Turn left here, leaving the Kirklees Way, and go down the middle of the long field to the bottom at Bank Wood, and over the stile to Cherry Tree stepping stones. Do not cross over, but turn right, and with the beck on your left, go a few yards across the wooden plank over the Little Dike, up and over the stile. Bear half right across field between the two trees, to the top hedge, where a field lane starts. With hedge on right, walk along to Bentley Grange Farm*, with hen house on left and farm buildings on the right, through steel gate and into farm lane, leading out into the road at Woodhouse Lane. Careful!! Turn left down road to junction with main A636 Wakefield Road.
At the junction, turn right and using pavement go up main road for 600 yds past Springwood * enduring the noise and stench of traffic, finally crossing over and down the road signed to High Hoyland (Litherop Lane) 300 yds down the lane, at Footpath Sign, turn right over stile, down into field and with the River Dearne on the left, head for the trees at the top left hand corner of the field. Cross the stile and go 50 yds to the next stile behind the tree in front of you. Climb left over stile, then turn right and go across the middle of the field to the stile on the lane. Climb the stile and turn left, going along lane over the Dearne bridge. A few yards on, opposite gate of water treatment works, turn right along a concrete lane, with a hedge on left to the steel gate. Cross over it and with hedge still on left, across field into lane and follow it on past the factory on your right. At car park in front of factory, go over stile on right and follow pavement past factory to bottom of car park. Turn left and go to Wakefield Road, passing the Old Pack Horse Bridge*
Carefully cross Wakefield Road and go left past Colliers' Way (on the site of the old Park Mill Colliery) up towards the stone terrace houses at Park Mill and along the back lane, turning right behind the Junction Inn into Langley Lane. Follow the lane to just before the bridge, then turn left over the stone stile with the Dearne now on your right and follow the path alongside it. The path then crosses a wooden bridge over the Dearne and now you will have the Blacker Wood Beck on your right. The railway embankment is now a field length away on your left. Keep on this lane in the valley bottom, with the railway banking on your left and the beck on your right for over half a mile past other paths and into open fields. Continue along. Do not go up the track under the railway! Eventually you will come to Blacker Wood, "permissive path" which takes you over a wooden bridge and stile into the wood. The path is twisting but wide. Go through the wood until you see the end and fork right at the wooden marker post. As you reach the end of the wood, turn right, down the wall side and down the steps. Go over the wooden bridge and follow the path round left to the wooden stile. Climb over into the field and go straight up to the lane. Turn left into lane and go along to Park Gate.
At the road, turn left down hill 50 yds, crossing over road just before the bridge and right into lane. With beck on your left. follow it past the newly restored Park Gate houses and on for half a mile or so to Baildon Place. As you pass along, it is hard to imagine that this was the site of a busy coal screens, railway sidings and coke ovens for Emley Moor Pit.* You will come to a "T" junction, where you turn right, passing the cottages at Baildon Place. Follow the lane round to the old steel gate on your left with PATH marked on gatepost, which takes you up the field hedge (on right) up the fields over two stiles. At the second stile turn diagonally left across the field to Lightcliffe Wood. Follow the wood's curving wall round to the beck, cross over stile into field, turn right and follow side of beck up to a big ash tree with a yellow marker on it. Head up the field past two more big ash trees and over the double stile in the hedge. Follow the wire fence up the field until it turns left. Here you must head straight to top of the field, where there is a stone stile in the wall. Climb the stile into the top field and head along field wire fence to stile into house drive. Go straight forward about 15 yds along the gravel drive, and over the stile into the road. Carefully cross the road at Bell House and go up the road a few yards to the lane on left. This is Roydhouse.
Follow the lane up past houses and as the lane goes down to give a good view of Kirkburton, turn off right into field by the second gate. Go diagonally down field, over the stile in bottom corner, over three more stiles and into Jagger Lane, Thorncliffe. Cross the road, turning uphill and go up it for 50 yds, turn left and head up track to Thorncliff, passing through a steel gate and then the Working Men's Club on right. Continue straight on lane just past white house with farm yard on left into sometimes muddy lane, passing a green silo and 300yds into field between the two ash trees. Turn right and go up to top of field with the hedge on your right, then turn left along wall and down to cross Beldon Brook. Mud! Go straight across and up field with wire fence and stone wall on left, up hill to Moor Top Farm. Carefully, turn left along a lane with two gates and wind your way past the farm buildings. The right of way goes into field in front of the farmhouse and runs parallel to the farm lane about 3 yards in the field to Moor Top Lane. The farm lane might be easier! Turn left into Paul Lane and cross over to face the on-coming traffic. Go forward along the road for about 250 yards just past the post box and double garage opposite the end of Linfit Lane where you will find a stile. Climb over it and go across the field and over two stiles up to Cockermouth Lane (Pause to look at the view, or refresh yourself at the Dartmouth Arms, which is below you at the end of the lane)
Turn right along lane for 50 yards to gate on left which leads into a field. Bear half right and head for gate in hedge. Follow the wire fence on your right down field over two stiles and gate continuing with wall on your left towards Crow Nest Cottages. (There are fine views of the Dearne and Calder valleys from here). The path eventually becomes a lane above Crow Nest Cottages. Continue down path that turns right at cottages and go down over stream to Six Lane Ends (This was in fact the old mediaeval road from Emley to Elland and Halifax)
At Six Lane Ends, cross over diagonally left, to find Common Lane, an earthen track which goes gently on to Flockton. Follow this lane half a mile, passing Doctor Lane End alongside Flockton Beck to the last house on right at Common End. Twenty yards past the last house, turn right and go between garden hedge and wall over the stile straight up the field, with hedge on left, down over Mouse House Beck. Cross beck and go up steep path between little oak trees to stile at the top. Cross flat field before you, and over a stile to the old stone wall 75 yards below Kirkby Grange*
Carefully turn right up Clough Road and go up it for 50 yards then turn right on to Kirkby Lane. Keep houses on left and field on right to follow the lane round a "Z" bend and on upwards for half a mile until you see farm buildings of Upper Crawshaw in front of you on left. As you round the corner, there is a ditch on the left. go past first field gate on the left and turn left over stile at second gate into field. Follow wall on your right side down until it bends to the right. Follow it round and over the stone stile into next field. Turn left and follow field headland edge right down to bottom corner where it swing right and on where it opens out left to face Emley Church. Go straight down across the field and over stile down to beck. Cross over a wooden bridge and head up field to middle of wall by a hawthorn bush and into the graveyard. Just before the steps at the top of the graveyard, turn right into the lane. Turn left and follow the lane to Green Dragon, turning right into Church Street and back up to Emley Cross.
Map
