Art and Craft - Patchwork/Quilting Group
2026-02-05 09:30 - 11:30, 2026-02-26 09:30 - 11:30 UTC

Main meeting - AGM and talk from Martin House
2026-02-05 19:00 - 21:30

Saturday Walk: Easier category:- Kirkstall Forge Railway Station into Leeds c 6.5 to 7.5 miles
2026-02-07 09:30 - 14:00
The walk will start from the free parking at the Kirkstall Forge Railway Station at 9:30 am.

The walk is very flat and is on a good path at the side of the Leeds and Liverpool canal. The main hazard on this walk are all the cyclists who also have a right of way on this route. The walkers have priority but in practice it tends not to work like that! There certainly won’t be the usual livestock to worry about on this walk.

We’ll walk into Leeds from Kirkstall Forge station. I’m going to do a slight diversion off Whitehall Road to show you the Leeds equivalent of the High Line in New York – where they created a garden on a disused railway viaduct.

Then we’ll head to the Adelphi Pub for an early lunch/brunch. After that we’ll walk on to the Armouries area and maybe pick up a cuppa there before heading back to the Leeds Railway station for the train back to Kirkstall. The total distance we will walk is uncertain. The distance from the Kirkstall station to the Armouries and then back to Leeds station is 6.4 miles, so it depends on how much wandering around that we do.

A single ticket on the train is £2.00, without a railcard or £1.30 with. You could buy a single from a machine at the station or buy it on your app once we know which train we’ll be getting back. Trains are at 12 and 42 minutes past the hour. The journey back takes 6 minutes.

Winter Tour of Temple Newsam House
2026-02-10 10:30 - 13:00
Our February outing is a Winter tour of Temple Newsam followed by a cream tea in the Dining Room. The tour lasts around an hour. Cost of the tour including cream tea is £20.

“Uncover centuries of history, art, and intrigue at one of England’s finest historic estates. Explore over 500 years of fascinating stories, from Tudor royalty to Georgian elegance. Marvel at the stunning architecture, amazing art collections, and beautifully restored interiors. Temple Newsam House isn’t just a museum—it’s a journey through time, brought to life by expert guides and immersive experiences. Imagine walking in the footsteps of kings and queens, feeling the echoes of history in every room.

Midweek walk: Approx 5 miles to Golden Acre from Caring for Life (167ft ascent and 174ft descent).
2026-02-11 09:30 - 12:00
Beginning from the car park at Caring for Life, the walk initially takes us across fields to Cookridge Lane where we turn left to make our way through Cookridge Golf Club to Paul’s Pond. From here a path leads across fields to Otley Road and into Golden Acre park. We will make a circuit of the lake then cross back to Breary Marsh and on to Pinfold Lane from where we will return along Smithy Lane to Caring for Life and refreshments. Most of you will, of course, be very familiar with this area. Whilst much of this walk is on quiet roads and good footpaths, we do cross the golf course and some fields which could be very muddy, so appropriate footwear and poles are advised. I estimate the walk should take around 2 hours.

Art and Craft - Patchwork/Quilting Group
2026-02-12 09:30 - 11:30, 2026-03-05 09:30 - 11:30 | Lewis Room, Bramhope Village Hall

Art and Craft Project Group - bags for Food Bank
2026-02-19 14:00 - 16:00 | Methosist Church Hall

Book Group -
2026-02-23 19:30 - 21:00
Book we are reading for this meeting is The fall Guy by Simon Michael

Midweek walk: 3.1 miles round Swinsty Reservoir
2026-02-24 09:30 - 13:00
It is a few years now since we did a walk around Swinsty Reservoir, set in the beautiful Washburn Valley. On a clear day this walk is a delight, providing breathtaking views across the water and the surrounding landscape. This is a relatively short, fairly level walk on made footpaths, which I felt might be wise at this time of year as everywhere is so waterlogged, however it will undoubtedly be muddy so walking boots or wellies and poles are advised. We will probably drive to the Fewston Farm Shop and Café for coffee afterwards.

Park Walk
2026-02-27 10:00 - 12:00
Our February walk will be to Golden Acre Park. We will meet in the car park on Otley Road (unfortunately this is now charged for) at 10a.m.

We will start by walking round Paul’s pond, then have coffee at the cafe and then return to the car park by walking round the lake

Baking Group - A Scone for all Seasons
2026-03-04 14:30 - 16:30
The Theme for the meeting is Savoury

Main Meeting - Raising a Champion
2026-03-05 19:00 - 21:30

Saturday Walk: 7 miles hard category. Circular walk from Cold Stone Cut down the valley to two disused mining areas and then back up the valley side.
2026-03-07 09:30 - 13:30
The walk will start from the free car park at Coldstone Cut at 9:30am. You can just put Coldstone Cut car park into Google maps. It is near the junction of Peat Lane with the B6265, not far from Toft Gate Barn. This is about 2 miles west of Pateley Bridge. The car park is free. There are no toilets.

We leave the car park and walk down a grassy, and no doubt muddy, path which runs parallel to the B6265. We cross the road and start our steady descent to the old mines and Ashfold Side Beck. There is a little wooden bridge across and then a short steep and likely slippery, scrambly climb up the other side. We walk along the hillside on an indistinct route before descending a bit to join a good path. This path will eventually be recognisable to those of you who have done the Ladies Rigg mines walk from Pateley Bridge. We turn off that path to the right and start the ascent out of the valley. This climb goes on for some considerable time, with little bits of relief here and there. It follows the Nidderdale Way at one point. The final section back up to the road will have us all out of breath. It’s nice to stop on the ascent to look back at the views, which are lovely on a clear day.

It’s absolutely certain that we will encounter some muddy stretches on this walk. There aren’t so many stiles but lots of gates. There were sheep in the fields but nothing else on the recce. Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear, which take account of the weather forecast, and bring a drink. During the winter months I am asking everyone to walk with poles, so please bring at least one. They will be very useful on the uphill and downhill sections on this walk and will provide great stability when we encounter mud or ice. I will not have time to recce this walk again beforehand, so we need to be prepared for all conditions.

I do my best to assess the weather and the likely walking conditions but would ask everyone to decide whether a particular walk is right for them on that day. Please note that everyone taking part in the walk does so at their own risk.

Lunch at The Toft Gate Barn cafe at 12:45pm

Art and Craft- Patchwork/Quilting Group
2026-03-12 09:30 - 11:30 | Lewis Room, Bramhope Village Hall

Outing - Carousel Musical
2026-03-12 19:30 - 21:30

Garden Group talk
2026-03-13 14:00 - 15:30
Joyce Hill talk “In the Persian Garden : Refuge & Refreshment “

Art and Craft Project Group - Bags for Food Banks
2026-03-19 14:00 - 16:00 | Methosist Church Hall

Saturday Walk
2026-03-21 09:30 - 13:30

Midweek walk: Circular walk around Burley in Wharfedale. (249ft ascent and 249ft descent)
2026-03-25 09:30 - 12:00
Starting from Back Lane in Burley in Wharfedale we make our way to Burley House Field and follow Wood Head Beck, mostly on good paths, until we reach fields and begin to make our way gently uphill to Hag Farm. This section of the walk takes us through fields with livestock (mostly sheep, although there were a few cattle when I first tried the walk) and is likely to be very muddy, depending on the rainfall this week. From Hag Farm we pick up a track familiar to many of us and head down to Burley station and the village. We will stop for coffee in Burley either at The Coffee Tree or Arlo, before the final leg of our walk which takes us down to the River Wharfe and along a popular path beside the river to the roundabout on the bypass where we head back to the cars. Please note the riverbank path may be incredibly muddy, so we may have to abandon this section of the walk and return down Main Street. Good boots and poles will be essential for this walk.

Park Walk
2026-03-27 10:00 - 12:00
We will meet outside the Capri cafe on Gledhow Valley Road LS17 6LX at 10a.m.

We will walk the loop and then return for coffee.

Please wear sensible footwear as the paths could be muddy.

Book Group
2026-03-30 19:30 - 21:00
The book we are reading is Volcano by Yvonne Weekes

Midweek walk: Boston Spa, Thorp Arch and Flint Mill (approx 5 miles)
2026-04-08 09:30 - 12:30
We begin our walk along the banks of the River Wharfe in Boston Spa before crossing Wharfe Bridge and heading for the delightful village of Thorp Arch, which should be looking lovely with Spring flowers. Leaving the village behind we pick up the disused railway track (now a cycle path) towards Wetherby race course, before turning left to pass Flint Mill and follow the Ebor Way back to Thorp Arch and Boston Spa, where there are plenty of options for refreshment. The walk is mostly on paths and quiet roads although there is an unavoidable road section along Wood Lane as we return into Boston Spa. This should be a fairly dry, flat route, however walking boots are essential and a pole is recommended. The walk should take around 2 hours.

Main Meeting - My Heritage - The Windrush Generation
2026-04-09 19:00 - 21:30

Saturday Walk: 11th April Nidd Gorge Walk from Knaresborough - c 6.7 miles - slightly harder category
2026-04-11 09:15 - 13:15
The next walk is in the slightly “harder” category but it’s not a really hard one and it’s under 7 miles. It involves 563ft of climbing, which wouldn’t normally put it in the harder category, However, after wet weather it can be slippery on the boardwalks by the river and there can occasionally be fallen trees that we have to clamber over. A good degree of agility and sure-footedness is required. There is also a steep section when we climb the path out of the Nidd Gorge. I estimate that this walk could take between 2.5 and 3 hours.

The walk will start from the Conyngham Hall car park (HG5 9AY) next to the river in Knaresborough at 9:15am. This is a pay and display car park – you should pay for at least 4 hours (£4.00). It may be advisable to take cash as well as a card. There is a free public toilet at the entrance to the car park, which we will pass as we start the walk.

The route crosses the river and follows the path of the Beryl Burton cycle trail along the other side of the river, flat initially and then steadily climbing. We leave the good path and cross some fields, going through some stables where we usually encounter horses. There’s a very short narrow steep little path that we take to get down on to a disused railway line. This steep path can be slippery, so a pole is advised. The disused railway line path is wide and flat, and we go along it to the viaduct across the Nidd, where there are some good views. We come back very slightly, walk along the edge of a field, and then descend into the Nidd Gorge. The paths are earth on this section and reasonably steep, again a pole is very useful here. When we get down to the river there’s a variety of paths under the trees, including the boardwalks that can be slippery after wet weather. We meander along by the river for a while and can sometimes see a kingfisher. Then there’s the climb back of the gorge. This is the steepest section, and we’ll all get out of breath. Once at the top, there’s a good path and we re-join the Beryl Burton Way again back down to Knaresborough. The plan is to reserve tables at the Ugly Duckling café which is on the edge of the car park we use

Park walk Meanwood
2026-04-17 10:00 - 12:00
The walk on Friday 17th April will be in and around Meanwood park.

–We will meet at 10a.m. on Parkside Road, just off the ring road. ( marked with the black circle on the map ) Unfortunately you can only turn into Parkside Road from that side of the ring road.This walk is relatively short, only about a mile and a half in total with coffee at the cafe in the park in the middle, but is mostly NOT on tarmac paths. It could therefore be a bit muddy in parts if we have a lot of rain between now and then, so sensible footwear should be worn.Please reply to this email if you would like to join me for this walk.

Midweek Walk: 4.5 mile circular from Castley through Riffa Woods
2026-04-22 09:30 - 13:00
This is a pleasant walk close to home taking us along gently undulating paths from Castley heading up through Ings Farm to Riffa Wood and returning across fields and quiet country lanes to Pool Bridge and along the River Wharfe to the cars. Highlights are undoubtedly the riverside path, which on a sunny morning is a delight, and Riffa Wood which is famous for its bluebells. Ings Farm is a working dairy farm so we may encounter livestock and plenty of mud if it has been raining, and we will need to cross Riffa Beck using stepping stones, however if it remains dry this shouldn’t be a problem. Please note paths could be overgrown and uneven, also that there are stiles, and an unavoidable short section on the main road as well as some uphill paths. The Leathley Farm shop is an option for refreshments after our walk.

Outing - Overnight Trip - Lincoln/Stamford
2026-04-23 08:00 - 2026-04-24 17:00

Saturday Walk: 25th April - in search of bluebells from the Roebuck Inn - c 7.2 mls, harder category
2026-04-25 08:30 - 13:00
The next walk is in the harder category due to the total amount of climbing being over 1000 feet. I’m hoping the bluebells will be out There is a gradual climb at the start then some downhill to the River Washburn after that a longish flattish section and then a steep uphill section. I estimate that this walk could take up to 3.5 hours, we have to be at The Roebuck for 12 noon, so I think we will need to start by 8:30am, to be on the safe side. I’ve booked the nice room where we all sat around in a big group one time and I’ve had to pay a £50 deposit, so there may be a charge if you cancel your place on this walk.

The pub needs a pre-order from us so please let me have your food choice when you sign up for the walk. You can choose from the lunch menu or have a starter from the main menu.

https://www.theroebuckotley.co.uk/food

The walk will start from the Roebuck Inn car park at 8:30am sharp. We have to be at our table by 12 noon.

Please park at the furthest point from the road in the gravelled area. The address is Roebuck Terrace, Otley LS21 2EY.

We will leave the Roebuck car park and head uphill for a short distance before taking a footpath on the left which leads across several fields before joining the road into Clifton. We pass through Clifton and follow the road until it crosses the road out of Otley. We find a path on the right which cross fields and eventually comes out at the road again. We cross and after a short walk down the road, we pick up a path on the left into the Dob Park area. The views to the right are lovely. There can be a lot of mud on this stretch. We continue across fields to Midge Hall farm. From there we will walk down the edge of the woods where I’m hoping there will be bluebells and maybe wild garlic in flower too. We then follow a path near the River Washburn until we reach Dob Park bridge, which is a beautiful old packhorse bridge. We do not cross the bridge on this walk but turn right up the lane and then enter fields on the left and keep going through several of them until we come to Rose Tree farm. Here we walk along the road for a short distance and then turn right up a long and uphill driveway. We pick up the Six Dales Trail for a breathless steep section, where the backward views are lovely on a nice day. We turn right to leave the trail on a path which joins Newall Carr Road. We walk on the pavement downhill to get back to the car park at The Roebuck Inn.
