WALKING NEWS
MWA Walks at South Pennines Walk and Ride Festival 2011
MWA will be including two walks as part of the South Pennines Walk & Ride Festival during 10-25 September 2011:
Saturday 10 September at 10:00 am
Walking with the Cragg Vale Coiners
Visit the haunts of the notorious coin clippers and counterfeiters, exploring the beautiful valley of Cragg Vale. The walk skirts by Bell House, home of David Hartley, 'King of the Coiners'.
Distance: 11 miles. Walk grade: hard. Start/finish: Mytholmroyd Library, Cragg Road, HX7 5HR. Grid reference: SE011257. Limited parking by station; larger car park at Mytholmroyd Community Centre. From the station, turn left and walk along road 150 yards. From bus stop on main road, cross over bridge and continue past station. Things to bring: walking boots, lunch, snacks and drink. Walk leader: Mick Chatham, Mytholmroyd Walkers' Action.
Monday 12 September at 10.30 am
Up and Down Cragg Vale
Distance: 8 miles. Grade: medium. Start: Mytholmroyd Station. Climb Crow Hill, and visit Little Valley Brewery (bring cash for purchases). Walk leader: Judy Gannon, Calderdale Ramblers.
The Magic of Broadhead Clough
On Sunday 12th June, two dozen people from across Calderdale joined Mytholmroyd Walkers' Action's walk up into Broadhead Clough. This enchanting Nature Reserve is run by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. Starting from Mytholmroyd station, the route climbed up from Dauber Bridge into Cragg Vale. The walk was led by Julian Harber, MWA footpaths officer, with Mick Chatham, experienced Countryside expert.
'Broadhead was designated a wildlife reserve in 1981', said Julian Harber. 'Since then, thanks to fencing to keep out sheep and cattle, biodiversity has flourished. For virtually all the walkers, the Nature Reserve was a brand new experience, and it was wonderful to introduce everyone to this protected woodland. The almost continuous birdsong was a real treat for us all to hear'.
Youngest walker was Luca Powell from Pye Nest, who came with parents Andrew Powell and Linda Tweedle. 'My favourite was going across the stepping-stones bridge and feeding the ducks. Up in Broadhead I liked seeing the cotton plants and chewing the grasses. I looked out for snakes - but we didn't see any at all.'
Walkers climb up the footpath from Dauber Bridge towards Broadhead Clough (click images for a larger view).
Julian Harber with our group of walkers at the entrance to Broadhead Clough Nature Reserve.
Luca Powell feeding the ducks, with parents Andrew Powell and Linda Tweeddle, at the stepping-stones footbridge, Mytholmroyd.
Calderdale Countryside Service's Wildside Walks 2011
MWA has organised four walks as part of Calderdale Countryside Service's Wildside Walks for 2011-2012. They are:
Friday 3 June - Visit our Local Brewery - 6 miles, up Cragg Vale.
Saturday 4 June - Walking with Women's Suffrage - 8 miles, round Upper Calder Valley.
Sunday 12 June - The Magic of Broadhead Clough - 5 miles.
Saturday 2 July - The Haunts of the Cragg Vale Coiners - 7 miles.
For more details see Calderdale Council's Guided Walks for June 2011.
Walkers are Welcome National Newsletter - September 2010
Click the above link for the latest Walkers are Welcome National Newsletter. Walkers are Welcome also now has a Wikipedia page.
South Pennines Walk and Ride Festival 2010
The South Pennines fourth Walk and Ride Festival was another great event in the UK outdoor's 2010 calendar, and MWA organised four walks in the Mytholmroyd area.
New Walk@Work Information Boards Erected in Mytholmroyd
Rachel Parkinson of Fix Lifestyles helped sponsor the newest Walk@Work information board, recently erected at Mytholmroyd Community Centre. 'I'm delighted to encourage more people to enjoy walking in the glorious countryside around Mytholmroyd', said Rachel. Her company which has been based in Cragg Vale for three years offers personal training and, with Thornber Properties, sponsored this new Walk@Work board.
Two other boards have also gone up recently, one by the Catholic Church on New Road, and the other at the steps on Mytholmroyd station, both sponsored by the Community Foundation for Calderdale.
These three new information boards are the final jigsaw piece slotted into the Walk@Work project run by Mytholmroyd Walkers' Action (MWA). During the last 12 months MWA has distributed 4,000 free Walk@Work leaflets, both to local businesses and employees and through community outlets such as Mytholmroyd health centre. 'The take-up of these free leaflets has been so popular', said MWA secretary Jill Liddington, 'that we now plan to reprint'.
Left to right: Rose Wheeler (MWA chair), Rachel Parkinson (Fix Lifestyles), David Wilson (Countryside Officer), Jean Williams (MWA treasurer) - at entrance to Mytholmroyd Community Centre on Tuesday 1 June. David Wilson has just moved from Ogden Water to become Area Countryside Officer for the Upper Valley, based in the Countryside Office, Mytholmroyd.
MWA Bulbs Blooming for Spring 2010
The first photograph shows the bench on Heights Road in 2009 looking exceedingly derelict and neglected. The second image was taken by Jill Liddington on 4 April 2010, showing the refurbished bench and the daffodils that were planted by MWA volunteers last autumn (see below). Thanks to Hebden Royd Town Council (HRTC) for funding of benches and bulbs, and to Mick Chatham and Countryside Services for refurbishing the benches.
MWA Plant Bulbs for Next Spring
On Sunday morning 4 October 2009, Mytholmroyd Walkers' Action planted bulbs donated by Hebden Royd Town Council (HRTC). Town Councillor Jade Smith presented the bulbs to MWA members at the garden in front of Mytholmroyd Library. The bulbs, one sack of daffodils and another of dwarf narcissi, are part of HRTC's spring flowers initiative, coordinated by Jason Boom (HRTC's Environmental Community Warden).
Jill Liddington (MWA secretary), Councillor Jade Smith, Jean Williams (MWA treasurer) and Julian Harber (member). Photograph: Mick Piggott (member)
Jean Williams and Mick Piggott planted clumps of bulbs in the wood that is on MWA's Stubb Clough Walk@Work route. "The flowers along the stream will look pretty good when they come up next spring", said Jean.
Julian Harber and Jill Liddington planted bulbs along MWA's Scout Rock and Churn Milk Joan routes, publicised in the group's original Three Waymarked Walks leaflet. "It was hard work digging the holes up there" said Julian, "but it was well worth it".
Julian Harber kneeling to plant bulbs by Brearley Lane (Church Milk Joan route).
Walk@Work Lunchtime Walk
On Friday 12 June 2009, Hebden Royd's new Mayor, John Beacroft-Mitchell, presented bottles of fruit juice to walkers at the start of their Walk@Work lunchtime walk.
The walkers were sponsored by Mumtaz Ventures, and the event was organised by Mytholmroyd Walkers' Action. 16 walkers took part, including eight from the nearby law firm, Sweet and Maxwell.
Walkers gather outside Mumtaz Ventures, Orchard Business Park, Mytholmroyd. Front row: far left, Rose Wheeler (MWA chair); centre, John Beacroft-Mitchell (Mayor of Hebden Royd); right, Julie Lord (Sweet and Maxwell Facilities Manager); far right, Jean Williams (MWA treasurer). Back row: left and centre: Sweet and Maxwell employees; right, Mick Piggott and Julian Harber (MWA members).
Walkers check the map at the end of the 30 minute walk up into Cragg Vale, having returned by Top Land Country Business Park. Left to right: MWA member Julian Harber, Sweet and Maxwell employees and Julie Lord (Sweet and Maxwell Facilities Manager).
MWA Launches Walk@Work Initiative
On Thursday evening 7th May 2009, 30 people enjoyed Mumtaz curries at the launch of the Walk@Work initiative by Mytholmroyd Walkers' Action. 4,000 copies of MWA's new Walk@Work leaflets will now be distributed to everyone working locally and will be available in the local community centre, library and shops. MWA has also designed a brand new website www.mytholmroydwalkers.org which also went live on Thursday.
Speakers at the launch were Pam Warhurst, director of Natural England and chair of the Upper Calder Valley 'Walkers are Welcome' Advisory Board who said walking was key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle - but far from being worthy was actually great fun.
Chris Bingham, director of Aspire Technology selling software to IT companies and based at Dean Hey Country Business Park, said every single visitor to their Mytholmroyd offices marvelled at how beautiful was the situation, surrounded by glorious Cragg Vale countryside. 'I am delighted to share this Walk@Work initiative with all our 75 employees here'.
Photo left to right: Pam Warhurst, Mick Chatham, Jill Liddington, Rose Wheeler, Jean Williams (MWA treasurer) and Chris Bingham.
Jill Liddington, MWA secretary, explained that the Walk@Work initiative had started exactly a year ago. 'Initially we'd organized waymarked routes up to Churn Milk Joan and up Scout Rock. But now we wanted to focus on "access to walking" - for everyone working in Mytholmroyd. No one knew exactly how many people were employed locally, but our guesstimate is over 2,000. We decided on six short lunchtime routes, and over the winter worked closely with the Calderdale Rights of Way team on improvements to make these six walks accessible and safe. Mick Chatham and his Countryside volunteers have put up new stiles and done drainage work so that these six lovely routes can now be enjoyed by everyone'.
The launch was chaired by Rose Wheeler, MWA chair, and delicious curries were donated by Bill Kimberling, Commercial Director of Mumtaz Ventures, one of Mytholomroyd's newest and most innovative businesses.
Enjoying Mumtaz curries at the Walk@Work launch, left to right: Bill Kimberling, Mumtaz commercial director; Rose Wheeler, chair of MWA; Mick Chatham, Countryside Services, who is based in Mytholmroyd; Stuart Green, Mumtaz chef; and Chris Bingham, director of Aspire, Cragg Vale.