Railway Children Walk part 2

Haworth Station to Main St 
Taking in Three Chimneys nr Oxenhope, and Haworth Parsonage. The walk from Haworth Station to Main St is about 2.6 miles long. You can check where you are at any stage by clicking on the numbered links which will take you to google maps. Part two of the walk is shown as red markers.

29) Haworth Railway Station

Starting at Haworth Railway Station, 360º view outside Haworth Railway Station here… Elevation is: 556ft. Grid ref: N53°49.870 W001°56.921

30) Station Road

Cross over Station Rd and continue down, Spar store on your left, Engine sheds and Fire Station on your right.

31) Brow Road

At the bottom of the road, War Memorial on your right, take a left into Brow Rd.

Between the tree (pictured) and the building is a signed footpath to Oxenhope.

32) Footpath to Oxenhope

Cross over Brow road and take the steps up and on to the footpath. On your right is the Bridgehouse mill complex which much has now gone, due for housing. Across to the railway is a bridge on its own, it was built for the mill owner, to get from his house to the mill.

33) Footpath along the Goyt

The footpath is easily marked and runs straight. 

Along this part of the walk you will notice in places what resembles a small canal mostly filled in, you can clearly make out its shape in parts. It is the remains of Bridgehouse Mill Goyt which was built about 1810. A goyt is a structure used to gain height when using a drop waterwheel, it is necessary to build with hardly a rise in it to a location on the watercourse which corresponds to the top height of the water wheel.

360 panorama here…

34) Footbridge across the Goyt

Distance you have walked to the bridge is 0.4 miles, elevation is: 600ft. Grid ref: N53°49.506 W001°56.785

Cross over the footbridge. 

35) Woodland footpath

Continue through a small wooded area, traces of the goit can be seen. You often see Treecreeper more… and sometimes Nuthatch more… up and down the bark of the trees. In this area up to North Far Ives Farm is a good place to watch out for Roe Deer more…

36) Footpath to North Far Ives Farm

Ahead you can see North Far Ives Farm which is derelict. It is also known as Orlando Littler’s Cottage after the last person to live there. It is rumoured that it was used in the 1968 BBC Railway Children production.

Follow the path until you reach the farm.

37) North Far Ives Farm

360 panorama here… is taken by North Far Ives Farm. Distance you have walked is 0.7 miles, elevation is: 613ft. Grid ref: N53°49.327 W001°56.736

Take the path arrowed in picture, to a stone stile and continue through a field to a gate. Go through the gate.

38) Ives Bottom Farm

Continue through the yard of Ives Bottom Farm, just past the farm the footpath takes a right, and down a fairly steep path, continue along following the footpath.

39) Footpath

Continue along footpath. On the left of you is a flat marsh area. It had been thought that this was some sort of reservoir for a mill, but there is no evidence to show this.

40) Donkey Bridge

On your right is a “Donkey Bridge” a Pack-Horse style bridge. The sides of the bridge are low to allow for the packs which are strapped to the animal, the pack horse route goes across the marsh and near a stone outcrop. It is near to this area that the goit and its water source would have started. 

Take a 360 Panorama here… Distance you have walked is 0.9 miles, elevation is: 606ft. Grid ref: N53°49.210 W001°56.783

Continue on following the path which curves round and into a field. This is a good place to see Dippers more… and the occasionallyKingfisher more…

41) Bridge

Across the bridge and turn left, on your right there is a chain link fence with a water settlement pond as part of Oxenhope Water Treatment Works.

42) North Ives Barn

Ahead is North Ives Barn, continue along the path on the left side by the river.

43 Tarmac Road

North Ives Barn and on to a tarmac road, further along on your right is Oxenhope Water Treatment Works, carry on down the road.

44) Oxenhope Water Treatment Works

The road curves left, at the end of the Water Treatment Works take the footpath on the right (arrowed).

45) Footpath next to railway

Continue along the footpath, the railway is on the embankment to your right. At the end of the path the signed footpath divides, left takes you to Oxenhope. Take the footpath right. Up some steps a sign directs you to the railway crossing. Click on photo for more detail.

46) Rail Crossing

Up the steps and across the railway line. Distance you have walked is 1.3 miles, elevation is: 630ft. Grid ref: N53°49.985 W001°56.998

360 panorama at the rail crossing here…

47) Footpath into field

On the other side of the railway line, climb the steps and into a field. 

48) Footpath

There is a fairly steep climb uphill.

49) Bents House, Three Chimneys

On your left you get a view of Bents House, Three Chimneys the Yorkshire home of the Railway Children. Click for bigger photo.

50) Perks Stile

At the top of the field the path goes left around the rear of Three Chimneys. Ahead of you can be seen (picture left) the stone stile Perks had problems going through. Click on photo for more detail.

360° view at Stone stile here… Distance you have walked is 1.5 miles, elevation is: 730ft. Grid ref: N53°49.058 W001°57.114

51) Track Road

Follow the track to the top and turn left into Marsh Lane, continue straight on.

52) Old Oxenhope Lane

Cross over the road and continue up Old Oxenhope Lane keeping to right hand side of road. On the left is Old Oxenhope Manor and in that area was Old Oxenhope Mill and a row of cottages locally called Chimney Row due to the fact the mill chimney was next to them. Nothing remains of the mill and cottages.

At the top of the lane the road bends to the left, on the right is Old Oxenhope Farm

53) Old Oxenhope Farm

At the rear of the Farm there is a gate, to the left of it there is access to the footpath. Click on photo for more detail.

54) Footpath

Continue up the hill.

55) Gap Stile

Take the path to your left going through the gap stile.

At the top of the hill you get a good view of Haworth Brow. Take a 360 view here… Distance you have walked is 2.2 miles, elevation is: 912ft, the highest point on the walk. Grid ref: N53°49.418 W001°57.489

56) View of Haworth and Brow

Click on photo for more detail.

57) Hamlet of Hole

Keep to the footpath, eventually you will see some cottages which is the Hamlet of Hole. Take the footpath to the left of the cottages.

A planning application in 2005 changed the route of the footpath for the better as the old path used to go past the cottages at Hamlet of Hole.

58) Footpath Haworth ½ mile

The footpath comes out just past the the large tree on the right. The walk is signposted Haworth ½ mile. Click on photo for more detail.

59) Near Sowdens Farm

Continue along the path

Through the trees on your left you can see Sowdens Farm. Click on photo for more detail.

60) Gap Stile at Sowdens

At the end there is a gap stile by a lamp post, go through and continue along the walled path. Click on photo for more detail.

61) Haworth ¼ mile Railway. Children Walk

A sign indicates “Haworth ¼ mile Rly. Children Walk”.

360 panorama here… Distance you have walked is 2.5 miles, elevation is: 824ft. Grid ref: N53°49.734 W001°57.438

Continue along the stone flagged pavement, Quarry car park is on your right.

62) Tom Mix stone

As you walk look out for one of the paving slabs which has a face carved in it. This was carved by Eric Sawley who was born in the 1920’s. He lived at Rock St Keighley and this stone was carved there by him when he was about ten. The council demolished Rock St and the paving stones were brought to Haworth. 

Mr Sawley paid a visit to Haworth and found the Tom Mix stone on his way to the car park.

Tom Mix (1880-1940) was an actor mostly in silent movies. His career spanned from 1909-1935. He was in 336 films mostly westerns, where he would do his own stunts. He is one of the figures on the front cover of the Beatles Sgt Peppers album.

63) Haworth Church

Go through the metal Kissing Gate and you will see Haworth Church. Final distance you have walked is 2.6 miles, elevation is: 802ft. Grid ref: N53°49.865 W001°57.385

64) The Parsonage (Dr Forrest’s home)

On your left of the Church is the Parsonage which in the film was Dr Forrest’s home. Take a 360 tour of the parsonage here… The graveyard was shown in the film when Peter ran through to fetch Dr Forrest.