Walk around the proposed wind farm site. 

Went Edge Walk

Length of walk: 41/4 miles, allow 2 hours.

There is a steep hill in Wentbridge but the route is not too strenuous and passes through pleasant woodlands and along sections of fairly quiet country lanes with splendid views from Went Edge.

Care needs to be taken when parking.  There are places to park but take care not to obstruct the highway, and a landowner can sue for damages if a car is parked on his land without his permission.  Farmers must always have access to his enterances and tracks.

It is suggested you walk in a clockwise direction and be careful of on coming traffic on the country lanes.

Route directions

Allow 2 hours, the walk is 41/4 miles.

You can start and finish anywhere since it is a circuit.

These instructions start at Wentbridge.

The walk starts at Wentbridge.  Checkout the blue plaque on the bridge (1).

Walk north from the bridge, pass Wentbridge House on your right and Moor Lane junction on your left.  Follow the road till you reach a Public Footpath sign on the left pointing to the woods (2).

Walk up the track keeping to the right as you go through the wood.  The walk will bring you out along the top of Went Edge with magnificent views over parts of West Yorkshire (3).

At the end of the ridge turn left down the slope to Moor Lane (4).

Turn right on Moor Lane and follow the road for 1/2 mile till it reaches a T junction with Carleton Road.  Turn right into Darrington.

At the traffic lights at Darrington turn right and follow the sign to Wentbridge along Westfield Lane.  This is a pleasant narrow country lane and part of the West Yorkshire Cycle route.

At the road junction with the B6474 turn right to Wentbridge then follow the Public Bridleway sign on the left (5) until it rejoins the road into Wentbridge.

Continue down the hill passing Moor Lane junction on your right and Wentbridge House on your left (well worth a visit for a bite to eat and drink or try the Blue Bell pub a little bit further on).

Points of interest.

(1).  The picturesque stone bridge over the Went used to carry all the A1 traffic until bypassed in 1965.  One of the only place names that be located in "A Lytell Geste of Robyn Hode" (c.1492-1534) is the Sayles now known as Brockadale, Wentbridge.

"And walke up to Saylis,

And so to Watling Stret (e).

And Wayte after some unkuth gest,

Up Chance ye may them mete."

"The present bridge is largely 18th century, but almost certainly enclosed an earlier bridge.  A surviving remnant of the original medieval highway, on which Robin Hood may have practised his brigandage, climbs through the woods out of the valley to the north.  Signed as a public bridleway, this track was the only route until the adjacent cutting was blasted through the rocks to provide a safer road for the mail coaches."

Eric Houlder - Hunting out the remains of the Robin Hood

(2)

Walk in Robin Hood's footsteps!  Robin Hood is said to have walked through the woods to access Pontefract Castle from Wentbridge.

(3)

Magnificent views of parts of West Yorkshire from the top of Went Edge.

(4)

Public footpath joining Moor Lane.

(5)

Public Bridleway off the B6474.