Burley in Wharfedale is close to the south bank of the River Wharfe, and is an old village that is named in the Domesday Book under various different spellings. It takes its name from the Old English words burg (meaning fortification) and lēah (meaning open land in a wood). Originally an agricultural settlement, it expanded when Greenholme Mills (now converted into accommodation, and not included in the walk) was built during the Industrial Revolution, and today is largely a commuter village, having expanded in the twentieth century due to the building of council houses for people working in Bradford and Leeds.
Burley-in-Wharfedale Railway Station (hyphenated, unlike the village) opened in 1865 on the Otley and Ilkley Joint Railway, now of course part of the Wharfedale Line; the original station building survives as a privately owned house. Leave the station via the northbound platform and turn left along Hag Farm Road. When this bends right, continue straight ahead through a wooden gate and follow a footpath along a field edge, with the railway track on the left. Cross a wooden footbridge over a stream, and continue along the edge of a second field, then cross another stream. At the end of the third field, turn right and follow a footpath running gently uphill along the edge of several fields, with Carr Beck running downhill to the left of the path. Eventually, the path reaches a gap in a stone wall and ends at a junction of paths; here, turn right.
Follow a track straight ahead to Hag Farm, and continue straight ahead along a field edge. At the end of the field, pass through a gate and follow a tree-lined footpath to Stoney Lane. Cross this and pass through another gate, following a path across a field to another junction of paths. Turn left and walk to a gate, then pass through this and follow a drive to Moor Road, passing the Hermit Inn on the left. Turn left along Moor Road, and shortly after passing the inn, bear right and climb stone steps to gain a footpath running diagonally uphill across a field. When the path reaches a gap in a stone wall, do not pass through it but instead turn right and follow a waymarked public footpath uphill along the edge of a field. Pass through a gate at the top and continue up a stepped path to reach Green Lane.
Turn right and follow Green Lane, which after a short distance turns left between two houses to reach a junction at the edge of Burley Moor. Like Baildon Moor, this forms part of the larger Rombalds Moor and is contiguous with the more famous Ilkley Moor further north-west. Ignore the track on the right, but immediately past this turn right and follow a public footpath across Burley Moor. This part of the walk offers delightful views of Wharfedale.
Burley Moor
Follow the ill-defined path north-west, eventually reaching a junction with the Millennium Way path. Turn right and then immediately left along another path (part of the Dales Way), descending into a gorge to cross Coldstone Beck. After crossing the beck, climb up the path on the other side, then bear right away from the Dales Way and follow a path that gradually runs downhill, soon bending right, and eventually ending at Moor Road.
Turn right and immediately bear right to follow a path through trees adjacent to Moor Road. When the path rejoins the road, cross over and turn left then immediately right along Stead Lane. Stay on this as it bends back and forth between fields, and eventually reaches Stead Farm. Continue straight ahead between farm buildings, then continue to follow the farm track as it bends right, then left and then right again. Turn along the next track on the left and when it bends left again, turn right and follow a footpath (part of the Welcome Way) next to a stream on the right and then across fields, eventually reaching a pedestrian crossing over the railway. Cross this, and proceed straight ahead, then at a junction turn right along Sun Lane.
Follow Sun Lane to a junction, then continue straight ahead along an alleyway between houses, which crosses two roads and eventually ends at West View Avenue. Turn left and then right along another alleyway, which crosses Aireville Terrace and then ends at Manse Crescent. Continue straight ahead along Manse Road, then turn left along another alleyway, which crosses Aireville Terrace, and eventually joins the end of Hill Top, which ends at Main Road. Follow this through the centre of Burley in Wharfedale, looking out for the White Horse on the right. Just past, the Fountain of Life can be seen at the junction with Station Road. This was originally built as a drinking fountain in 1855.
Continue along Main Street, next passing Burley Grange on the right, at the edge of Grange Park. The Grange was built in 1840 as a private house and was later used as council offices; it has now been converted into flats. A War Memorial can be seen in front of the Grange, and just past this is the Roundhouse, which was originally built as a gazebo for the Grange. The Red Lion Hotel is on the left here. Just past this, the Burley in Wharfedale Congregational Church (or Salem Congregational Church) can be seen on the right (Grade II-listed and built in 1840), soon followed by the Queens Head, a public house, restaurants and bed and breakfast refurbished in 2018. Queens Hall can be seen directly opposite the Queens Head; dating from 1868, this was built by the owners of Greenholme Mills and has various been used as a lecture hall, school and cinema; today, it is the base for Burley Parish Council and is also home to a nursery.
Proceed along Main Street, next passing Burley in Wharfedale Methodist Church on the right, to the left of which the original methodist church (now repurposed and called Cliffe House) still stands. Cliffe House was built in 1816, whilst the current Methodist Church dates from 1867. Continue to follow the street (looking out for an old cast iron mile post on the left), and just after passing the former Malt Shovel Hotel (Grade II listed, dating from 1880, and now converted into private accommodation), look out for the Pudding Tree, where Main Street bends right. The Pudding Tree was originally an elm tree, where every seven years until 1787 a giant pudding was served to villages. The current tree is a replacement. Turn left along Corn Mill Lane, passing the Grade II-listed terrace houses of Post Office Yard, next passing the Church of St. Mary on the right. The Grade II-listed church was built in 1843 on the site of a former chapel. Just past the church, the lane passes Corn Mill Pond on the left, just past which the entrance to Burley Hall can be seen on the right. Grade II-listed and dating from the eighteenth century, this is now a nursing home.
Follow the lane as it bends right, next passing the Corn Mill on the left, which is also Grade II-listed and believed to date from the eighteenth century. At the end of the lane, continue straight ahead along a footpath, which soon ends at a roundabout on the A65. Here, turn right and follow the grass verge (there is no pavement) along Bradford Road to another roundabout, then turn right along Main Street, soon passing Burley House (now Burley Grange) on the right. This is the only Grade I-listed building in the village, and was originally built as a residence by the poet Thomas Maude in 1798.
Burley House
After passing the house, bear left along a path to Langford Lane, turn right, and then follow the lane as it turns sharp left and becomes Back Lane. Follow Back Lane all the way to its junction with Station Road, passing between Burley-in-Wharfedale Cricket Club on the left and Grange Park on the right. Just past the park, Burley in Wharfedale Library can be seen on the right. At the junction with Station Road, turn left and follow it until Station Approach appears on the left, then turn along this to return to the railway station.
Back on the train once more, we head to the next station, which is the penultimate one on the line, and serves the village of Ben Rhydding.
Comments