Petrichor

At last, we had some overnight rain on Monday - proper rain, not just a few spots. (And more since then too.)  It's been a good two months since we had any meaningful precipitation and our river levels are very low. I happened to wake relatively early (for me) on Tuesday so I decided I'd go to Bolton Abbey for a walk in the woods. The estate gets busy in the school holidays so I tend not to visit but I knew I could be there before most of the crowds and, indeed, there were only about 30 cars in the riverside car park when I arrived. (Many more by the time I left!) 

It was delicious to walk in the cool, moist atmosphere, breathing in the pleasant, earthy scent of rain on dry ground. It was overcast and somehow mysterious in the forest, as though nothing could quite work out what was happening. What is this dampness?  

There are some very big trees down and tree branches scattered throughout the woods. I suspect that will continue as the trees have been so stressed this year and it weakens them. How the mighty are fallen... 

It's also quite plain that autumn is arriving early, with leaves already turning colour. 

Occasionally I came across a leaf that had fallen quite artistically, a bright jewel against the damp earth. 

The River Wharfe, normally rushing through the Strid Gorge, was just a gentle trickle, hardly moving. The low water level revealed water-worn rocks that you don't normally see, and a tantalising glimpse into the abyss of this famous stretch of the river, a narrow strait reputedly up to 9m (30 ft) deep and only 2m (6.5 ft) wide, with dangerous currents and hidden underwater caves. It's as though the river turns itself sideways to squeeze through the narrow fissure in the rocks. The falls a little upstream always create a line of foam, like a skein of lace in the middle of the river. 

I often spot peculiar creatures in the fallen branches; a couple of bird-like, beaky things here:  

Finally, a view I don't often take - but it does show the end of the big riverside car park, the Cavendish Pavilion (where I treated myself to a cappuccino and my favourite cherry Bakewell tart) and the wooden bridge that crosses the river at this point. 

Oakworth back to Haworth

The Railway Children Walk #4

Our route then took us down to Oakworth Station, which is the focal point for a lot of the 'railway' elements of the Railway Children film. Mr Perks, the station porter who befriends the children, lived in the cottage right beside the level crossing. (Now white painted. The adjacent cottage is a more recent addition.)  

Oakworth Station itself featured in many scenes, most notably the tear-jerking bit where the children's father returns from wrongful imprisonment as a spy, and Bobbie (played by Jenny Agutter) runs to him shouting 'Daddy, my Daddy!'  It always makes me cry! (Watch the clip HERE - oh, do watch it!) 

We walked along Station Road, past Vale Mill, the former cotton spinning mill. The road passes under part of the mill and has some sharp, narrow bends. Vehicles are instructed to 'Hoot!' at the worst corner - which I'm sure is an ongoing delight to those still working in the mill's business units! The steps in my photo lead up and under the railway. 

The attractive row of cottages called Vale Fold Cottages, which I assume once belonged to the mill, also featured in the film, during the 'paper chase' scene. 

At this point we found ourselves alongside Bridgehouse Beck again, with some obvious relics from the time when it powered the mills. 

We were just alongside the railway line when we heard a train coming. It was a steam locomotive, though for some reason it was hitched to the carriages backwards (probably because there is no turntable at Oxenhope Station?) Unfortunately we were in deep shade from the surrounding trees, peering through a small gap in the foliage. I didn't have time to reset my camera so I didn't capture the movement sharply but I was pleased nevertheless to have seen the train and got a picture of it, albeit imperfect. It being a hot day, there wasn't much steam! There's something about steam trains that I love though, and to see one when we were doing this iconic walk was 'the icing on the cake'. 

On the way back into Haworth we walked past Ebor Mills, now converted into a residential complex.

The beck in front of the mill might once have been a mill dam and now it is a nature reserve, though currently overgrown by our old friend, the Himalayan Balsam. 

From here it was uphill and then a slow downhill back to Haworth Railway Station where we had started our walk. It had been about six miles of interesting walking through a variety of landscapes - but very hot and humid walking. My shower when I got home was a blissful experience!

Haworth to Oakworth

The Railway Children Walk #3

The next stretch of the walk took us through Haworth village - which was quite busy with visitors - and down Mytholmes Lane towards Oakworth.

Along the way we passed this interesting little cottage, with a sign saying Toll Bar House. I have not been able to find much information online but the stone plaque on the wall says: 

'CAUTION AND PUBLIC NOTICE
This is a private occupation (?)  road to  (?) Oakworth Hall and Ebor Lane Top and is the private freehold of John Craven of Berridge House in Bingley.
No person can lawfully pass here without his leave. Except persons going on ordinary business to and from the estate of the late Hiram Craven of Dockroyd, deceased and of the said John Craven. And persons going on like purposes between Oakworth Hall and Lower Laithe, the Lodge and Oakworth Corn Mill Farm the property of John Wright of Lower Laith and between Oakworth and the Lower Providence Mill the property of Caleb Leach of Halifax. All other persons passing here on after this NOTICE will be treated as Wilful Trespassers.
Borridge House Bingley
July 1843 John Craven.'

So it seems it marks the end of a private road associated with some mills. 

The route turned off the road eventually and led us up leafy lanes, past old mills still tucked into the landscape. 

Vale Mills was an early 19th century water-powered cotton spinning mill, apparently employing a lot of children sent up from London. It still houses various businesses (without the child labour!) 

The chimney of Ebor Mills, a 19th century worsted spinning mill, still rises high above the trees. The mill complex suffered a major fire in 2010. What remains has been converted to residential dwellings with several new blocks also constructed on the site. I think the distinctively-shaped hill on the horizon is Pendle Hill. 

Oxenhope to Haworth

The Railway Children Walk #2

From the rail crossing near Oxenhope Station (see yesterday) we climbed steeply uphill away from the railway, to Bents House (above), which in the film is called 'Three Chimneys' and is where the Railway Children lived. It looked rather different from the 1970s, having (it seems) had two extensions added - though what you see in the film may well be the other side of the house.

Next to it is an old stone stile, which, in the film, Perks has difficulty negotiating whilst carrying a large basket.

We went slightly off track at this point (luckily my friend soon noticed and we retraced our steps) but it did give me chance to take a photo overlooking Oxenhope village. 

Rejoining the correct path towards Marsh Lane, we passed a house name carved into a lintel. I love the elaborate fonts they used in those days; you see them on old gravestones too. 

We skirted the farmyard at Old Oxenhope Farm. It had an old drinking trough and this little trickling pipe, with rather an ancient duck sitting there! 

Up a farm track over the brow of the hill we passed a beacon that said it had been erected as part of the celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee in June 2022. When burning, it must have been visible for miles. Poignant now, as we know she died just a few months later, in September 2022. 

We had circled back to Haworth again and there were good views over the village from up on the hill. 

Another ancient trackway led us right through to Haworth church, with the old schoolhouse in the background. The Parsonage where the Brontës lived is over to the left beyond the graveyard (but not shown in my photo).  

Hot and thirsty, we were able to stop in Haworth for a much needed drink and a brief rest, before completing the final 2.5 miles of the walk. 

Ticking off a walk!

 

The Railway Children Walk #1

I finally managed to complete a walk that I've been meaning to do for a good ten years, as a friend and I arranged to do it together. It's always really good to tick something off my 'bucket list' but these days I'm a bit nervous about trying new walks on my own, especially if they are slightly longer. The walk in question is a 6 mile circuit around Haworth, Oakworth and Oxenhope, visiting various locations seen in the 1970s film 'The Railway Children'.                                                                                                                                                  We started just beyond Haworth station, walking up the Worth valley towards Oxenhope, following the line of the railway and the stream called Bridgehouse Beck. It was a very warm and humid day; the promised showers barely materialised. We felt about ten drops of rain! The heat made it in some ways quite hard going and I was a sweaty mess by the time we finished

The first stretch was a gentle incline, along a well-defined path that has obviously existed for years. Despite passing a new housing estate in Haworth right at the start, and then a few much older dwellings and a water treatment works en route, it all felt very rural - and surprisingly green, given the very dry weather we've had. 

We passed through several 'kissing gates' (see top photo) and over a rather attractive iron bridge. They don't make them like that anymore! 

There was at one point a graceful but very narrow stone packhorse bridge over the beck. It must have been there for centuries, a reminder that these well-trodden pathways existed long before railways and motor transport. 

I'm not sure I'd trust the 'thin blue line' holding the little swing... 

I was a little disappointed that we didn't see more wildlife. I have seen deer in the area when I've been on the train travelling up the valley. There were a few small birds, and a grey heron flew across and landed by the beck. He took off again as we approached, keeping a safe distance from unpredictable humans! I think it was simply too warm for anything to be exerting any energy. 

Nearing Oxenhope, we had to cross the railway line - we stopped, looked, listened... We had heard trains and a little earlier we saw one of the vintage diesel locomotives that the Keighley and Worth Valley heritage Railway keeps in service. Nevertheless we crossed safely. 

Looking up the line into Oxenhope station, we could see the diesel train sitting beside the platform. 

Colourful Pride

There was a Pride Festival in Bradford's City Park, a 'loud and proud' event celebrating our local LGBTQ+ community. It had a stage with live music and comedy acts, merchandise stalls and some local organisations offering support services.  

People had come to enjoy themselves, with some very colourful and individualistic outfits on show. And I think they were deliberately 'on show', so I didn't really worry about taking a few street photos (although I tried to avoid photographing children).  

The rather glamorous drag queen in the sparkly dress is known as Nova Gina, one of the event's hosts.  

Music was provided by a number of different acts and bands. When I was watching, the main performer was Sam Ashby (Smashby), whom I rather took to - high energy and catchy pop music. He's a singer, Zumba instructor and was a housemate in the 'Big Brother' house on TV in 2025. 

The act below is 'Lady Bushra' (aka Amir Dean), a British South Asian drag comedy character, quite funny and very professional. It strikes me as being rather courageous to personify such characters. 

 

All good fun, though I didn't stay for the whole thing. (Waterstone's wonderful Bradford bookshop in the historic Wool Exchange was emitting its siren call!) 

Keep smiling

Another heatwave, our fifth this summer! To be fair, it's not been as hot in Yorkshire and the North as further south, where it reached 38.1°C/100.5°F.  It's been plenty hot enough for me though. I don't cope well with sun and high temperatures, being a fair skinned, once upon a time redhead. It's taken me years to understand that I need to drink water all the time once it gets into the high 20sC, otherwise I start feeling headachy and nauseous. I missed the window of opportunity to buy a portable air conditioning unit for my apartment in the spring and everywhere quickly sold out. So I've been having to be ingenious with window screens and fans. 

In an effort not to stagnate all day in the semi-darkness (!) I've been getting up a bit earlier and going out for an early morning walk, along with the joggers and dog-walkers. It can be quite pleasant. There's an anticipatory stillness in the air at the start of a hot day, as though everything is waiting...

'Keep smiling' seemed to sum up my mood! 😬 And what more guaranteed to raise a smile than a row of sunflowers in a neighbour's garden, albeit even they are looking a bit parched and droopy. 

Thankfully the temperature has now dropped a bit, though still no sign of the rain that we desperately need.