Dancing in the street

As part of Bingley's 1940s event, you could learn to dance in the park - and lots of people were joining in. 

Those more skilled in the art of 'lindy hop' or 'jitterbug' or whatever it is properly called were letting it rip in the square outside the Arts Centre, and attracted quite a sizeable audience. The music and lively dancing were most enjoyable. It's always great to see people enjoying themselves and the sunshine was a bonus. 

Bingley 1940s event

The sunny weather was ideal for Bingley's 1940s event in the town square. Lots of people attended and many really entered into the spirit of it, dressing up and joining in the dancing. There were a few ex-army vehicles, vintage cars, stalls selling vintage clothing and memorabilia and, of course, plenty of food and drinks available. It's never easy taking photos in a small, crowded area but I managed a few snaps that convey something of the atmosphere. It was a good day out! 

Bingley artworks

Last summer I showed a few of the artworks that had been placed near Bingley railway station. (See HERE.) I mentioned that I thought there were more paintings by Jane Fielder somewhere... and on my recent walk around the town I found two more near the arts centre. I believe they were originally painted for the swimming pool, but sadly that is currently closed and may not reopen. Jane is a local artist and used to own The Bingley Gallery on Park Road until she retired from that. She still paints, I think, and is active in the Aire Valley Arts Group.  

I like much of her work and these two paintings, showing some of the old mills near the canal locks (left) and the old part of Bingley, with the church and the Old White Horse coaching inn (right), are, I think, very pleasing.   

Bingley's Myrtle Park

Between Bingley's main street and the river is a pleasant green space known as Myrtle Park, which has lots of amenities including a bandstand, café, children's play area, skateboard park and a large bottom meadow used for picnics, dog walking and various local events. For a long time Bingley Agricultural Show was held there but, since Covid, that has not taken place. They did, however, use the park for the finale of the Bradford City of Culture 2025 celebrations. 

The crocuses were blooming (this was a week or so ago) and there was a bank of daffodils in bud, which are probably flowering by now. It's cared for by the local Council and 'Friends of Myrtle Park' put in many volunteer hours in the gardens and staffing the visitor hub, which provides activities for children and an information point. I've several friends who are heavily involved and I think they should all be very proud of their efforts, as the park looks lovely. 

They've added more 'focal points' in recent years, including a couple of rather lovely, whimsical, carved tree stumps that seem to entrance children. 

And so, back to the River Aire. There's a footbridge across and then it was a pleasant walk in the sunshine, past the allotments, past the cricket field, tennis courts and the golf course, up Beckfoot Lane to where I'd parked my car. It was a delightful walk.

Throstle's nest

I walked back a little way along the other side of the river from Ireland Bridge and then climbed up steep stone steps from the river bank into Bingley's town square, where there was a lovely display of crocuses. 

Bingley was granted a market charter by King John in 1212. By the 1300s it was probably the largest town in the Aire valley (more important in those days than what are now the cities of Bradford and Leeds). The old town was sited around the church and the Old White Horse coaching inn, by the Ireland Bridge river crossing, and the market would have been set up along what was then the main street. 

The market hall, dating to the late 1600s (when a second market charter was granted), is a long, low, open-sided building with stone columns and an oak roof covered with stone slates. When the main street was widened in the 1800s, it became redundant and was moved to a Bingley park and in the 1980s it was relocated again to what is now the town square.    

Behind it is the buttercross, thought to date from the 13th century (the original market charter) and later given a canopy. Vendors would have laid out their butter and dairy produce on its steps. There is also a set of stocks preserved beside it. 

An early historian noted: 'Ancient houses round its venerable parish church, the little place lays deeply embossed amidst high craggy hills and embowering woodlands and well does it deserve its title of: The Throstle’s Nest of England.'  On the riverside there is a stone plaque illustrating this old title, showing a thrush (throstle) feeding its young in the nest. 

River path

From Beckfoot Bridge I took the footpath along the river that leads round towards Myrtle Park. There are lovely views across the park and up into the woodland around Bingley St Ives. You wouldn't know you were only half a mile away from Bingley town centre.

There's a point where you look down and glimpse water between the trees. This isn't the river (which lies beyond). There are a couple of small lakes that at one time I think were fishing lakes, though I'm not sure they are used now. It's all quite attractive, though there are few clear views through fences and trees. 

Eventually I arrived at Ireland Bridge, which leads across the river to the oldest part of Bingley around the church. 

Beckfoot bimble

I had a stressful few days trying to get fibre broadband connected. How can BT/Openreach get things so consistently wrong? Eventually, after a lot of hassle, on the third day I did get the working connection I needed. Phew. It was a lovely day, unseasonably warm and sunny, with gorgeous light so the best way for me to decompress was with a walk. I decided I'd go to Bingley as I haven't walked that way for ages, though it's a familiar, favourite route. (I used to live over in that direction.) 

I walked down Beckfoot Lane to the gorgeous little packhorse bridge which has spanned Harden Beck since 1723, though there was a wooden bridge here before that. I've shown it several times before on my blog but I do think it an attractive spot, with the ford and the narrow bridge. Packhorse bridges were traditionally built without parapets so that horses heavily laden with panniers could cross unimpeded. Wooden balustrades have been added to the structure much more recently, as health and safety is taken more seriously these days. 

After recent rain the ford was quite deep and fast-flowing. Misguided visitors to the area, using sat-nav, have many a time come to a halt in their cars half-way across! 

I wanted a photo showing the bridge from the other direction. Beside the bridge, there are some lovely old buildings with a rich history: Templar Cottage and Beckfoot Farmhouse - but what with the sun being in my eyes and an abundance of brambles and shrubbery, that proved more than a difficult assignment! 

Nearby, on the banking, I spotted a really pretty little cluster of newly minted daffodils, the first I'd seen this year. 

A linear walk #5

Saltaire to Bingley Five-Rise Locks

Above the Three-Rise Locks, after rounding a bend in the canal, you get a first glimpse of the engineering marvel that is Bingley's Five-Rise Locks - the steepest staircase locks on the longest canal in the country, built in 1774 and rightfully considered one of the wonders of our waterways. They lift the canal about 60 feet (16 m). It's very quiet at the moment owing to the water shortages leading to restricted opening times for the passage of boats. When working, it takes a boat about 45 minutes to travel up the staircase, assisted by lock-keepers because inevitably it's rather a complicated exercise! 

At the top, there's a small canal basin to allow boats room to manoeuvre and wait for passage. Beyond that there are always a lot of boats moored so it's a colourful spot to visit. Crossing the swing bridge, I called at the Locks Café for refreshment and a welcome rest. It's only a walking distance of about three miles from home but it always feels much further, no doubt because I stop so often to take photos! 

I then walked on just a little further to Hainsworth's Boatyard, where there's a track down to the main road. I decided I'd get a bus back, as I'd have been very weary walking the whole way back. As you can gather from my photos, it was quite a dull day. It was okay for mono photography but not so wonderful for colour. 

Saltaire to the Five-Rise is an interesting walk with varied scenery and lots to see. I achieved my objective of taking some decent black and white photos for our club project, so it was a good exercise all round! 

 

A linear walk #4

Saltaire to Bingley Five-Rise Locks

Beyond Park Road, a short and rather boring stretch of canal between two high walls leads to the Three-Rise Locks, a staircase that lifts the canal about 29 feet. You can see from my photo that the approach has a sharper turn than it would have had when built in 1774, because the canal below the locks was moved over to the right (north east) from its original position to make room for the new road. On the left of the photo you can see a pedestrian bridge over the new road. 

Below, looking back from near the top of the lowest lock, you get a reasonable view of both the canal and the road, with Park Road bridge in the distance. 

Alongside the locks, a wall has been painted with a mural depicting various local places of interest along the canal. (It was an attempt to deter the frequent graffiti sprayed on the blank wall - and it appears to have worked.) 

Just above the locks, a swing bridge provides an access point to the canal towpath for pedestrians and cyclists. There's another mill conversion here, with flats and townhouses. 

Looking back towards Bingley town centre, the tower you can see in the middle (below), with a red structure at the top, was until 1972 Bingley's fire station, now a bar. 

A linear walk #3

Saltaire to Bingley Five-Rise Locks

The new road bridge over the canal here is quite a dominant feature, a little tunnel that separates the semi-rural outskirts of Bingley from the denser urban centre. Immediately beyond is the fairly recent mill conversion of the former Britannia Mills, a large scale wool worsted factory, built in the late 1800s, one of several mills and industrial premises that existed alongside the canal in Bingley in the 19th and 20th centuries. I don't know when it ceased production but it lay empty and some of the buildings were demolished, until it was revived as apartments in the old three storey shed with a couple of new apartment blocks added on the site too. 

The pattern of old industrial buildings interspersed with newer residential builds continues along the canal. 

Leading up from the canal, some of the rows of Victorian terraced housing still stand, gradually giving way to newer and less dense residential areas as you progress up the steep valley side. 

There's a family of swans living in this area (not the same ones that hang around in Saltaire). 

Some of the old mill chimneys have been left standing, proud monuments to a different era. 

Around the Park Road bridge, the vegetation in the canal is particularly dense, with a large patch of reeds encroaching on the navigation. They look quite pretty but will soon make the canal impassable if they're left to proliferate. This is the section of canal that was lifted and moved several yards. Just over that wall on the left, the bypass speeds through and right beside that is the railway, those steps leading down from Park Road to the station platform. There really wasn't a lot of room to slot a dual carriageway through, so hats off to the planners and engineers that squeezed it all in! 

The vibrant mural that now decorates a gable end just beside the Park Road bridge has only recently been painted. It depicts moorhens, many of which frequent the canal. It is by Misc.Etc, sponsored by Bradford City of Culture 2025. 

A linear walk #2

Saltaire to Bingley Five-Rise Locks

Just beyond the changeline bridge (see yesterday) is Dowley Gap Locks, a two-rise lock lifting the canal by about 5.6m (18'4"). 

A short way beyond the locks is Scourer Bridge that carries Primrose Lane over the canal. These original canal bridges, dating to the 1770s, have a very narrow roadway suitable for a horse and cart, not modern vehicles. Thankfully, because it's on a slope, it's relatively easy to see what's at the other side of this one when you're driving! My photo is looking back through the bridge towards the locks. 

The Fisherman's Pub sits alongside the canal here, a good pitstop for hikers, cyclists and locals looking for a drink and a meal. It's a popular spot for boaters to moor too. The canal is a bit wider here - what's called a 'winding hole' where boats can turn round. The pub's premises are actually separated from the canal by an old track that leads to some houses (and another old mill, now flats) but there are pub tables on a bit of grass alongside the towpath so it's a nice place to sit and rest. 

As the canal wends its way towards Bingley, you pass under Maud's Bridge, a bridge that is actually an aqueduct, carrying water pipes that bring water from reservoirs up in Nidderdale to Bradford's water treatment works at Chellow Heights. (Yes, the same pipe system that crosses the River Wharfe at Bolton Abbey). 

Shortly after that, you arrive on the outskirts of Bingley. In 2003, a new road, the Bingley Bypass, was constructed through the valley, to avoid all the traffic having to pass along the main street through the town centre, which up to then was a real bottleneck. Unlike many bypasses, it doesn't skirt the town, but goes through the middle at a lower level, squeezed between the railway and the canal. To build it they had to shift the canal over in some parts, as well as build new bridges. It was a huge engineering challenge, but gradually these things 'bed in' and you forget what it all looked like before. 

My photo below shows one of the slip roads that runs down from the town centre and allows traffic to join the bypass. The new bridge carries Ferncliffe Road over the canal.