Leg 8 - East Ardsely to Needless Inn, Morley - 27th July

The difference between the seventh and eighth legs of the walk couldn't have stood in brighter contrast if they tried. If the word for leg 7 was uninspiring, then the word to describe leg 8 was dramatic. Part of this I think was due to the impending rain storm that hovered above us for large chunks of the walk but part of it was finally getting back into some open countryside and the views out over South Leeds in the last mile or so of the walk were some of the best that we've seen so far.

The paths leaves the pretty town of East Ardsley fairly quickly and runs between two fences for half a mile or so down between various fields. Tall trees grow close to the fence offering some well needed shade and after the confusion of the last leg it was a relief to have the route so clearly laid out in front of us. The steepness of the hill also meant that views out over the rest of Leeds were becoming more frequent. A slight moment of panic ensued when the instructions told us to turn right into a field which was full of cows, but after adopting the correct position for trying to catch wild animals (we failed, sadly) we passed by them with no incidents

You come out onto Blind Lane which takes you past a whole line of farms and agricultural factories, inlcuding Leafield, which even after having read the sign a few times, I'm still not quite sure what goes in and what comes out of the factory...and I'm not sure that I want to know! After the farms came some of my favourite scenery so far, rolling hills and hedgerows as far as the eye could see, something that I will miss when I leave England behind.

Passing over Hey Beck in amongst some quiet woods and tall hedgerows, we found one of those secret places that childhoods are made of and that make all of the unpleasant parts of the LCW all worthwhile. The sun dappled rocks and gentle sussurations of the water over roots made me want to bring Jake back here with a picnic as the walk there is worth repeating.

Emerging from the countryside, the route picks up a road for a short while, and after crossing over into farmland, an important land mark was reached. We'd not thought about the walk as a circle before, but I realised that as the way turns right alongside a wooded beck, we'd reached the most southerly point of the route and we stopped for a minute to celebrate, before turning east and north again under ever darkening clouds.

When the route brings you out into the far end of West Ardsley, it takes a while to work out the precise instructions after crossing the A653, but again with the smart phone and Leeds OS map to hand, we were able to navigate a long thin path through tall brambles alongside a disused railway line.

The last mile or so of the route is probably my favourite so far. You climb a gentle hill and rewarded with gorgeous views, a hill that drops steeply away and the ruins of Howley Hall. The paths are clearly marked and are well used by other walkers, but the openness and colours felt like a just reward for the long walk. After stopping to drink it all in, we descended the hill and onto to Scotchman Lane, ready for the next leg in a month's time.

Total distance = 5.5 miles
Total time = 2 hours 15 minutes
Cumulative distance = 41 miles
Cumulative time = 20 hours 30 minutes

Leg 7 - Swithen's Farm to East Ardsley - 27th July

A combination of another month or so of misaligned weekends and holidays and my wife going back home with Jake for 10 days meant that Matt and I decided to make a real push today on the walk, managing to walk 10 miles and completing two legs in one day. Whilst we might not walk again till September, we're now back on track at one walk a month (on average!).

Leg 7 was distinctly uninspiring. There comes a point after the third walk through farms near the motorway that the rolling hills and scenery of the first few legs seems like a different country. We started off at Swithen's Farm bright and early with the intention of making a pub for lunch as a reward for 10 miles worth of walking. We instantly ran into problems as we had moved onto the third sheet of the walk, but had finished just before the end of the second. Taking a guess as to which footpath to follow, we ended up in the wrong end of Carlton, and were only saved by Matt's phone and some logical reasoning about where leg 7 was meant to start.

The route quickly leaves the village, but the author of this leg tended to use 10 words when one would suffice and those 10 words weren't always the most accurate. Admittedly, the route is sometimes indistinct, cutting across agricultural fields and will and sometimes just being little more than a game trail alongside a hedge.

Fortunately, the weather was warm, we were in no particular rush and there's a certain amount of pride at having decoding some poor directions and realising that you're on the right track again. We came out the farm land near Robin Hood and crossed under the M1 and into more farmland. The route is here is not clear, possibly due to the growth in the fields but also the instructions give little or no help. Fortunately, the smart phone with the Leeds OS map came to our rescue and after a few false starts, we were back on track. After crossing the M62 (via a disgusting tunnel), the instructions showed their age when where there should have been a pleasant stroll along Dolphin Beck, there was a now a new shiny housing estate. I guess it must be nice to have views out over the hills, but the lack of trees and the cookie cutter nature of the houses made me feel a little creeped out and we were pleased to get back on the Way by the Nook Pub. 

The route then curves away into fields and we stopped for coffee in one of the few places with a decent view. The last part of the leg takes you through what felt like the corn fields from Gladiator (cue a small photo shoot) before spitting you out into East Ardsley. We took a photo here to demarcate the end of one leg and the start of another, and realised that this would have been a great series to have done after each leg. Next time round perhaps. 

Total distance = 5 miles

Total time = 2.5 hours

Cumulative distance = 35.5 miles

Cumulative time = 18 hours 15 minutes