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