A summaryMeet up time 10AM- aim to finish by 2pm
3.5 mile walk
Midgehole Car Park: This is the larger of the two car parks and is located on Midgehole Road, about 1.8 miles from Hebden Bridge railway station. The postcode for this car park is HX7 7AA.
The cost of parking the whole day is £5 or free for National Trust members
This is a circular trail around the wooded Pennine Valley of Hardcastle Crags, near Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire.
Owned by the National Trust, the valley comprises a beautiful shallow river, Hebden Water, with steep wooded valley sides, offering the opportunity to discover lots of wildlife, as well as some industrial archaeology along the way.
From the car park, follow the path down to the Hebden Water, which meanders through the valley. In the 1800s and early 1900s, this valley would have been a hive of industrial activity as Hebden Water drove many cotton mills located here. Today, the only traces of this industry are the stone weirs in the river, a few buildings, and the flagstone packhorse trails on the riverside and valley banks.
As the path continues along the riverside, it takes in sections of boardwalk, wooden steps, rocky sections, and a paved packhorse trail, eventually leading you to a set of stepping stones.
The path leads you past another two sets of stepping stones before emerging to Gibson Mill. The 19th-century cotton-spinning and weaving mill has been converted to a cafe and visitor centre.
Follow the path, climbing steeply up the uneven rocky steps, taking care as this can be slippery at times. As you walk, look closely at the rocks, and you may notice many large ants scurrying around. Hardcastle Crags is well known as the home of the northern hairy wood ant, which lives in huge anthills with nests as large as six feet tall. Experts believe that there could be 400 ant nests on the hillside, and with an average of half a million inhabitants in each nest, that would give a total population of 200 million ants
***Please bring a lunch snack as we will be stopping for a quick lunch break***
***Trainers are not wise for this walk due to the slippery rocks by the beck. All attendees must wear hiking shoes with a good grip***
