Bradford Beauties – Lode up on Baildon Moor
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This circular journey through Bradford offers a mix of history and natural beauty, perfect for exploring Bradford 2025 – UK City of Culture.
We begin in Saltaire, a UNESCO World Heritage site and model village founded by Sir Titus Salt in 1853. A short walk through Roberts Park, with its Victorian features, sets the stage for our adventure.
Next, we walk along the historic Shipley Glen Tramway, dating back to 1895. The steep walk gives a glimpse into past leisure activities. Shipley Glen is an ancient glacial valley, with craggy outcrops, and is a favourite spot for hikers, horse riders, BMXers and climbers.
Climbing around 200m to Baildon Moor, we enjoy panoramic views and see Bronze Age markings. During the Industrial Revolution, the moor was vital for raw materials, evidenced by abandoned stone quarries.
We follow the moor down to Lode Pit Beck, with its rich mineral deposits. Taking a forest path along the Glen, we reach the River Aire. Our walk concludes by taking in Hirst Woods, an ancient woodland along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal and back to Saltaire.
There’ll be time after the walk for you to explore Saltaire village – from the architecture to Salts Mill (housing David Hockney exhibits, a bookshop & the Peace Museum - open until 5pm).
There’ll be an optional trip to a café, This could include the Half Moon Café in Roberts Park, grabbing a bite to take away from the local bakery, or taking a seat in the Salts Mill diner.
Dogs: Well-behaved, socialised and under-control dogs are welcome on this event.
Dogs should be kept on a lead whenever this is signposted and whenever we are in the vicinity of livestock, and at the event leader's request.
If the event is fully booked: please join the wait list as people frequently drop out during the week before an event and you are likely to get a place on the walk.
If this is your first OutdoorLads walk event
If this is your first event, we’ll make sure you feel welcomed. Please check out the My First Event page, and don’t hesitate to drop me a message if you have questions or want to know more about this walk.
You MUST complete a Participation Statement, in addition to booking your event space before attending an OutdoorLads event. You only need to complete this once and before your first event.
Image / photo credits: All leader's own images - with permission for OutdoorLads to use.
What to bring
Water: Bring at least 2 litres if possible. Hot drinks recommended, it gets cold quickly on the exposed moorland section.
Medicines: If you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments etc.
Rucksack: A 20l day backpack or similar. They are comfortable to wear and allow you to use your arms freely.
Footwear: We’re likely to encounter boggy/muddy conditions at points, so please wear boots designed for hiking.
Socks: Proper walking socks will keep your feet dry and help prevent blisters.
Layered clothing: Lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid-layer (a micro fleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece).
Trousers: Ideally not jeans which become heavy and cold in the rain, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and easier to dry. On warm days shorts are ok but be prepared for wind when we reach the summit of our walk.
Gloves: Windproof, or better still, waterproof gloves are the best choice, bring a spare pair if expecting rain.
Waterproof jacket: Breathable fabrics are more comfortable and drier.
Hat or cap: Hats will keep you warm and protect you from the wind. Essential in Winter.
Sunglasses: For any sunny day, even in winter.
Sun cream: Can be useful even on cloudy and winter days.
Snacks: Bring biscuits, energy bars, gels, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit for example and put them somewhere easy to get hold of
Lunch: Bring a packed lunch.
Food & drink
Please bring a packed lunch and hot drink. Plenty of water/juice too.
There’s opportunity before the walk to get snacks from local shops and the bakery does takeaway drinks too. There are no large supermarket in Saltaire village itself.
There’s limited access to food and drink venues on this route until we return to Saltaire.