Poetry and motion

Mark Sutcliffe takes a literary journey through the steep-sided valleys of the Pennines

Hebden Bridge will forever be associated with two figures who loom large in the pantheon of literary greats: former Poet Laureate Ted Hughes and mercurial American-born poet Sylvia Plath.

Ted Hughes was born at 1 Aspinall Street in Mytholmroyd – just a stone’s throw from the Rochdale Canal – and briefly lived at The Beacon in Heptonstall with Plath during their turbulent six-year marriage. Plath is buried in the graveyard of the Church of St Thomas a Becket in Heptonstall.

Our route passes these significant locations as it heads down the steep-sided wooded gorge of Cragg Vale from Hebden Bridge Club Campsite and follows the towpath of the canal into Hebden Bridge before climbing through verdant beech woods to Heptonstall on the lip of the Calder Valley.

This historic valley is well worth exploring and the information room at the Club site is well stocked with a wide range of walking routes which explore the surrounding countryside. The site managers are keen walkers and have produced a selection of excellent routes in the vicinity.

Our walk is a largely traffic-free, town-into- country route which explores the rich literary history of the area. It’s a challenging walk, but if the legs are starting to flag, there is the option to catch a train back to Mytholmroyd to shave a mile off the route.

Directions

1. From the main gate of the Club site, turn left along a pavement, heading downhill for a mile into Mytholmroyd. Go under the railway bridge and over the River Calder. At the main road, cross with care and head right then left along Midgley Road and take the steps down onto the Rochdale Canal towpath.

2. 1.4km – Head left along the towpath past the locks and, at the tunnel, cross the road and rejoin the towpath into Hebden Bridge. Continue through the town centre on the left-hand bank.

3. 4.1km – At bridge No 17, next to some locks, cross over to the right-hand bank and continue along the canal past another two sets of locks and take a footpath on the right before a bridge. Follow the ginnel onto a footbridge over the river to the main road. Cross the road and then head right for 30m before taking a footpath on the left next to a road sign.

4. 5km – Climb steeply through woodland along the path as it narrows and threads its way between houses, then widens and forks right into Eaves Wood. Continue through Eaves Wood, taking the left-hand path at the next fork. Beyond the sheds, at the next fork, keep right and continue climbing for another 250m to an intersection of paths beyond Lumb Bank – once owned by Ted Hughes and now a residential writer’s retreat.

5. 6.2km – Head sharp right on the asphalt lane and follow it round to the left, then, at a cottage, take a footpath through a gap in a wall on the right. Follow the path across the fields then cross a road and join a footpath on the far side. Continue steadily downhill into Heptonstall.

6. 7km – Beyond the school and the houses, where the path meets a gravel lane, turn right then left onto cobbled streets and follow signs to the museum and chapel.

7. 7.3km – From the graveyard, retrace your steps to the cobbled Main Street and head downhill to a junction. Cross the road and head left for 25m, then turn sharp right down a cobbled path and over the ‘Old Bridge’ into the pedestrian area of Hebden Bridge.

8. 8.2km – Head right through the pedestrian area, cross the main road and continue along Holme Street to rejoin the canal. Cross the bridge near some locks then retrace your steps along the canal, or if the legs are weary, follow the canal to the station and jump on a train for the two-minute journey back to Mytholmroyd. Retrace your steps up Cragg Vale and back to the Club site.

Download this route and others to your smartphone or GPS device from the Club’s OutdoorActive page at: out.ac/IPp3bt

About the route

• Start/finish: Hebden Bridge Club Campsite, Cragg Vale, Hebden Bridge, HX7 5RU.
• Distance: 12.5km/ 7.8miles.
• Time: 3hr 30min.
• Level: Suitable for regular walkers with a good level of fitness.
• Terrain: Urban streets, uneven forest footpaths and tracks and a canal towpath which is narrow in places. Steep climbs and descents. Walking poles recommended.
• Landscape: Towns and villages and forest trails through valleys.
• Refreshments: Pubs, cafes and restaurants in Hebden Bridge. Towngate Tea Room in Heptonstall.

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The Caravan and Motorhome Club make no warranties concerning the accuracy or completeness of the routes published, which to the best of our knowledge were correct at the time of publication. Your use of the routes is at your own risk and we accept no responsibility for the suitability or safety of any routes published. Routes may be out of date or affected by changes to the physical environment and, to the extent permitted by law, we accept no responsibility for personal injury or property damage caused by your use of the routes.