A real high point this summer was completing a sustainable travel adventure from the doorstep of Newton Grange in Bank Newton with my family.
On Yorkshire Day we set off by bicycle with the goal of cycling to the city of Leeds along the Leeds Liverpool Canal towpath and returning by train.
Beforehand we had spent time thinking through different options and “what if?” scenarios. In the end we decided simply to “give it a go” and see how far we got.
Do you think we made it?
I guess you probably know the answer already. We did! And such was the joy and sense of achievement surrounding the day that I thought I’d put together some of what we learnt and why I’d recommend this route to others.
The Why
All good adventurous family days out start with a “why”. Do we really want to push ourselves – and more to the point, our children – to pursue a physical challenge that’s a bit further and longer than we might otherwise embark on?
Our why starts with the place we call home. Situated next to the Leeds Liverpool Canal in Bank Newton, Newton Grange Farm is characterised by its pastoral landscapes alongside one of the most rural sections of the canal on its 127 mile route.
Whenever we walk up from home to the canal towpath behind the holiday cottages, and walk towards East Marton there is soon an historic white marker post that pinpoints just exactly how far between the two cities of Leeds and Liverpool you are.
Along the canal, Newton Grange Farm is 36 and a quarter miles away from Leeds. Embarking on this cycle ride from home had been in mind for some time – when the family were old enough.
On our cycle ride, these marker posts were so helpful – the children loved counting down the miles, especially as we got closer and closer to our destination! Plus it saved the inevitable question of, “how long until we get there?”
Another “why” for us is our shared love of outdoor activities and adventure – the absolute joy that comes with trying out something new, pushing our physical boundaries and gaining a sense of achievement.
For our youngest daughter in particular, cycling all the way to Leeds felt like a big thing, and it was.
Why cycling along the canal is a delight – History, geography and a sense of awe and wonder
Are you the kind of person who loves learning something as you go along and enjoy being immersed in the landscapes?
What I loved about the journey from Bank Newton to Leeds along the canal was just a sense of awe and wonder at the magnitude of the work that was done to build the canal in the first place, and how old it is. The project began more than 250 years ago back in 1770 and took years to complete. Its creation heralded the beginning of an important freight corridor from the port of Liverpool inland.
The industrial story lives on – As you cycle along the canal, why not count the tall chimneys you see along the way? They highlight the industrial legacy of the settlements and places that were built in this part of Yorkshire, where manufacturing and production relied on materials being transported along the canal. There are some wonderful examples of the former mill chimneys, the closest ones being in Skipton. Today, residential and office developments are found in the converted former Dewhursts Mill.
There are some really special locations on the canal.
Two highlights for me were the Five Rise Locks at Bingley and the World Heritage Site of Saltaire and Salt’s Mill.
Why are the Five Rise Locks so special?
They are the “steepest lock staircase in Britain”. They’re also Grade I listed. When they opened in 1774, reportedly thirty thousand people turned out to cheer their opening. Their creation marked one of the greatest feats of canal engineering at the time.
As we were travelling from Bank Newton to Leeds, we enjoyed the downhill section of the towpath – keeping a close hold on our brakes. As we continued to approach Leeds, there were other occasions where series of locks enabled a nice descent and we were quite pleased to be travelling the canal in this direction!
The photograph above shows Salt’s Mill as seen from the towpath of the Leeds Liverpool Canal. It is an impressive building in its own right, but when coupled with the wider layout and built environment of Saltaire village it is easy to see why Saltaire enjoys World Heritage Status. Back in the nineteenth century Sir Titus Salt chose to build his textile mills close to the River Aire and Leeds Liverpool Canal, and the village grew up around the mill for his workers – heralding an improvement in conditions for mill workers at the time, in keeping with his philanthropic outlook.
Making a stop in the vicinity of Saltaire is well worth it, whether visiting the area generally or going on a cycle journey yourself. Roberts Park in Saltaire runs alongside the canal and is a lovely place to be. The Aire Sculpture Trail has been developed in more recent years and makes for interesting discoveries. There are eateries in abundance in the village too.
Food and Drink – An important consideration on any cycling adventure for children!
As is typical with our own family outings, a pack-up was the foundation of our fuelling on the cycle ride – with a ready supply of go-to snacks to keep everyone fuelled.
The provisions were carried in panniers attached to my bike, and we all carried our own water bottles too
The day had started with a full cooked breakfast – ensuring we were well fuelled at the start. We had even eaten a pasta-based meal the evening before, reminiscent of my old pre-race rowing days.
This said, we always intended to have our “main lunch” at a cycle cafe along the way and for this, we had a few options “up our sleeves” – to be chosen depending on our pace of travel, everyone’s hunger and according to energy and motivation levels.
The cafes in Kildwick are delightful, but on this occasion it was just a “banana stop” for us – being mid-morning and with a considerable distance still to travel. We decided to keep making progress towards Leeds whilst legs were not too tired, rather than being allured to the rather enticing coffee on offer. One for another time…
We decided upon Bingley Five Rise Locks Cafe for lunch. Ample bicycle parking and bike racks – a popular spot, with tables inside and outside and a menu catering to all our food cravings by that time. A hot cup of tea was most welcome and I enjoyed a Baked Potato with Tuna and Salad, whilst the rest of the family chose sausage sandwiches which they loved, and the children shared a sweet treat too.
It was so noticeable how, after lunch, the children’s energy levels were noticeably higher and it’s fair to say there were no complaints whatsover in cycling this next section of canal towards Leeds.
I think by this time, we were now benefitting from some rather glorious downhill sections, as the series of locks abounded not only in Bingley but closer to Leeds too. The towpath itself was often a firmer/better surface in parts and also wider than some of the areas we had experienced – perhaps except for the tarmac-tree roots, where careful swerving, slowing down and calling out to the person behind you became the order of the day.
Pyschologically, everyone knew we were more than half way and there was a shared determination to “make it all the way there”.
As a parent I can share that when your eight year old shows such grit, determination and commitment to keep going – No holding back – it is something else! Nothing can be more motivating in seeing their shared love of a physical challenge and sense of journey.
So together, we kept going, passing dreamy Saltaire and then in to different landscapes beyond – heading towards the city and enjoying the differences we had seen along the canal compared to back home. It’s funny how the “same canal” can feel so different when its environs vary and the towpath itself is actually quite different on different sections of the route too.
That afternoon, heading to Leeds, I actually felt for a few moments like I was “on holiday”. Just the contrast from the rural landscapes of home, and the wider scenery – transporting you away from your every day for a few hours at a time.
So, on the topic of food and drink, here are some of the places we discovered along the way (or to be visited on a future occasion). The list is not exhaustive – and there may well be places “just off the canal” that are super places to go, but here’s what we noticed as we were travelling through:
- Skipton – The canal basin – a range of cafes and eateries along Coach Street, such as Bizzie Lizzies Fish and Chip Shop, The Boathouse Bar, Phoebe’s, and other cafes such as The Coffee House in Coach Street Car Park
- Kildwick – The Coffee and Crumbs cafe in the Parish Rooms, and Canalside Cafe in Kildwick – with brilliant cycle parking, and a family-friendly vibe
- Bingley – Five Rise Locks Cafe – a super spot with extensive menu, plus delicious home-baking and ice creams. Great cycle racks outside too.
- Apperley Bridge – Marina View Coffee Shop – on the opposite side of the towpath, with lovely views of the marina
- Rodley – The Tiny Tea Room by Calverley Bridge – this looked a popular spot, nestled by the canal
- Leeds – Eateries in Granary Wharf
Here are a few photograph of the locations:
The canal basin in Skipton
By the canal bridge in Kildwick
Bingley Five Rise Locks Cafe
The Tiny Tea Room by Calverley Bridge, Rodley
Arriving to Leeds and the train home!
So we made it. We cycled all the way to Leeds as a family. More than 36 and a quarter miles was complete.
When we got to the end of the canal and in to the canal basin, to a buzzing Granary Wharf on a Saturday afternoon – this felt so completely different to much of the canal we had been cycling on for the past 4 and a half hours!
We had such a sense of satisfaction, and took photographs to mark the occasion.
Soon after, we focused all our remaining energy on how to now get home.
The plan was always to try to travel by train. Having read up in advance that you couldn’t book the bikes on to the Northern Rail train service, and there was a two-bike limit per train, we knew we were just going to have see how it went.
When we got in to the south-side of the station – thanks to lifts and the helpfulness of staff – we walked on through and began questions of the staff at the ticket office. The main objective was to clarify if the next service to Gargrave had room for more than 2 bikes or not. We learnt it was a “4 carriage not a 2 carriage” train, and so there may well be room, but it would depend on whether any other passengers were trying to travel with bikes too.
We then went on to buy our tickets and hope for the best, arriving in plenty of time to the platform and looking for the easily identifiable doors that signal where you can put bikes on.
Part way through the platform wait, a second two-carriage train joined the original one, and at that point – two of our party moved down the platform to the other set of doors.
It was a success! When the doors opened, happily we each could mount the train, attach the bikes to the racks and enjoy the journey back to Gargrave.
Back on Gargrave Station, we had a sense of “nearly there”. The next hazard to navigate was climbing up the staircase off the platform, carrying the bikes – something we knew about in advance and thought would be manageable for us. It turns out it was. We took it one bike at a time.
At this point, the end of the day’s adventure was in sight. All we now had to do was cycle back along to Bank Newton. We opted to do this by road, and not on the canal – whatever seemed the smoothest ride (and the quickest too)!
Upon arrival back to Newton Grange Farm, I had such a smile on my face and the children did too. We had done it! A day of sustainable travel and adventure from the doorstep with no car in sight. The longest day’s cycling both of our children had ever done, on a family outing curated from the doorstep with a lovely train journey thrown in.
I felt really proud of all the family for completing it with such positivity, especially for the littlest of legs.
Closing thoughts
Embarking on a journey with adventure and discovery at its heart – something that pushed our own boundaries – made for a joyful day and something we all felt proud of.
Would I cycle to Leeds along the canal again?
Yes, absolutely.
Would I recommend it?
Yes – for sure. As long as you’re comfortable with the potential need for a “Plan B” and are happy with the risks of taking bikes on trains, even if that means returning to Skipton (not Gargrave) and cycling more on the canal on the way back. For those not familiar with the local train routes, the train service from Gargrave (our nearest village) is not as frequent as from Skipton, where trains to Leeds run every half an hour. The advantage of Gargrave is that it’s only a couple of miles back to Bank Newton to cycle at the end of the day. Something to weigh up, if you’re staying in our holiday cottages as a family and thinking about this kind of adventurous day out too.
If you like the thought of the cycle ride but would prefer to do a bit less or have more transportation options home, then perhaps consider transporting your bikes to Skipton instead to start the ride there.
The brilliant thing about it is that you don’t have to go all the way to Leeds – finishing the journey in Bingley, Saltaire or Shipley would also make for a good outing – picking up the train in those locations. The downside is that you’d be less sure of whether there was room for the bikes on the train part-way along its route out of Leeds.
Want to learn more about the Leeds Liverpool Canal?
If you fancy learning more about the heritage of the canal, the Leeds and Liverpool Canal Society is a good place to start. We enjoyed reading about it in the Five Rise Locks cafe, and collected a leaflet from there too.
It’s one of the things I love most about this journey – it’s like a day of learning and exploration all rolled in to one.
