Leg 4 - Calderdale Way Relay

Cross the road to a step-stile (SD 958275) and follow a partly paved path half right across several fields. After passing some old huts make for a wall corner over the crest of a hill

Follow the path diagonally over fields and after three more stiles get to a small wooden gate painted yellow. Turn left down an overgrown track between two walls to Shaw Bottom

Keep left of the house and continue downhill to a T junction. (Buses to the left at Jack Bridge)

Turn right and as the surfaced track becomes a rough lane note Hudson Mill down on the left and Heptonstall Church Tower coming into view ahead. Here a clapper bridge is seen crossing Colden river below.

Stay on the high path until some steps lead down to Hebble Hole Bridge, a pleasant picnic spot. The Pennine Way joins from the right.

Go over the bridge and turn right, keeping up the bank until the Pennine Way leaves through a gate on the left.

Continue uphill along a fine paved path to a stone step-stile at the top corner of Foster Wood. Go through and diagonally across a field to a second stile.

Follow a paved path through several stiles and fields. Notice how the Colden Valley with its rocky outcrops cuts deeply into the landscape. The paved way eventually joins a wider track which should be followed up left.

Turn right at the T junction; past some cottages, go over a stile and along a paved path to another stile where several tracks meet. Go straight ahead along the wider track, keeping to the upper way at a fork until a tarmac lane is reached. Below to the right is Lumb Bank House.

Walk up Lumb Bank past an electricity pole and turn off right through a gap in the wall before the bend. Follow the high path at Eaves Wood, keeping left.

After clambering over rocks a level path is reached at the top of the wood. Keep straight on, eventually with a wall on the left and Eaves Rocks on the right.

Pause for the view over Mytholm, where the Colden river joins the Calder and Stoodley Pike dominates the view of the Upper Valley. Look back to Lumb Bank House and the tall, silent chimneys of Bob Mill (1802) in their woodland setting.

Soon the path is joined by rising steps from the right; turn left at the corner ahead and walk between walls to the Victorian parish church of Heptonstall. Past the estate is a group of cottages, West Laithe 1970.

Bear left here past Chantry House and up the stone steps to the old church. On the right is a small museum in the old grammar school, and on the left as the path enters Towngate is the old Cloth Hall.

From here the route turns right and left into Northgate. Proceed along Northgate, noticing the Methodist Chapel on the right.

At Stocks Villas bear right down a narrow track, Northwell Lane. Continue downhill past a cottage, avoiding the right fork just beyond, until reaching a tarmac road

Go straight across and follow the path down through the wood crossing a track much used by vehicles and down a steep section to the Hebden Water. Continue forward past the weir to Horse Bridge at Midgehole.

From the bridge go up to the post box, near the entrance to Hardcastle Crags. Turn right up to a toilet block then sharp left following a track uphill to a house. Continue steeply uphill on the path signed Pecket Well.

This is Raegate which winds among beech trees until the track levels out then drops to a stream at Kitling Bridge. Over the bridge, climb the paved way keeping left at the junction and emerging on the Hebden Bridge-Keighley bus route (A6033) near Pecket Well.

Cross this road then climb to a seat and stile on the road above. Note nearby the Pecket Memorial and more distantly Heptonstall and Stoodley Pike.

Turn right along the top road (SD 996293) then take the second track on the left to a small group of buildings, Shaw Croft Hill. Turn left on reaching the houses up a broad grassy track; ignore paths coming in from the right and go forward uphill beneath two sets of cables to a bridleway.

Continue up a walled track signed to Slack Farm as far as another bridleway. Turn right along the moor edge, following a wall past Moorside. Where the track divides take the lower path to a wooden post and CW sign above Bog Eggs.

From here stay above walls and fencing for the next mile or so, following the path round the moor as far as the golf course at Mount Skip. Keep above the golf course fence, avoiding tracks into Cock Hill quarries on the left. Below note Old Town and the last relic of Acre Mills, its canteen now converted into a village car museum, Automobilia

At the Clubhouse bear left away from the fence (compass 060 degrees) following a green track to a stile and gate onto Midgley Moor. Cross the moor diagonally to a wall corner; stay above this wall until a small path leads leftwards through the heather to a high stone pillar standing sentinel on the moor - Churn Milk Joan.

From the pillar drop down to a wall corner then half left following a line of cairns and stakes between Crow Hill and the quarries. Sowerby Church makes a good aiming mark (compass 160 degrees).

On reaching a rounded field wall keep to the track above. The track continues round the moor with fine views up Luddenden Dean to Lower Saltonstall and Castle Carr. Leave the moor by a stile where a walled stony track drops steeply into a lane.

Follow the metalled road downhill, turning sharp right and left, as far as the cobbled driveway on the right signed to High House Lane.

Turn sharp left behind a building onto a field path leading eventually by a walled path to Jerusalem Lane. Turn right for Jerusalem Farm.

Above Jerusalem Farm you may use the gap in the wall, bypassing the farm leading down to the river at GR 034279. Cross Wade Bridge, bear half right up the wood then sharp left where another path joins at a wooden post. Follow this uphill then on a green lane to the Hullet and Upper Saltonstall.

Bear right into Heys Lane and quickly left up a track past Lower Green Edge Farm. Turn right up the next lane and onto the changeover point at Castle Carr Road.