Liverpool & Leeds Canal - Keighley to Leeds (★★★★☆)

This was the second day of a two day walk along the Liverpool & Leeds Canal, having walked from Gargrave to Keighley on the previous day.

I had stayed in Keighley overnight - which I had been a little bit rude about in my last write-up - but heading out of town today, I feel slightly better about the town as I head up to rejoin the canal, stopping off at the shop along the way.

All the same, on a second visit I would be staying over in Crossflats, very slightly further along the canal, which I think would improve the overall experience of the walk.

Once back on the canal, we get straight back into some lovely walking - and for those that have taken my negative comments about Keighley to heart in that previous write-up, let me be clear that the canal section as it passes through Ribblesden is a very nice section.

And it is only a very short run from Riddlesden to Bingley - and this stretch has a suburban feel as the route heads on past East Morton.

Heading past Crossflats (also passing by East Morton to the side)

Here you have the choice of the Bradford North Premier Inn, or very slightly off path the Oakwood Hall Hotel, as accomodation. Both look like they would do the job, with the choice dependent on whether you like clinical efficiency, or the softer vibes of a family-run hotel. 

Changing the walk to split here, would not really impact distances very much, as this is only a very short distance on from Keighley. There are also plenty of options for food here.

But getting back to the walk today - from here it is a very short run to a large descent at Five Rise Locks.

Five Rise Locks

Doing these locks in a boat looks a bit more challenging than just walking up or down the hill, but there were lockkeepers out already to help any traffic moving through the locks (boaters should note that these locks are closed out of hours).

And this set of locks here is the steepest flight of locks in the UK, and features some of the tallest lock gates in the country. These opened in 1774 and were considered a major engineering feat at the time, and now have Grade I listed status.

But before any canal boaters get too complacent, it is only a short stint to the next - although smaller - flight at Three Rise Locks, where you have old factories lining the river as it heads into Bingley.

One of the old factories at Bingley

The Three Rise Locks are only worthy enough to get Grade II listed status, but also opened in 1774 - and the combination of these two staircases, ensure that a lot of ascent is achieved in a very short space of time.

From here the canal winds it's way past Bingley, and then crosses over at Dowley Gap - where I take my first rest of the day opposite Hirst Wood.

Bingley is our first major town of the industrial revolution - with numerous woolen and worsted (high quality wool yarn) mills operating along the river. 

And although the town is a nice one to walk through, this was the birthplace of the Yorkshire Ripper and the starting point of Mark Rowntree's murder spree - so swing's and roundabouts really.

But otherwise, this is another well kept stretch of the river - and just past Bingley a fellow walker is out in the early morning doing some litter picking to keep it as tidy as humanly possible.

From here, it is not much further along the canal before the path heads through the Victorian model village of Saltaire.

Salt's Mill, Saltaire

Saltaire is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and takes it's name from Sir Titus Salt, who seems to quite a generous man, but one without much originality when it came to naming things. Indeed, the town of SALTaire contains SALT's Mill - just to make absolutely clear that these were built on the instruction of Sir Titus SALT. 

But, modesty aside, the town itself is an admirable one - it was built to provide better conditions than those in Bradford, and was commissioned in 1851 - and seems to have been a genuine effort to improve people's lives. 

Stone houses were built for the workers, along with wash-houses, bath-houses a hospital, a library, and so on - with endless facilities available for the workers in the mills (presumably all being named in some way after Sir Titus Salt - I bet even the salt was sold as Salt's Salt).

On this occasion I did not venture out into the town - but I'm keen to come back and explore more, as the town has a wonderful feel to it as you head through, and it is a curious creation.

Heading out of Saltaire

But leaving this town behind, the route of the canal heads on between the towns of Shipley and Baildon - before the countryside starts to reappear as the canal starts to reach the end of these two towns.

Leaving behind Shipley and Baildon

From here the canal passes through flatter countryside that will continue in a fairly similar vein all the way through to Leeds. And for me this marks the start of the slightly less exciting section - but it remains an attractive canal to walk along.

Initially the path is fairly busy, but it quietens down as the canal meanders on a loop through the countryside - with the path getting busier as it heads through, and out of Appleby Bridge.

Heading into Appleby Bridge

Heading out of Appleby Bridge

From here the path continues to get steadily busier, as the path is joined by people heading out for walks from the outskirts of Leeds - with the path getting particularly busy as it passes Horsforth.

A fancy house just before Horsforth

A lock just past Horsforth

From here the same pattern of the canal continues, with the on-going meander through the much flatter lands leading up to Leeds. 

On the map the canal is surrounded on all sides by housing, but it somehow manages to retain a very countrysidey feel - all the way up until the first glimpses of Leeds appear in the distance.

First glimpses of something looking like a city

But even while the feeling of Leeds starts to grow around you, it is impressive how well the canal keeps the feelings of being in an urban landscape at bay. 

At times this can be a slight negative, as you head under quiet and heavily graffiti-ed bridges - but while the path along the canal gets busier as it heads into Leeds, there are sections that turn back time, and surprise you with their historic feel.

Heading past Kirkstall

Finally it gets super-busy as the final stretch starts, just before the Liverpool and Leeds canal joins up with the River Aire - with onward canal navigation continuing on via the Aire and Calder Navigation, that runs on to Goole and out to the North Sea. 

This onward route provides a potential coast to coast journey across the country - I'm not entirely certain how exciting that route is as from here it is pretty flat countryside. 

This does, however, fit into the Trans Pennine Trail, and this trail always hovers on the very edge of my list of walks for further exploration.

But here, today's walk ends at Granary Wharf - with only a very short walk to the nearby station to head home.

Total Distance: 19.5 miles (18.7 miles on the canal)

Total Ascent: 548 feet (499 feet on the canal)

Enjoyment Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ★ / 5

Disclaimer: This writeup provides a narrative of what to expect rather than a route guide to follow. The route is covered by the 104 OS Landranger map (links redirect to Amazon). The route is not way-marked, but you just follow the canal so it is hard to go wrong.