Worth Way

Having been prescribed rest for the mind and exercise for the body, today saw me tackling the Worth Way, an eleven mile circular walk from Keighley, up the eastern flank of the Worth Valley to Oxenhope, returning through Haworth and Oakworth on the western side.

For those that don't know it from this geographical description, perhaps I can appeal to your knowledge of film. This is Railway Children country.

There were many potential blips from a six hour walk, but I'll spare you the plaques, bricks, cinemas, ghost signs, ghost municipalities, vegaffiti, post boxes, butterflies, milestones and other transport arcana in favour of a classic Pennine view from the stretch between Haworth and Oakworth: dry stone walls around improved pasture, tall chimneys hinting at industrial heritage and the hills.

The butterfly count for the day, all emerging with the sun in late afternoon: three Speckled Woods near Damems Station, and a single Small Tortoiseshell at Ingrow.