Holmfirth and Around

Holmfirth in Kirklees reminds me somewhat of Hebden Bridge in Calderdale, though with less charm and no canal. That absence of canal didn’t stop the town getting badly flooded in 1944. Both have cobbled streets that have a peculiar fascination for me – their almost vertical nature poses a challenge for me, and, here I am thinking of Penny Lane in Holmfirth which is almost in the centre of town and I had to descend it sideways. Holmfirth, of course, has its claim to fame as the setting for the BBC TV series “Last Of The Summer Wine,”
However, that was all after my tour of the outskirts of the town. I started and finished recording the tour at the bus station. There are several car parks in the town. I soon began a climb up Cooper Lane and could have continued on it, but my SatNav diverted me through Victoria Park, before returning me to Cooper Lane.
At the top I turned right on Holt Lane, which started as a road then changed into a track before becoming a path. I crossed over some stepping stones, some of which were wobbly and then climbed up field to Brownhill Farm. After that farm there was an imposing building and I started following the path round the perimeter to avoid it, until the SatNav told me I was going in the wrong direction. There was a gate on the path so I used that to gain access to the drive leading to the main road.
My destination then was the Wolfstones which give a great view over Holmfirth and for miles around. Near the Trig Point there is a monument to a little boy called Alfie, who died aged nine and loved playing around there. There is a bench for those who want to enjoy the view over the hills and reflect on life and its vicissitudes.
It was then a slow descent down a steep hill to the road and a spot of road walking through Upperthong before I branched right to follow a track leading to Back Syke Lane. Just after Hogley Green, where there are a few houses I was presented with a choice of going to the left or right of a hedge. I chose wrongly, having ignored the obvious gate on the left and so had to backtrack.
At Cold Well Lane, I made another mistake. Coming out of a wood by some houses I was not sure of the route until I saw hiding behind a house the path I wanted. I crossed Woodhead Road, went down Old Road and so on into Water Street where I crossed a small bridge to go to Malkin House Wood. In this wood when I came to what seemed to be the remains of some old houses I initially missed the path hiding behind one of the ruins. After that I reached Brow Lane and followed quiet roads back to the centre of the town.
I think I counted some thirteen wall stiles, some of which were really quite high, and one ordinary stile on the route. Visual interest on the route is at The Wolfstones and in the town itself, with, of course, great views from those hills on either side of the town.