HIDDEN jewels of Keighley were uncovered during the first Keighley Valleys and Rivers community walk.

Members of Cliffe Castle Park Conservation Group led the walk earlier this month (June) along stretches of the Aire and Worth rivers.

Participants were shocked to see parts of Keighley they had not realised were accessible and views they had never seen before.

They were surprised to discover a cycle path under the Aire Valley trunk road, a link to the River Aire that passed the Royds Ings waste site, and the large size of Park Wood.

A spokesman said: “The group of intrepid walkers called at some great local attractions and green spaces and shared their enthusiasm for their own favourite location.

“The pleasant walk started in Cliffe Castle Park and led by the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal to East Riddlesden Hall, then via the River Worth to Park Wood.

“The route also took in historic locations, beautiful scenery and industrial heritage, and ended in a visit to some ancient woodland.”

The Friends of Park Wood gave walkers an ‘off the beaten path’ tour of some of the wood’s most stunning areas.

These included a coppiced hazel corner, wild garlic slopes, Heather Hill, a stream with a ford, the quarry hideaway and the ‘Elephant’s backside’’.

The walk used two of four routes recently devised by members of Cliffe Castle Park Conservation Group and described in its free Keighley Valleys and Rivers leaflet.

The four routes link Redcar Tarn, Cliffe Castle, East Riddlesden Hall and Park Wood to create one large circular walking or cycling route, showcasing Keighley's most scenic and historic features.

The Bradford Council-funded leaflet is available free from Cliffe Castle Museum, Keighley Library, Central Hall, East Riddlesden Hall and other locations.

A Google maps version, aimed at people who use digital navigation, can be seen by visiting cliffecastlepark.org.uk.

The Cliffe Castle Park Conservation Group will soon offer guided walks around the park to highlight aspects of its history, tying in with the ongoing Heritage Lottery Funded restoration of the park’s original features.

This month’s walk was organised as part of the Green Spaces Network, an initiative which brings together voluntary and community groups and Friends groups to improve green spaces in Keighley and the surrounding area.

E-mail info@cliffecastlepark.org.uk for further information about the walking and cycling groups and the various groups involved in local green spaces and walking initiatives.