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Shipley Glen

1.86 miles (3 km)

Ordnance Survey Map Open Streetmap Enjoy a short walk through this delightful glen near Bradford. Shipley Glen lies just to the north of the Yorkshire town of Shipley. It's a short walk from the train station or you could park on Glen Road.
The glen has nice footpaths running through sheltered woods along a pretty beck. It's particularly lovely in the spring when you'll see lots of bluebells and Peacock Butterflies. There's also paths above the glen with splendid rock formations and great views to enjoy.
You'll also pass the wonderful Bracken Hall near the start of the walk. Here you will find an informative museum, working farms, grassland, moor, woods, rocks, wildlife, history and archaeology. The centre has a wealth of information on the area and also organises guided walks.
From the glen you can follow footpaths up to the adjacent Baildon Moor and enjoy wonderful views over Bradford and Leeds from Baildon Hill.
You can also visit the fascinating Victorian village of Saltaire and pick up the River Aire Walk and Leeds and Liverpool Canal to extend your walking in the area.
The Dales Way Link and the Bradford Millennium Way also pass the glen so you could pick these trails up and head north to visit Bingley Moor and Ilkley Moor.
Just across the water is the town of Bingley where you can visit the country park of Bingley St Ives. There's miles of walking trails to be found here around the 500 acre estate.
A few miles to the south you will find another splendid beauty spot Chellow Dene Reservoir.

Postcode

BD17 5EA - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locations

Shipley Glen OS Map Ordnance survey map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Shipley Glen Open Street Map Open Streetmap - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Pubs/Cafes

The Old Glen House is nicely positioned for some post walk refreshment. The historic pub is hundreds of years old and has a charmingly rustic interior with cosy log fires. They serve good home cooked food which you can also enjoy in the outdoor area on a sunny day. You can find them on Prod Lane near the tramway at a postcode of BD17 5BN for your sat navs.

Dog Walking

As you'd imagine the woodland trails in the glen are ideal for dog walking. You will probably see plenty of other owners with their pets on a fine day. The Old Glen House mentioned above is also dog friendly.

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

A few miles to the south there's Horton Bank Country Park to explore. The park includes a nice lakeside trail and a viewpoint with fine views over the city of Bradford and the surrounding Yorkshire Dales countryside.

Photos

Shipley Glen Railway - geograph.org.uk - 17666

Shipley Glen Railway. The Shipley glen tramway runs through the popular visitor attraction of Shipley Glen, constructed in 1895 with two open carriages. The trams were rebuilt in 1928 during the conversion to electric power and again in 1955 and 1990. The tramway closed in 1966 after a small accident but was saved from closure in 1969. The tramway again closed in 1982 and it was extensively repaired.The Tramway is now run by volunteer Trustees and volunteers from the local public. SGT is owned by Bradford Council and the Tustees have taken a 125 year lease on a full repair and maintenance basis, (Thanks to Glentramway for information)

The Glen Tramway, Baildon - geograph.org.uk - 191033

The Glen Tramway, Baildon. The trams are hauled up by a steel rope. Originally the tramway was powered by suction gas produced on site then by town gas, then oil and finally electricity in 1928.

Mill dam - geograph.org.uk - 563554

Mill dam. Built in 1911 to supply clean water for Salts Mill dye works. Seen from the bridleway which passes by the dam wall at a lower level than the water.

The Glen Tramway Museum - geograph.org.uk - 191036

The Glen Tramway Museum. Sam Wilson opened the Glen Tramway in 1895. It closed for a while in the 1960s and re-opened in 1969. The winding drum was replaced in 2006, having become worn out.

Bracken Hall Crag - geograph.org.uk - 696256

Bracken Hall Crag. These impressive rock formations are located adjacent to the glen on the eastern side.

The Aerial Glide - geograph.org.uk - 718739

The Aerial Glide. Victorian attraction at the top of the glen.

The Old Glen House, Prod Lane, Baildon - geograph.org.uk - 1773805

The Old Glen House, Prod Lane, Baildon

Baildon Moor - geograph.org.uk - 26668

Baildon Moor view near the glen

Video

GPS Files

GPX File

Shipley Glen.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)

Memory Map Route

Shipley Glen.mmo (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold >Download Linked File)