Elland

We walked past him briskly, muttering "Good morning" as we did so. This was odd behaviour to encounter in the countryside.

We were continuing on our way when he called after us "Have you seen my Harris Hawk?"

So that was what it was all about. His bird of prey had done a runner - or a flyer. He explained that it had taken off after a game bird that rose from the edge of the woodland and he had lost sight of it. He was scanning for a signal from the transmitter attached to its feathers.

The clamouring gulls were a clue to its whereabouts. Sure enough, a couple of minutes later a large, dark bird emerged from the centre of them and flew to perch on a pylon. The young man aimed his aerial at it and beamed with relief.

He whistled and the bird took off and flew towards him, landing on his arm. Result! Handsome hawk and handler reunited.

That was one highlight of a walk which contained more than its share of them. What could be dubbed a walk of woodland and walls had begun at a car park at Cromwell Bottom, between the Calder & Hebble Canal and the main road from Brighouse to Elland.

In light rain but under a brightening sky we joined the towpath and headed westward with, as we approached Elland, factories to our left and attractive cottages on the far bank. At Elland Lock, the second one we came across, we crossed the canal via the wooden ledge on the gates and continued alongside Park Road towards the town, turning off by a mill being converted to apartments and soon joining a brick-paved track heading up into Elland Park Wood.

Soon civilisation was left far behind. A holly hedge accompanied the track as it climbed up into the trees. At a junction we followed the level path deep into the woodland. In autumn (this was mid-November) there were stretches when the path was tricky to spot beneath its covering of leaves as it threaded its way through the trees.

We kept to the route, though, and eventually turned up steeply to follow an ancient route between solid walls topped by huge, flat stones standing on their ends - hundreds of them, accompanying the path as it wound up the hillside.

At the top we enjoyed the open views across the valley as the path swung round and dropped to pass the splendidly-sited Southowram Cricket Club with its excellent seating and attractive clubhouse. We headed up the narrow road from the ground, past a retaining wall made of huge stones, to arrive on the edge of Southowram village.

Having never been here before, we took an appreciative look around at its interesting houses and cottages before following the dead-end lane past the former school to follow a narrow snicket between the tiny community of Jerusalem Square and a stables into an open field.

We headed down the field side, past a farm where cars and lorries were in various stages of decay, to join another lane and then dogleg into the valley bottom past more sturdy walls and climb up the other side.

Our route from the signpost at the top led down through Cromwell Wood (the second of three large stretches of mature, broad-leaved woodland on this walk) to emerge into the open for a while close to the valley bottom.

It was here that we encountered the young man with the missing hawk. Having watched the two be reunited we began to climb again, up a narrow path between walls which emerged in a field close to a gate and stile leading into Freemason's Wood. It was a straight route now down to the main road, which we crossed with extreme care before following the road leading down between factories and the end of a large lake used for angling and water-skiing.

At the canal again, we followed the towpath past a bridge that now goes nowhere but looks as solid as the day it was installed by the Leeds Steel Builders in 1895.

As we continued along this pleasant stretch of towpath we enjoyed a fine surprise treat. A kingfisher flew along ahead of us, flashes of russet gold and electric blue, as it perched for a while on tree after tree before taking off again. Twice it dived into the water, emerging with a small fish in its beak.

By the time we arrived at Cromwell Bottom and the bridge leading back to the car park we had lost sight of it. But it had provided a splendid end to a four-star outing packed with interest.

Step by Step

1. Leave car park by western exit and follow path down to cross bridge over canal. Turn left and left again down steps to towpath, then go left beside canal, heading west. Pass Park Nook Lock and continue past Colliers Arms on right to Elland Lock. Cross canal via broad ledges on lock gates and continue ahead to pavement. Turn left and walk alongside Park Road.
2. Immediately before 30mph sign cross road (with care) and walk up Plains Lane, swinging slightly right to pass between fronts of terrace houses on left and semis on right. At end of lane join brick-paved track striking up between fields into wood. Ignore first path going sharp right at bottom of wood and continue to junction where several paths go rightwards off main one.
3. Take level path to right, heading into wood. At fork, with stone gateposts visible ahead on right-hand branch, take left-hand one bearing uphill. Continue along this as it winds and weaves up and down among oak trees then heads left to climb steeply past another stone gatepost and between walls with tall topping stones. Follow this ancient route eventually sharp left then sharp right then left again into open.
4. Walk on past pylon and continue between walls again, soon passing Southowram Cricket Club. Go through kissing gate beside gate and continue up climbing road ahead towards Southowram.
5. Turn right by converted schoolhouse into School Lane. At bottom of lane dogleg into snicket between stables and houses of Jerusalem Square. Follow path sharp right at end, then go left through stile into field. Walk down field with boundary on left to stile into track at bottom. Head right briefly towards farm then turn left almost back on yourself, descending with wall on left to go through stone squeeze stile and veer right to climb uphill between walls again to junction of paths at top.
6. Turn right, following sign for Cromwell Bottom down through wood. Where path leaves wood and continues between fields, take steps to left just before farm on right. Walk up path between walls and through stile at top continue ahead to wooden stile beside gate.
7. Over this stile, take descending track to bottom of hill, ignoring path going off to right. Cross busy road with extra care and follow road opposite down between factories and end of lake to canal side. Turn right along canal to bridge over it then follow towpath back to bridge at Cromwell Bottom. Cross this to return to car park.

Fact File

• Start: Car park behind Cromwell House on right of A6025 road between Brighouse and Elland
• Time for six-mile walk: 2 hours
• Going: easy apart from a couple of sharp uphill pulls
• Map: OS Explorer 288 Bradford & Huddersfield
• Parking: free at Cromwell Bottom
• Toilets: none along route
• Refreshments: none along route