Adel

They're rather attractive suburbs, with some fine houses (and some not-so-fine, it must be said). And they butt on to pleasant open countryside. So that seemed to be an ideal destination for a Sunday-morning saunter, with plenty of variety on offer.

The weather was just right as we parked up in the car park of The Lawnswood Arms, a big family pub at the side of the busy A660 Otley to Leeds road, after asking a young man cleaning the patio if it would be OK to do so and promising to call in for a drink a couple of hours later. We'll I don't like to take liberties!

We crossed the road carefully, walked briefly in the direction of Leeds, then headed off down a snicket into a pleasant residential cul-de-sac which led eventually to a path skirting playing fields before arriving at the aptly-named Long Causeway - a straight, quiet road with, on one side, a long line of paving stones which are lucky not to have been lifted by felons and sold for a fortune in the South.

This brought us eventually to Stair Foot Lane, past some attractive houses with a view over a pleasant, meandering beck, and up the other side to turn off through a car park into woodland.

Along the path a sign pointed up to the left to Adel Crags, the twisted shapes of which are said to have inspired Leeds-born sculptor Henry Moore to create some of his impressive bronzes.

We returned to the main path and continued between rugby pitches and cricket fields before passing through a stretch of litter-strewn woodland (why are they so messy in Leeds?) to arrive back in civilisation near a children's playground and a row of shops.

We crossed the road and doglegged up The Avenue, a long, house-lined road passing through Alwoodley and eventually arriving at Alwoodley Lane, from where another dogleg found us heading into open countryside, between a golf course and a field where a solitary cow sat looking sorry for itself, dropping down to Goodrick Lodge, the former keeper's house next to Eccup Reservoir.

Our route from here led to the left, following the footpath signs on a path that followed the tree-line around the reservoir, through a large field of grazing sheep.

At a stile in the field corner we turned away from the reservoir, heading up the fieldside back in the direction of Alwoodley, following a couple with two dogs on leads. They paused on a ridge, conferred briefly, then turned round and retraced their steps.

When we arrived at the ridge we realised why. Between us and the stile in the field corner were a dozen or more cattle, sitting in the sun and ruminating. The couple were clearly aware that cattle don't like dogs and can become anxious and aggressive when they're around, and had decided to play safe.

We, dogless, had no such reservations. None of them showed the slightest interest in us as we picked our way between them, climbed the stile, and followed the field-side past more grazing sheep and a parked-up harvester awaiting its time to work again, to skirt the fringe of yet another golf course and arrive at a road. We crossed and, after another field path with fine views, entered woodland again and emerged into a clearing close to the car park we'd walked through near the start of the outing. From here it was more-or-less a matter of retracing our steps to the top of Stair Foot Lane and turning right here, passing Yorkgate, a house which throws open its gardens from time to time to raise money for charity.

Today was to be one of those open days, but unfortunately not for a couple of hours. We continued up the snicket and into the grounds of the attractive church of St John the Baptist with its Norman door knocker, emerging at the other side past a collection of stone coffins and mill wheels.

Our path across the road led straight through two large fields to return to the side of the A660 and the pub, where the car park was by now almost full, to keep our promise of a welcome drink.

Step by Step

1. From car park of Lawnswood Arms, walk right past car-wash to crossing. Cross road, turn left, and then soon go right along snicket between houses into Holt Close. Walk on to end of this to road, doglegging left then right to pass side of funeral director's premises and follow path between houses to gate stile and continue ahead around playing fields, keeping ahead on track to Long Causeway.
2. Turn left and walk the length of this slab pavement. At end, continue down Stair Foot Lane to pass Bridge Cottage at bottom and continue up lane to find a car park on right. Walk through this and continue through gate on to woodland path. Soon detour left to seek out Adel Crags, then return to path and continue with it, swinging to left to pass between playing fields, join a lane, and keep ahead through trees to road.
3. Cross road, turn right past shops, then go left up The Avenue. At top of this go right briefly to end of Mount Drive. Cross road and walk down narrow lane with golf course on right to arrive at lodge near Eccup Reservoir.
4. Turn left and follow footpath sign to path around large field, with wood and reservoir on right. At far corner of field, don't go over stile. Instead, turn left and walk up field with fence on right to drop down to another stile in top corner. Over this, turn right and follow fieldside to stile leading to wide green lane with golf area on right. Walk along this to emerge at road.
5. Go right a few paces, then cross and follow Meanwood Valley Trail sign past golf course and through a gate into a field. With fence on left, walk ahead, curving slightly right with boundary to a stile into wood. Take left-hand fork and follow clear path to a junction of paths with road and car park visible ahead. Turn right here and walk down through wood to emerge at Bridge Cottage. Cross bridge and retrace steps to top of hill. Turn right up Back Church Lane, soon forking left up snicket and through church yard. Cross road beyond and follow field path to main road to return to start.

Fact File

• Start: Car park of Lawnswood Arms on the A6120 at Adel, north Leeds
• Time for 4-mile alk: Two hours
• Going: Easy.
• Map: OS Landranger 104, Leeds & Bradford.
• Getting there: By bus, No 28 from Stand 20 at Leeds bus station
• Parking: In pub car park.
• Toilets & refreshments: At Lawnswood Arms, a big family pub with food and a play area (none on route)