Cycling in Yorkshire
Cycling in Yorkshire
5th February 2022
This bike ride is from Huddersfield to Dewsbury. It is Stage 13 of the Sustrans Slow Tour of Yorkshire.
It's a tarmac surface all the way. This is quite a hilly area, and the ride involves a bit of up and down.
There's some nice countryside along the way. Unfortunately when I rode this route there was a lot of broken glass on the path - nearly every time I was in a built-up area - and quite a bit of fly-tipped rubbish.
Distance: 9 miles each
way, so 18 miles there and back
Time: around 1h15 each way, so 2h30 in total
The overview map from OpenCycleMap above shows the route from Huddersfield to Dewsbury in red.
This is the ride on Plotaroute; you can download a navigation file from there.
This is the Sustrans leaflet for the Huddersfield to Dewsbury bike ride.
Huddersfield Station is quite grand. It is in the neo-classical style and was finished in 1850. The portico has six Corinthian columns.
The statue in front is of Harold Wilson, who was born in Huddersfield, and who was Prime Minister from 1964-70 and 1974-76.
Leave St George's Square and turn left on John William Street. The route on the GPS file starts from the end of John William Street; go straight across onto St Johns Road.
Turn right at Toolstation, onto Beck Road. This is an industrial estate, with narrow painted 'murder-strip' cycle lanes either side.
The turn onto Beck Road is signposted in this direction, but not at the far end when travelling the other way.
At the end of Beck Road, turn right onto Willow Lane; the start of the Birkby Bradley Greenway is on your left.
The greenway goes through some residential areas, then follows the railway and Huddersfield Broad Canal. There are views back towards Huddersfield.
The view doesn't have the same impact as Florence seen from the Piazzale Michelangelo; there's no Brunelleschi-designed dome, and it's too late to ask for one now, but the John Smiths Stadium is a good second best.
The Birkby Bradley Greenway continues across a couple of residential
roads.
You reach the A62 Leeds Road, and there's a short stretch alongside it. Then the signs point you over the A62, through the Ainley Industrial Estate, and over the railway.
Next, the Bradley Viaduct takes you high over the Huddersfield Broad Canal and the river Colne.
You're on the Calder Valley Greenway now, and it crosses Dalton Bank Road near Colne Bridge. It continues as a path through woods, then joins Helme Lane for a short stretch. I glimpsed a great spotted woodpecker here.
At the end of Helme Lane, continue on a wide track to Lower Hopton.
You pass a school in Lower Hopton, then cross the Calder on Ledgard Bridge. Continue on Back Station Road, then turn left under the colourful railway bridge at Mirfield Station. This is Station Road.
After going under the railway, you go over the canal (the Calder & Hebble Navigation).
At the top of Station Road, turn right on the A644 Huddersfield Road. There's a painted advisory cycle lane, full of parked cars in places, and which goes on a diet at pinch points.
According my intel, the cycle infrastructure here may be improved in the near future.
Pick up the Calder Valley Greenway again at Church Lane.
The greenway takes you to Ravensthorpe, where you continue on back streets (Bradbury Street, Myrtle Road, and Sackville Street).
Then a path leads towards Dewsbury Country Park and the Spen Valley Greenway.
After a short stretch on the Spen Valley Greenway, descend a ramp to the A644, and cross over to Ravenswharf Road. This will be familiar if you've already done Stage 12 of the Slow Tour of Yorkshire, Ossett to Oakenshaw.
Ravenswharf Road takes you down to the Calder.
A narrow bridge takes you over a flood washland area.
The Calder Valley Greenway continues towards the B6117, which it crosses. The other side of the B-road the greenway runs by the Calder once again. Watch out for broken glass here.
At the end of this stretch of path, you come to the Webster Hill junction. Turn left on Mill Street West, and go straight across the big junction to Old Westgate. To get to Dewsbury Station, take Nelson Street and Wellington Road.
Return the way you came or take the train back.
Have you done this bike ride? What did you think of it?
The Huddersfield to Dewsbury ride is covered by the 1:25,000 OS Explorer map of Bradford & Huddersfield, number 288.
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