Do not cross

The stepping stones across the River Wharfe at Burley were barely discernible. Last summer I watched people skipping happily across (see HERE) and you could walk back along the river bank almost up to the weir. Now the river is thundering over the weir and filling the whole width of its channel. The river level can, apparently, rise up very quickly here, so I was careful. There wasn't really anywhere to stand to look back upriver and I couldn't haul myself up high enough to look over the wall so I didn't manage a photo of the weir this time. The resident heron flew away too, before I managed to snap him!

Spring?

It's been such a mild and damp winter that signs of spring are already appearing. I've got miniature daffodils in bloom in pots in my garden. On a recent walk, I noticed the hedgerows are filling with blossom. There is a type of cherry plum that's usually the first to bloom so that is probably what this is, though I'm not 100% sure. It's very pretty anyway, and a welcome sight. Snowdrops have unfurled too - a February flower but a little early, even so. The growth could all be knocked back by a cold snap. We've had no snow here so far but it's not unheard of in March or even April so there's time yet!

The trees are still colourless and the footpaths are all very muddy and brown, squelchy with leaf litter. There is some bright colour to be found, despite the grey and damp. I noticed some vibrant moss on the roof of an old farm building.

On the edge of the village, a householder had made a cheerful display of brightly coloured pots, rather Mediterranean in feel, I thought.

A bimble round Burley 3: Burley Weir

At the end of The Goit, you reach the River Wharfe where it tumbles over Burley weir. We've had several weeks with little rain, so the water level was quite low. That meant the stepping stones were navigable. There were families with children, all quite happily hopping across to the far bank where there's room to lay out picnic blankets and sit. I even watched one lady, wearing flip-flops, carrying a toddler on her shoulders and a large bag. She strode across quite confidently, whereas I... I thought better of trying. I must be getting soft in my old age - or maybe it was the thought of my new camera and all that water that put me off...  Still, I sat on a rock for ages and watched the resident heron patrolling the weir, some dogs enjoying the water, and some children paddling in the shallows with their little shrimp nets. It's a pretty spot. 

A bimble round Burley 2: Greenholme Mill

Leaving the centre of Burley in Wharfedale, I had a wander down to the river. Just a short walk takes you out into fields, looking back to Burley/Ilkley Moor that rises behind the village. At that stage there was no sign of the raging fire that engulfed a large area of the moor later the same day. Such a shame. Someone was arrested; the news report didn't say if it was a wilful act or an accident, though I did read it may have been teenagers with a campfire. Silly, if it was. The habitat destruction is tragic; it takes some time for the plants and wildlife to recover.

For those of you that like maps, I plotted my little walk in green. It was less than 2 miles but a very pleasant amble. The walk began down a road called Iron Row (above), full of now-gentrified cottages. Originally 'one up, one down', they were built for millworkers in 1800 by the mill company.

At the end of Iron Row, some gateposts mark the former entrance to Greenholme Mill. 

A little further on, the path passes under the Burley bypass; Iron Row then continues down to the large complex of mill buildings. It was originally a cotton mill, built around 1800. It was taken over by Fison and Forster in 1850 and was converted to worsted (wool) production. That too ceased, and these days the site is home to a number of small businesses. I've read of plans to convert it to housing but I couldn't detect anything being done to progress that.

In its heyday, it must have been a prosperous operation.The lodge house is quite impressive. I couldn't get a picture of the big mill itself, as there were trees between the footpath and the building. Some rather elegant iron fencing remains.



The walk then becomes leafier, peaceful and more countrified, following the line of the goit, a canal-like waterway that brought water from the River Wharfe down to the mill to power the works. There is now a hydro-electric generating plant utilising the water.

A bimble round Burley 1: the village

Easter was sunny and very warm - summery rather than springlike - and glorious for everyone on holiday to enjoy. I decided one of the places I'd explore was the village of Burley in Wharfedale. I usually dash past on my way to Ilkley or further afield. Burley, though, is a settlement worthy of exploration, vastly improved by a bypass opened in 1995, that now takes much of the traffic away from the village centre. It started out as a small agricultural community and there are some buildings dating back to the 1600/1700s. The datestone pictured below, though worn, appears to say 1613.

The cottage below has 1785 on its sundial.

Then came a time of growth during the Industrial Revolution when a large cotton mill opened, so there are many 18th and 19th century houses and public buildings. The building below is Burley Grange, originally built in 1840 as a private residence and used by Bradford Council and Bradford College more recently. I think it is back in private ownership again now.

St Mary's Church (top photo) is Victorian and was built on the site of a 17th century chapel.

Nowadays, with good rail links to Leeds and Bradford, Burley in Wharfedale continues to grow as a dormitory village and, like nearby Ilkley, is also popular with retirees. There are some beautiful houses, and many of the oldest have been sympathetically renovated. Someone (below) is using a rescued Victorian postbox as their mailbox. It does warn people not to use it as a public box!

The Malt Shovel Hotel (below) was originally a coaching inn, sited next to the church, and was rebuilt in 1880, serving as a pub and restaurant for many years. It was split and converted into private homes in about 2012, after the business went into administration. Burley does have a few remaining pubs though, and a sprinkling of nice, independent shops. What makes it a particularly pleasant place is the abundance of green spaces, parks and watermeadows in and surrounding the village. 

I meant to take a photo of Burley House, built in the18th century in the neo-classical style by Thomas Maude, a poet and local landowner. In the 20th century it became a private school and then variously a restaurant, hotel and business headquarters. It has recently been redeveloped, turning it back into private housing, incorporating the original house, stables and mews with some new builds. I say meant to... I got seduced by the magnificent copper beech tree just coming into leaf in the adjacent meadow.