Upgraded canal towpaths in Yorkshire will offer scenic traffic-free routes by bike and on foot

Work has recently begun and progress made on the upgrading of four canal towpaths as part of West Yorkshire Combined Authority's award-winning £60m CityConnect programme.
Work has recently begun and progress made on the upgrading of four canal towpaths in YorkshireWork has recently begun and progress made on the upgrading of four canal towpaths in Yorkshire
Work has recently begun and progress made on the upgrading of four canal towpaths in Yorkshire

This programme is aimed at making it easier for people of all ages to cycle and walk, allowing those who enjoy being outdoors to embrace Yorkshire’s scenic nature on smooth, new paths alongside various canal routes, including trans pennine trails.

These paths will provide missing links in local cycling and walking infrastructure and open up access to some of the region’s best countryside, including the popular Yorkshire Dales.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Progress has been made on the four towpath schemes on the Calder and Hebble Navigation, Huddersfield Narrow, Rochdale, and Leeds and Liverpool canals, the latter two of which will upgrade trans pennine routes.

On the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, 2.7km of the route between Lodge Hill Bridge at Riddlesden Golf Club and Silsden Road Bridge will be resurfacedOn the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, 2.7km of the route between Lodge Hill Bridge at Riddlesden Golf Club and Silsden Road Bridge will be resurfaced
On the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, 2.7km of the route between Lodge Hill Bridge at Riddlesden Golf Club and Silsden Road Bridge will be resurfaced

On the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, 2.7km of the route between Lodge Hill Bridge at Riddlesden Golf Club and Silsden Road Bridge will be resurfaced. This will build on previous improvements from Kirkstall to Shipley.

The Calder & Hebble Navigation Towpath, Huddersfield Narrow Canal and Rochdale Canal Towpath schemes all include resurfacing, the re-pointing of some cobbled areas, clearing excessive vegetation, and signage and drainage improvements.

The Calder & Hebble Navigation Towpath works will take place on a 2km section between Sowerby Bridge Basin and Hollas Lane Bridge, and upgrades to this towpath will provide local communities with the option to travel away from the roads for either employment or leisure use.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Huddersfield Narrow Canal scheme is between Longroyd Lane in Huddersfield and Milnsbridge.

Routes you can visit now:

Castleford to Wakefield Greenway

The Castleford to Wakefield Greenway project aims to deliver a fully surfaced cycle path from Castleford to Wakefield alongside the River Calder.

Work on this route is largely complete, apart from landscaping work, and was recently opened, allowing locals to explore this new route, either on foot or by bike, taking in the local countryside.

This new cycle and walking route goes from Methley Bridge, Castleford along the River Calder to Fairies Hill Lock (Whitwood).

It links the current cycle routes from Navigation Point to Methley Bridge, and Fairies Hill Lock to both the Trans Pennine Trail and Wakefield Eastern Relief Road.