Best walks near Bradford by train

Keighley Station to Bingley Station (Yorkshire)

15m direct from Bradford Forster Square.

A lovely, fairly well-used route with a delightful wooded section, excellent views from the fields, a riverside path beside the River Aire at Bingley. A fair climb at either end, with steps, narrow sections, kissing gates and stiles and footpaths that are muddy after rain. A shop at Long Lee towards Keighley, with benches at Long Lee Crick Club.

6km.

Steps, narrow sections and stiles.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Todmorden Station to Hebden Bridge Station (Lancashire)

30m direct from Bradford Interchange.

A very enjoyable, direct and straightforward canal walk, almost entirely along the Rochdale Canal towpath following national cycle route 66. The terrain is nearly all level with a mostly gravel surface, though bridges and slopes past locks have cobbles and canal overflows run over cobbles across the towpath in several places. Tree cover gives a green-tunnel feel. Follows national cycle route 66 along the Rochdale Canal. Canalside interest: locks, houseboats, mileposts and stone bridges.

Easy: 7km, moderate ascents.

Canal overflows run over cobbles across the towpath in several places, with a raised plank alongside to keep feet dry.

Lunch: Refreshment opportunities along the canalside towards Hebden Bridge.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Church and Oswaldtwistle Station to Accrington Station (Lancashire)

1h direct from Bradford Interchange.

A short, direct and predominantly off-road walk along the Hyndburn Greenway, a tree-covered former railway track bed (part of National Cycle Route 6) following the train line. Even, good-condition surface with lighting; some noticeable gradients joining and leaving the old railway formation and but no restrictive barriers. A short graffitied underpass passes below the active railway.

2km.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Featherstone Station to Castleford Station (Yorkshire)

45m from Bradford Interchange, with one change.

A largely step-free, fairly clear route on roads, paths and through a pair of parks, with a brief stretch of industrial ground between them. A field path leads out of Featherstone and the road into central Castleford is quite long.

Easy: 7km, moderate ascents.

The path runs close beside the M62 for about ten minutes, with heavy traffic noise; you are safely behind a hedge.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Selby Station to Snaith Station (Yorkshire)

45m from Bradford Interchange, with one change.

great views. Very flat and easy walking: a canal towpath, a good-surfaced path across a former airfield, then open countryside, lanes and tracks and a flood bank and a bridge over the River Aire. Just short stretches of busy and verge-only road. Follows the Trans Pennine Trail across Burn Airfield, which has benches and interpretation boards; you may see gliders taking off and landing.

15km.

A short stretch of busy road at the start, and a section of roadside walking with no pavement on a straight part of Hirst Road.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Selby Station to Goole Station (Yorkshire)

45m from Bradford Interchange, with one change.

An enjoyable route that is remote in parts.

20km. Gentle ascents.

Remote in parts.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Featherstone Station to Pontefract Baghill Station (Yorkshire)

1h from Bradford Interchange, with one change.

An easy, direct route mixing residential streets with surfaced paths and open field crossings and including two level crossings and a footbridge over the A639. A short climb skirts a hill on the edge of Pontefract before the town centre. Can be continued to Pontefract Monkhill station.

Easy: 4km, moderate ascents.

Two level crossings en route.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Harrogate Station to Knaresborough Station (Yorkshire)

1h from Bradford Interchange, with one change.

Amazing walk especially the section through the forest following the River Nidd. A varied, scenic and remarkably rural route between two towns, with a highlight stretch through Nidd Gorge following the River Nidd through forest. Starts on the tarmacked, surfaced former-railway Greenway, easy walking and then field and woodland paths that can get quite muddy in places at wetter times of year. Passes through Nidd Gorge, a nature reserve mainly owned by the Woodland Trust, on a route via the Nidderdale Greenway (a Sustrans cycle/pedestrian path along a former railway line).

Tough: steep ascents. 9km.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Settle Station to Hellifield Station (Yorkshire)

1h from Bradford Forster Square, with one change.

The views are great - especially from the top of the hill. Climbs steadily out of Settle, the first kilometres uphill and quite steep but on tarmac and good tracks, then becomes a wide track over open moorland before descending towards Long Preston, finishing across lanes and fields. A few gates, no stiles and a lot of it is on old tarmacked tracks. Long Preston, about two thirds of the way, has pubs and a station, so the walk can be split there.

Tough: steep ascents. 9km.

Lunch: A couple of pubs at Long Preston, roughly two thirds of the way.

End-of-walk reward: the Black Horse.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Shipley Station to Horsforth Station (Yorkshire)

7m direct from Bradford Forster Square.

stunning views over Saltaire and Baildon. A very pleasant walk with a good mix of terrain, including a lovely stint alongside the River Aire and stunning views over Saltaire and Baildon. Some footpaths are overgrown and parts are inaccurately plotted on non-existent paths and requiring diversions.

Tough: steep ascents. 12km.

Overgrown footpaths and sections plotted on non-existent paths require a few diversions.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Shipley Station to Baildon Station (Yorkshire)

7m direct from Bradford Forster Square.

A short, straightforward route up to Baildon and let down by a long stretch along the main road.

Easy: 3km, moderate ascents.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Bingley Station to Shipley Station (Yorkshire)

7m direct from Bradford Forster Square.

An easy, mostly flat walk almost entirely along the wide, well-compacted Leeds & Liverpool Canal towpath, popular with cyclists, dog-walkers and buggy-pushers. The towpath switches sides at Dowley Gap locks and the canal crosses an aqueduct over the River Aire. The main route-finding is locating footbridges at each end and which have flights of steps. Follows the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. Passes through the World Heritage village of Saltaire (Salts Mill), well worth a visit.

Easy: 5km, moderate ascents.

Busy roads to cross at each end (footbridges have flights of steps); be alert for cyclists on the towpath.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route