Meandering to Oxenhope

We leave Five Rise Locks and then follow Bradford Road towards Keighley before turning on to Royd Ings Avenue and following the cycle route under A629. Skirting Cliffe Castle we head up to Keighley Tarn aka Redcar Tarn before heading across the moorland road to Laycock and looping round to Oakworth. Heading south-west we go through Oldfield and then turn back towards Stanbury and up past Lower Laithe Reservoir. We then pass through the small village of Marsh before dropping down to visit Oxenhope Station and refresh ourselves. We head up out of Oxenhope as far as the Dog & Gun where we turn left across the open moors towards Denholme and then down Whalley Lane across the moors to Harecroft and skirt Wilsden to reach Harden and divert through St Ives Estate before heading down the Twines into Bingley and re-joining the canal for the short trip to Five Rise Locks, built in 1774!

Start at a 250 yr old engineering triumph with a chance to see the technology that replaced it by visiting a local heritage railway and witness the diesel loco operating that day by way of a circular but hilly route through several old West Riding villages.

A mixture of some traffic free sections on the canal, cycle path in Keighley and in St Ives but predominantly quiet residential, semi-rural and rural roads with the occasional short but unavoidable main road sections.

Café break at Oxenhope Station on KWVR. There is seating both in a restored dining car and on the platform if weather is favourable.

Helmets are essential and make sure you have a spare inner tube plus suitable clothing for the time of the year - keep an eye on the weather forecast.

This is a hilly ride so make sure any e-bike is fully charged and, if you have one, bring a second battery.