Welcome Way – Baildon to Otley

The Welcome way is a 36 mile circular walk in West Yorkshire. I’m always on the look out for local(ish) walks and this is fairly close to us.

We started off our walk in Baildon, passing past Tong Park dam where there was an amazing nesting swan. The walk continues on through a golf course and is well sign posted.

We came to a small village of Esholt where there is a post office and we purchased some cold drinks and snacks. Rachel was getting a bit antsy by this point as she was unable to have her start of the walk pee. After leaving the village you enter some woods which had some amazing bluebells.

Jerrison and Spring woods full of bluebells

Guiseley is a short walk from the woods and is where Rachel finally got to use the loo. This walk was not made for wild wees.

We were steadily walking up hill after leaving Guisborough through some farmland and I hadn’t realised that we had walked up the chevin. Rachel saw a pub she knows and said that we were already at the top of the Chevin! I’m definitely glad we walked this section in the direction we did. We then came to a spot called surprise view. I’m wondering if it was called that because you can see Otley?