Honley to Meltham Circular Walk | 9 Miles
Looking for beautiful walks in Holmfirth? Try this Honley to Meltham circular walk. This 9 mile walk starts in the pretty village of Honley and passes through beautiful Holme Valley countryside to the Pennine village of Meltham, as well as a visit to the stunning Folly Dolly Falls. This route also includes a walk through Honley Woods, a beautiful ancient woodland full of history and wildlife.
Honley is a busy village in the Holme Valley, surrounded by beautiful woodland and countryside. This walk starts from Southgate, near to the entrance to Honley Cricket Club, where there is on street parking, but there are small car parks in the village centre on Westgate HD9 6AA or at Lupton Square HD9 6AD. These car parks are free but are small, so spaces are limited.
Church Street, a historic cobbled street in Honley village
From Honley Cricket Club, walk along the track next to the cricket field towards the Jagger Lane playing fields. Continue along the path until you reach the metal gate which will let you out onto Jagger Lane. Across from the gate you’ll see a snicket between the houses which goes through the housing estate. Head past the houses on the estate and you’ll reach Stony Lane. Head right on Stony Lane until you reach The Foresters Arms and then turn left up Bradshaw Road. This is a long old hill, at just under a mile.
Wood Nook Lane
At the top of the hill you’ll come to a crossroads. Head right along Wood Nook Lane and follow the lane for about half a mile. You’ll come to a house with white gates that has a footpath passing through it. I’m not a fan of footpaths like this as I always feel like I’m intruding in someone’s garden! Follow the footpath and you’ll come to a lane in the woods. There are the ruins of a property known as Lower Cote hidden in the woods here.
At Lower Cote, follow the path to the south which winds through the woods then out through the fields to Lower Greave Road in Meltham.
From Lower Greave Road turn right onto Wilshaw Road and follow this down into Meltham.
St Mary’s Church, Wilshaw
My husband’s dream car! He’d love one of these.
Across from the turning into Royd Road is a bus stop and the entrance to The Pleasure Grounds, created by Charles Brook in around 1850 as a place for the mill workers to get some respite. The Pleasure Grounds run alongside Thick Hollins Dike and have beautiful waterfalls in them, as well as lots of trees and shrubs.
Walk through The Pleasure Grounds and head out onto Meltham Mills Road, then turn left and follow the road until the junction with Huddersfield Road. Cross Huddersfield Road near to the David Brown Tractor museum and then walk along the road for approximately half a mile. There is a wooden gate which will lead you onto Meltham Greenway, the route of the former Meltham Branch Line which ran from Lockwood to Meltham which is now a brilliant place to walk and cycle.
Just off Meltham Greenway is the hidden waterfall, Folly Dolly Falls. This is accessed via a gap in the fence to the north of the path. Take care heading down to the waterfall as there is no proper path and the ground can be muddy and slippery.
Holly at Folly Dolly Falls
After exploring the waterfall at Folly Dolly Falls, head back onto the Greenway and follow it until it’s conclusion on The Cobbles, just behind the Morrisons Supermarket at Meltham. You’ll pass the turning circle which was used by David Brown Tractors for testing their tractors. Head onto Near Lane and then out onto the main Huddersfield Road again.
Turn left and follow the road for a quarter of a mile until you pass Bishops Way. There is a public footpath just past Bishops Way which will take you onto Mill Bank Road, which then leads onto Meltham Mills Road again. Follow the road to the right, then follow the curve of Knowle Lane to the left past the industrial units. Just below the entrance to Lu’s Place (formerly the Woodlands Play Gym) there is a footpath into Honley Woods, round the back of the Rock Shop. Follow this path into the woods.
The paths are relatively easy to see in Honley Woods, and there are a few different ways to go. We headed through Honley Woods, following the top of the hillside past the old quarries, then went down onto Woodbottom Road to follow the roads back into Honley village. This part of the village is the historic, characterful part of the village with there being old mills and cottages here.
There are pubs and bars in Honley village, including The Foresters Arms, The Allied and The Jacob’s Well on Woodhead Road, so I can add this to my walks with pubs page! Woohoo! There are also cafes including Cafe Loom and Honley Bakery for a sandwich.
Honley to Meltham Circular Walk Route Map: (click the map below to open Komoot and to download the gpx file for your device)
Parking: Either on street on Southgate, near Honley Cricket Club or in a village centre car park on Westgate HD9 6AA or at Lupton Square HD9 6AD
Facilities: There are pubs and cafes with facilities for customers along the route.
Walk Time: 3-4 hours
Distance: 9 miles (14.7km)
Trig Points Bagged: None
Peak District Peaks Bagged: None
Peak District Ethels Bagged: None
If you liked this Honley to Meltham circular walk, you can see more walks in Holmfirth here.
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