Boston Hill Wood

Wood, Forest in Yorkshire

England

Boston Hill Wood

The Rochdale Canal at Hebden Bridge Credit: Dave Pickersgill

Boston Hill Wood is a picturesque woodland located in the county of Yorkshire, England. Situated near the village of Boston Spa, the wood covers an area of approximately 40 acres and is renowned for its natural beauty and diverse range of flora and fauna.

The wood is primarily composed of deciduous trees, including oak, birch, and beech, which create a stunning canopy of greenery during the summer months. In autumn, the woodland transforms into a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors as the leaves change to golden yellows, fiery oranges, and deep reds.

The woodland is crisscrossed by a network of well-maintained footpaths, making it a popular destination for walkers, nature enthusiasts, and families looking to explore the great outdoors. These paths wind their way through the wood, leading visitors to discover hidden clearings, babbling brooks, and a tranquil pond teeming with wildlife.

The diverse range of plant and animal species found within Boston Hill Wood makes it a haven for nature lovers. Squirrels scamper amongst the treetops, while rabbits and hares can be spotted darting through the undergrowth. Birdwatchers will delight in the opportunity to spot woodpeckers, owls, and various species of songbirds.

In addition to its natural beauty, Boston Hill Wood holds historical significance. The woodland is believed to have been part of the ancient Forest of Knaresborough, which once covered a vast area of Yorkshire. Today, it serves as a reminder of the region's rich cultural heritage and offers a peaceful retreat for visitors seeking solace in nature.

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Boston Hill Wood Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 53.751248/-2.0097593 or Grid Reference SD9928. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

The Rochdale Canal at Hebden Bridge

Dave Pickersgill

Aqueduct in Crimsworth Dean

The aqueduct connects a dam on the west side of Bridge Clough with one on the east. These dams connect with ones lower down the valley and all appeared to service Midgehole Dye Works

Kevin Waterhouse

Bridge Clough

Looking northeast to Green Hirst Wood.

John Topping

Cottages at New Delight

John Slater

Weir on Bridge Clough, Wadsworth

This is one of several weirs on this stream, and as there seems to be no open channel at that level I think that water must have been abstracted directly into a pipe laid in the river bank.

Humphrey Bolton

Aqueduct bridge over Bridge Clough, Wadsworth

According to information attached to a photograph that I have seen on the internet, this bridge carries flow from a millpond on the other side of the stream. There is also a well-used path across it.

Humphrey Bolton

Millpond above Bridge Clough, Wadsworth

There is a string of millponds along the eastern hillside of Crimsworth Dean, above the stream where it is called Bridge Clough. These intercept streams coming down through Purprise Wood and Middle Dean Wood. They were built in 1860-1 to increase the supply of water to Midgehole Dyeworks (captioned Crimsworth Dyeworks on the 1:2500 map of c.1893). The works had been converted from Upper Midgehole Mill (cotton) during the 'Cotton Panic', a depression in the textile industry caused by overproduction and by import restrictions due to the American Civil War. (Information from 'From Fulling to Fustionopolis' website) The dyeworks survived until 2009. The uppermost millpond (they are also called water lodges) was on the other side of the stream, with outflow crossing the stream on an aqueduct bridge (not the one thus captioned on the current 'Explorer' map). There are also some weirs on the stream, but I don't know whether they also supplied water to the dyeworks, or perhaps to the Lower Midgehole cotton mill. A voluntary organisation called 'Slow the Flow, Calderdale', who are investigating ways to reduce the risk of flooding in the Calder Valley, considered recommending that the ponds be restored to store rainfall runoff, but I think that they probably found that the work would cost too much.

Humphrey Bolton

Wadsworth Footpath 35 in Purprise Wood

Here the path crosses one of the many little streams that flow down the hillside.

Humphrey Bolton

Gate on Wadsworth FP34 leaving Purprise Wood

This image looks rather weird at 'thumbnail' size due to the deep shadows of trees (I did not have a saw with me), but makes sense when magnified. The gate is very narrow, covering a 'squeeze' stile.

Humphrey Bolton

Wadsworth FP23

The path turns right here. This wood is a National Trust property.

Humphrey Bolton

The uppermost reservoir in Middle Dean, Wadsworth

The path continues along the dam on the right-hand side, and carries on probably to the weir. You can also take a path up to Wadsworth FP23, which will take you to the footbridge. There is a seat here if you want to sit quietly for a while. A heron flew across just before I switched the camera on to take this photograph.

Humphrey Bolton

Path to the weir, Crimsworth Dean, Wadsworth

This path goes along the line of a water conduit to the weir that feeds the upper millpond. It does not continue to Wheat Ing Bridge.

Humphrey Bolton

Gate on Wadsworth FP34 entering Purprise Wood

This is the gate shown, not very clearly, from the other side in SD9830 : Gate on Wadsworth FP34 leaving Purprise Wood.

Humphrey Bolton

Wadsworth FP34 in what was Brotherton Wood

Humphrey Bolton

Wadsworth FP34 in what was Brotherton Wood

In places there is rough stone paving.

Humphrey Bolton

"Follow the clear path ... into Purprise Wood"

Quoted from 'Route 23: High Brown Knoll, White Hill & Crimsworth Dean from Hebden Bridge' in Christopher Goddard's guidebook, 'The West Yorkshire Moors'.

Christine Johnstone

Purprise Wood, east bank of Bridge Clough

This wood is on the earliest large scale OS map, surveyed in the late 1840s.

Christine Johnstone

"Follow the splodges of yellow paint on the trees"

Waymarked public footpath in Purprise Wood. Quoted from 'Route 23: High Brown Knoll, White Hill & Crimsworth Dean from Hebden Bridge' in Christopher Goddard's guidebook, 'The West Yorkshire Moors'.

Christine Johnstone

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Boston Hill Wood is located at Grid Ref: SD9928 (Lat: 53.751248, Lng: -2.0097593)

Division: West Riding

Unitary Authority: Calderdale

Police Authority: West Yorkshire