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Walk Summary: Moderate 6.5 mile circular from Jackson Bridge to, Hepworth, Meal Hill, Hill Top, Kirklees Way, round Hullock Bank, Gate Foot, Fulstone, Holme Valley Circular to New Mill, Jackson Bridge.
Walk starting point: White Horse Inn at Jackson Bridge
Locality: Jackson Bridge
Area: South
Start OS Grid reference: SE1640207411
Start What3words : barrel.insolvent.ship
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance miles: 6.5
Ascent meters: 400
Estimated Walk Time hours: 3.9
Pub & Locality: White Horse Inn at Jackson Bridge
Parking: Parking on roadside near pub.
Public Transport: Bus 310 from Holmfirth to Hepworth every half hour calling at Jackston Bridge. Bus stop at pub. Journey time approx 20 mins. Check bus times.
Walk Description: From the White Lion pub go back across Dean Dike and turn right along Hepworth Road and just before the road crosses Rakes Dike take a left fork alonk a path running on the east side of the Dike. Take a path back to the left in Hall Acrew Wood towards Meal Hill (2).  On reaching the main road, cross and go up Meal Hill Lane past Larks House hamlet. Turn right along Broad Carr Lane. Keep on the path climbing up on the south edge of Bank House Wood on Cheese Gate Nab Side.Turn left along Scar Hole Lane following the Kirklees Way with its fine views over Meal Hill.. At Hullock Bank (2) branch right still following the KIrklees Way along the edge of scarp with its glorious views over the New Mill valley.  On reaching Gate Foot, turn left to descend to the A635, crossing over the road and following the path all the way to Fulstone along the HV Ciircular Walk. from here the path climbs up to Hill Top, before turning left and descending down into New Mill by St Mary’s church (2).  Turn back along Sude Hill before turning right to drop down to the Penistone Road when the route crosses over Sude Hill Dike and along Spring Lane from wher a path cuts across to the Sheffield Road. Turn right towards new Mill centre then turn left to go around the Glendale Mills and cross over New Miill Dike. The footpath then follows the west side of the Dike going south, rising up the valley side below Greenhill Bank Road before dropping down to the Wildspur Mill housing complex. Here the path crosses the Dike and follows the east side of the old mill pond before risng up to meet the A616 road.  Follow this main road before forking right down Bank Lane into Jackson Bridge and the White Lion pub.
Other comments and Points of Interest:  (1) St Mary’s Church, New Mill – Built in 1859 to serve the rapidly expanding mill village, St Mary’s reflects Victorian confidence driven by textile prosperity. The churchyard occupies a prominent slope above the village and offers insight into the social history of the mill workforce.
(2) Wildspur Mill Site – Wildspur Mill was one of several water-powered textile mills that once lined New Mill Dike. Though redeveloped for housing, the surviving mill pond outlines and water channels remain visible, providing a clear example of how valley-side mills exploited limited water flow through careful engineering.
(8) Meal Hill and Larks House Hamlet – Meal Hill takes its name from “mæl” or “mæl-gate”, indicating a boundary or meeting place. The surrounding lanes and tracks reflect early enclosure patterns. Larks House hamlet consists of dispersed farmsteads rather than a nucleated village, typical of upland Pennine settlement where land quality encouraged scattered farms rather than compact communities.
(9) Hullock Bank Escarpment – The escarpment at Hullock Bank provides one of the finest viewpoints on the route. The sharp break of slope marks the geological transition between softer valley sediments and harder gritstone above. This natural terrace influenced route placement, boundaries and grazing patterns, and today offers sweeping views that reveal the valley’s industrial layout and settlement structure.

 

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