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Walk Summary:  Hard 8.3 mile circular walk from Slawitt Cop Hill across to Bolster Moor and Golcar, returning along the canal.
Start: Rose & Crown pub at Cop Hill
Locality: Cop Hill
Area: West
Start OS Grid reference: SE0602813827
Start What3words: fuse.novelists.misty
Difficulty: Hard
Distance miles: 8.3
Ascent meters: 522
Estimated Walk Time hours: 4.7
Pub & Locality: The Rose & Crown pub at Cop Hill PUB CLOSED
Parking: Pub Carpark
Public Transport: Buses between Holmfirth and Huddersfield every 20 minutes. 310 314 316, then Stotts bus 181 to Wilberlee or 185 to Marsden, with 30+ min uphill walk to pub. Journey time circa 2 hours. Check bus times.
Walk Description: On leaving the Rose and Crown turn right, down Scout Lane. At the crossroads note ahead and a little to the right a footpath through trees leading to a building (Cop). Pass the building to the right and continue down a field path to New Close. Follow lane to the right, round the building and locate the on going footpath in the right hand corner of the garden area facing. Follow path down, turning right as it continues alongside wall until an awkward stile is reached and the path comes to a sunken lane. Follow lane down to woods where it turns left initially keeping to the edge of woodland, then entering the wood and turning sharply right to cross a footbridge. Fork left up path to join Scout Lane and turn right. Scout Lane becomes Tyas Lane and after the last of three buildings on right there is a footpath across a stile and then down fields to reach the hamlet of Ainley Place. Pass a terraced row to the lane left to Intake Rd and immediately fork right to reach Wilberlee. Take Tiding Field Lane (CARE, TRAFFIC!) to reach a stile on right at Tiding Field Farm. Although this describes the original route it is strongly recommended that the busy and narrow Tiding Field Lane is avoided by turning right at Wilberlee and taking the first foot path on the left. Field paths will then lead to the same point as the route from Tiding Field Farm. Turn left up Castle Lane, turning right, with the path before Moor Side Lane is reached. Pass The Barn West Top and keep straight ahead on track. Join Meal Hill Lane, keeping left then take stile on right following field path to Mount Pleasant. Take path to the rear of the building, following the Colne Valley Circular route. At Highfield Gate Farm pass the building on your left and on entering the lane to the road immediately take footpath on the right leading down to Upper Highfield where you pass through garden down to tarmacked lane. Take lane downhill and as it bends right take a stile to left. Follow field path alongside a fence, over a stile and descend steeply down, tending left to reach a footbridge and a steep path up to Clough Rd. Turn left up Clough Rd and after 150m take footpath on right climbing steeply up a bank and then onto steeps. Path passes through garden of former chapel and joins Meeting House Lane where turn left. Turn sharply back right on Bolstermoor Rd and at crossroads turn left down Drummer Lane. On meeting Slades Rd pass around the Golcar Lily pub (1) and take the cobbled Heath House Lane. As woodland on right is reached take footpath left, down across fields and into woodland. Indistinct path descends to footbridge and across to Slades Rd where turn right and after 60m footpath on right. Path leads down into Golcar, joining Ridings Lane. At first fork bear right down Small lane, becoming Clay Well and into Carr Top Lane. As road bends to right take Chapel Lane on left, this becomes a path which leads down to the railway at Golcar Viaduct and onto the canal at Scarwood Bridge. Pick up the canal towpath and follow to right, in the direction of Slaithwaite. Keep following towpath to Lock 31 (noting cottages on other side of canal) and cross Booths Bridge to Kettle Lane, past cottages, under railway bridge and onto footpath straight ahead. Follow path up past Bank Nook to join Green Lane, left up to Marsden Lane and right to Rose and Crown pub.
Other comments and points of interest: (1) The Golcar Lily pub is linked to the French Huguenots who settled here in the 16th Century after religious persecution and brought with them their weaving and tapestry skills. The Lily being the emblem of the Huguenots. The Huguenots first settled in East Yorkshire but caused resentment in the Guilds so moved to West Yorkshire.

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