Click on the above photo to view some more of Mick Ely's photos from the ride

It was a lovely morning as we set off from the West Vale car park. Heading on to the Salterhebble Top Lock. Riding on the Calder and Hebble Navigation, towards Halifax, via the Eric Brearley cycleway. Up the Cobbles through the old Holdsworth Mill complex and then through the local Shay Rugby and Football Stadium car park. Onto Union Street. Here we diverted into the Halifax Piece Hall to see the results of its recent regeneration programme. Halifax Piece Hall is a grade one listed building. Opened in 1779 it has 315 separate rooms arranged around a central courtyard. In the eighteenth century, it was built as a cloth hall trading of 'pieces' of cloth (a 30-yard length of woven woollen fabric produced on a hand loom).

Leaving the town centre, we rode under the Victorian North Bridge and proceeded to Old Lane, the lane that runs up the back of the mills of Dean Clough Mills.which used to be Crossleys Carpets.

Crossleys Carpets were world famous. Opened in 1802 and ceased trading in 1983.

Dean Clough's converted mills and now houses 150 large and small business and arts venues. There are more people employed in the modernised buildings now than when it was the biggest carpet manufacturers in the world.

Carrying on Old Lane, passing the old Ovenden Railway Station House brought us to Shay Lane and on to Holmefield. Here we went through the park where some of the party had a couple of goes on the BMX track. Out of the back of the park and along a bridleway crossing the main Keighley Road and onto Morrisons where I had a very cheap lunch.

Leaving Morrisons we travelled through the top road of Mixenden and up to Mount Tabor and the steep descent to Booth and the bridleway down to Luddenden. Then onto the canal, back through Sowerby Bridge and on to West Vale.

Another great day out with friends.

Irene Hitchen.