This is a nice loop walk that takes in a number of interesting things to see. It’s a decent length but is all very easy going.
From Aberford we set off on a small road along Becca Bank, which eventually splits off to become just a bridlepath. We wander through a farm (where we had a very impressive view of a red kit hovering above us) before leaving the easy track to follow a footpath that yomps across some ploughed fields. We follow a very unused looking road down into Potterton, where snowdrops and early daffodils are everywhere! We trudge along Potterton lane, a fairly unpleasant bit of road walking - no paths, fast cars - and uphill into Barwick in Elmet. We have a look at the Tower Hill (castle! sort of) and Jubilee gardens (so many crocuses!) before stopping for a pint at the Black Swan.
We walk South West out of Barwick and back into the fields (and spot a deer!). Our route cuts across Garforth golf club and heads off down another farm track, Parlington lane. There are a couple more bits of interest here: the path follows a tunnel (the ‘dark arch’) that has sadly collapsed a bit, and goes past Nellie’s tree, two distinct plants fused into the shape of an N. For love! From here it’s just a straightforward walk into Aberford to finish the walk.
Easy on street parking in Aberford
Pretty easy. There’s no steep hills or very difficult terrain - although the muddy fields might have been more tricky if it had been wetter. There’s a chunk of road-walking in the middle which is a bit of a shame, but hard to route around.