I AM indebted once again to Allan Friswell of Silsden Strides for this splendid walk, which I would tend to call 'windmill walk' rather than Allan's more practical Silsden Stride One. It has to be said, I passed more closely to more wind turbines than on any other walk I'd been on, and love them or loathe them, it is interesting to be up so close - and the Beltex Sheep didn't seem to mind them. The walk starts and finishes in Cringles Lane, on the outskirts of Silsden and kicks off, rather magically, through a pair of high wooden gates and into the garden of a tumbledown, somewhat grand, farmstead. Once passing through the gates, you leave the busy Bolton Road behind you and set off into quite lovely countryside. On route, I came across several other walkers, all out enjoying Allan's well marked routes, a veritable graveyard of old tractors, and a very friendly man offered me a cup of tea - presumably, because I must have looked in need of refreshment. A note of caution, I did this in late summer and there were lots of cattle about. I chose to leave the dogs behind, and I was very glad I did. Not only because of the curious cows, and at least one bull, but the stiles were quite numerous and tricky - even for a nimble dog. To discover more of Allan's walks visit the website: SilStrolls.org.uk

Step by step

1 From Cringles Lane, turn right into Bolton Road and go right through the high wooden gates. Follow path, as it goes through a smaller gate and then over two ladder stiles. Go down field, with line of hawthorns and ditch on your left, to a third ladder stile. Join farm track, and after a while, fork right, keeping Great Gill Beck on your left. After a short way, cross over the footbridge and then sharp right, ignoring the steps straight ahead, and continuing along side of beck, which is now on your right, to the meeting point of Foster Cliff Beck. After a short way, when the path opens up a bit, veer off to the left, following Foster Cliff Beck, on your left. Go over stile on right , and then clamber up the steep slope to the field. Keep to the left hand side of the field to Foster Cliffe farms. Follow the right hand path to a sign forbidding you to go any further. Turn hard left here, along the tarmac track (Millennium Way). Just before farm entrance, go right, over footbridge and up steps to follow right hand side of field. Cross over stile, over lane, and another stile. Right here, alongside edge of field to Low Lane. Left along road and then take stile on right. Follow path, over stile, and then keeping hedge on left, to next stile. Over, and along right hand edge of field to Horn Lane.

2 Go right along Horn Lane and then right again onto Heights Lane. After a short way, turn left into Kiln Hill Lane for about a mile, passing Bracken Hill Farm on right. With Lower House Farm on left, take the right hand fork, over cattle grids to Moor Gate Farm. Continue into increasingly open countryside, and the first of many wind turbines dead ahead.

3. Don't go into the farmyard, take the track off to the right in front of it and take the right hand of two wooden gates straight ahead of you. The obvious track leads you past Crow Trees Farm, with its new duck pond. Continue along the track, go through two gates, and then sharp left down to a small, wooden gate. Drop down the field, keeping to the left, to another wooden gate. Then, cross over field at 11 o clock to join concrete track. Left here up to Low Edge Farm. Pass in between the two lion heads, and right in front of house, then keeping it on left, over stile on right wall, sharp right again and up towards High Edge Farm.

4. Over the metal barred step stile on the right, along the boundary of the farm drive, and then take stile on left into field. Keeping generally to the right of the field, head to gate, crossing over two fields - which are likely to be pretty boggy. The track is pretty obvious, after you get through the fields, take stile on left and head for gate to Middleborough House Farm. Walk around front of farm and follow track to gates, take right gate, making for Haygill Farm. When you get to the gate to the farmyard, go through, and then sharp right, through a walkers gate. Pass round edge of farm and cross over field, keeping ditch on your right, to stile in middle of wall, and then to stile at Haygill Nook, passing a small, semi-derelict animal shelter in middle of field.

5 Exit onto Bank Lane, turn left and after about 150 yards, at the bench on the right, take the bridleway on the right. Cross the field, keeping to the right boundary to end, over stile and turn right along the track, heading for wind turbine. Over stile, and then right, over ladder stile into field. follow left hand wall down towards farm, and take right of two gateways, into field, and keeping to left, through farm and left into Bank Lane.

6 Continue along Bank Lane and straight ahead, back to Cringles Lane and to start.