Hebden Bridge to Heptonstall

This is what the start of my walk from Hebden Bridge to Heptonstall in West Yorkshire last Sunday looked like:

As one of the cyclists shouted to the other one "That's not a hill, that's a wall!"

I'm well used to hills with living first in Stoke, then Leeds and now in Bradford, always on steep hill, but this was a step beyond.

Toiling up was worth it though, as even just half way up there were excellent views.

At the top the great views of course continued:

The village is very much of the Quaint Old type:

There are the ruins of a church in the grounds of the church which replaced it (or is it the other way around?).

After a very good icecream from the village cafe (which has a large selection of gluten free cakes, I must go back with Colin) I walked back to Hebden Bridge.

Oh bloody hell, it was hard going! Worse going down than up and it left my legs shaking.

But of course that didn't stop me from walking around the charity shops and art supplies shop. Hebden Bridge on Sunday is heaving with visitors, which felt a bit much after the peaceful walk, so I sat writing in the park for a while, enjoying the atmosphere of people happy and enjoying themselves, before getting the train back to Bradford and - groan - walking slowly, slowly up the hill back home.