Shipley is a great place to walk. With its pedestrianised Market Square, well-maintained canal towpaths, good public transport links, the lofty heights of Baildon Moor, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Saltaire, there’s so much to explore on foot. What’s more, it’s a great way to stay on top of your mental and physical health, and you don’t need any special equipment to do it.
Walking to Zero
Do you enjoy walking? Is your walk experience tedious and an effort and you’d rather use your car?
The Shipley Active Travel Hub is teaming up with the TO WALK project to deliver a project that seeks to transform your outlook on your everyday walking experience.
You will take part in a series of workshops to engage you with drawing [sketching] the landscape your walk goes through. Your ability to draw your walks landscapes will transform your walking experience. Plus, you’ll have a new method of seeing and a new skill, sketching!
The TO WALK team with Jake Attree, a renowned Yorkshire-based landscape artist will develop your ‘seeing’ and drawing skills to transform your perception of the walk from a mundane to a memorable everyday experience.
The projects outcome for you will be a week-long exhibition of your sketches displayed in the Trapezium Arts Gallery in Bradford city centre.
You do not need to be a ‘walker’ or be able to draw to take part and we encourage those who see themselves as neither to sign up. We also welcome participation by people with disabilities. [People who use wheelchairs and their support helpers are very welcome.]
October of this year is when The ‘Walking to Zero’ programme will take place and exact dates of the programme will be provided when you have registered your interest using the on-line form.
Walking groups
Here, you’ll find links to groups that regularly organise walks in the Shipley area. Most are free, although memberships are required in some cases. Contact them directly for details on how to join a walk.
If you know of another walking group in the Shipley area that isn’t included here, please let us know and we will add them to the list.
Baildon Walkers are Welcome & Bingley Walkers are Welcome
Walkers are Welcome are a network of advocacy groups that aim to promote and encourage walking in their local area. They regularly post details of guided walks on their websites.
Bradford Ramblers
The Ramblers is the UK’s largest walking charity and the Bradford group has an active programme of evening walks of between 4-5 miles in distance, with a number of them starting in Shipley or the surrounding areas.
Well Together
Well Together provides a range of interesting, sociable, health-led activities delivered by dedicated activity volunteers. They are particularly suitable for NHS service users with long term health conditions, and alongside walking they organise crafting, peer support and many other types of social groups.
HALE Social Groups
HALE is an award-winning health development charity based in Bradford. They run a number of walking groups as well as other activities that aim to reduce isolation and improve mental health.
West Yorkshire LDWA
The West Yorkshire branch of the Long Distance Walkers’ Association organises – you guessed it – long-distance walks, generally of 15 miles or more, for fit and experienced walkers. A number of their organised walks start in the Shipley area and their website also has route suggestions if you prefer something self-guided.
Bradford CHA Rambling & Social Club
Bradford CHA offers walks for all abilities and interests on Saturdays and Sundays, and regularly organises coach transport so walkers can explore further-flung parts of the countryside.