Halifax, Piece Hall, Magna Via, Beacon Hill and Shibden Hall

From the Piece Hall the walk threads downhill close to the Calderdale Industrial Museum, where the atmosphere of Halifax's industrial past is recreated (this museum backs directly onto the Piece Hall, with its entrance on Square Road).

St John the Baptist's is one of the largest churches in the country and dates mainly from the 15th century. The approach is via narrow lanes lined with old warehouses, but modern industry takes over beyond the church as you skirt one end of the Rowntree Mackintosh factory (Mackintosh's toffee was first produced in Halifax).

As you begin to climb, a metal bar ahead across the entrance to a broad sett stone paving lane marks an exploration of the Magna Via. This original "highway" out of Halifax was used by packhorses until the construction of the first turnpike road in 1741. The paved highway climbs and zigzags spectacularly up the steep side of Beacon Hill, crossing a road before continuing as a narrower track to a hairpin bend at "The Elbow" where the full width of the original setts has been uncovered.

At this point, a short climb leads to the 852-foot (260-metre) Beacon Hill, where a superb panorama of Halifax displays textbook-fashion the town's modern evolution. A noteworthy landmark to the west is Wainhouse Tower, a 250-foot (75-metre) folly built in the 1870s by a local industrialist.

The return route turns left into the Shibden Valley, but there is an unexpected gem straight ahead that is well worth a detour: beyond the untidy surroundings of a modern bungalow, Dark Lane suddenly turns into a medieval "holloway", taking the Magna Via eastwards on stone setts beneath high banks where trees and bushes meet overhead in a beautiful, atmospheric paradise of lush growth during early summer.

Halfway along the valley is the 15th-century half-timbered Shibden Hall, surrounded by recreational facilities in a wooded park. The house is furnished in the style of a prosperous 17th-century family, and a folk museum sits to the rear. From here you follow the valley back to the Magna Via and retrace your steps to the start of the walk.

Acknowledgment: Text derived from the Out and Out Series; Discovering the Countryside on Foot. Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia.