Autumn in Bingley St Ives

I did this little walk over a month ago now and left the photos sitting in my camera. As I recall, it was one of the few sunny days in an otherwise wet few weeks so I had to make the most of it by donning my walking shoes and getting out with my camera.

St Ives is a great place to go, no matter what your walking capabilities are. You can just stroll around Coppice Pond and then go for a coffee; if you are a bit fitter then you can head off up to the Druid's Alter which gives far reaching views down to the Aire Valley or you can do a full circuit of the Country Park as I did.

Once you get away from the pond, you only see the occasional dog walker or rambler at this time of year so it's ideal for having a bit of quiet time in an otherwise busy hectic world. I started off by going around the pond and then called in the cafe which has recently changed its name but it will always be know as Lady B's Cafe to me. The weather was nice and warm so I sat out in the garden in the company of the local birds and an optimistic sheepdog who never took its eye away from the possibility of a food droppage!

Then it was on to the Aire-Calder Link footpath and up to the Druid's Alter. I noticed there was still a fair bit of autumn colour about plus a profusion of berries on the trees; I think this year's autumn has been one of the longest and most colourful I can remember. Unfortunately the view from the Alter is getting obscured by trees these day which makes it more or less impossible to get a decent photo but it's still a cracking walk up there.

Being as I was enjoying the quietness of my day so much, I carried on along side Race Course Plantation and the Golf Course before going back down through the woods to Coppice Pond, which where I started my walk.

All in all we have a lot to thank the Ferrand Family for. It was they who bought the estate in 1635 when it was then called Harden Grange. They changed the name to St Ives in 1858 and the estate and mansion were bought by Bingley Urban District Council in 1929. It is now owned by Bradford Metropolitan District Council who do a pretty good job with its upkeep.

Unfortunately over one thousand trees, mainly larch and sweet chestnut, which have either been infected or are threatened with infection from phytophthora root rot have had to be felled this year but thankfully the Council will be replenishing them with elm, ash and birch trees. Also all the rhododendron have been cleared out as they acts as a host for the disease. The whole process of bringing the woodland back to its former glory will take between 30-40 years but it was necessary to take this drastic action to avoid further infection.