Royd Moor

Start from point 1 on High Lane and continue along High Lane in a westerly direction for about ½ a mile over the high point and down the dip beyond point 2. As the lane rises again, the walled section ends and the walk goes forward through a gate to a field path. Follow the right hand wall to the road, Annat Royd Lane at point 3.

Turn left along the road to an angled T-junction where you go left. Stay on this road for over ½ mile crossing the beck, rising a little after that and passing a farm access lane on the left (beware of traffic). From this vantage point you get a superb view over the 3 local reservoirs plus a large part of the eastern half of West Yorkshire and the north-east corner of South Yorkshire and Emley Moor mast which is over 1,000 ft high and feeds TV pictures in the area. Twenty metres before the next road junction at point 4, go over a wall stile on the left and walk down the field at right angles to the road. Cross a second wall stile at the bottom and carry on down the edge of the next 2 fields with the wall to your right. Cross a farm track to a stile in the fence opposite. The path turns half right to a ladder stile in the bottom right-hand corner of the field.  Cross the ladder stile, go right along the lower fence-line a few strides and then left over another ladder stile into the land surrounding Royd Moor Reservoir at point 5. A path beyond ascends the banking, turns right following the visible line to a concrete bridge and forward to the reservoir access track.

Turn left along the track and, where it bears left to the dam, continue straight ahead to a ladder stile in the fence and forward across the next open area to a stile into a walled lane. Turn left along the lane, passing a house on the right where the lane narrows to a path descending into a dip over Maze Brook. Once up the rise beyond the brook, the path opens out into a walled lane again. Follow this lane;  just after 100 metres it acquires a good stone flagged surface.
Half way along watch out for the “Donkey Stone” near point 6 which has a horse-like creature and the letters FD carved on it - a local curio!  The lane turns right and loses the flagged surface. This short section ends at a fork in the path where we keep left on a narrower path and the stone flags reappear. Follow this as it winds its way to join High Lane at the start point 1.

OS Map: Explorer Map Outdoor Leisure 1

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