Esholt Circular Walk

1 day ago

4 min read

Esholt Circular Walk-Mile West Yorkshire Walk

Esholt is best known as the Yorkshire village that once doubled as Emmerdale, but there is much more to it than its television connection.

This 4.94-mile circular starts in the village before heading out through the surrounding countryside and woodland. We found it an easy walk overall, although there was one tricky bit through the woods.

The route also loops around Esholt Water Treatment Works — which is nice.

It isn't going to win any awards for Yorkshire's finest view, but it does add something a little different to the walk.

Walk at a Glance

Distance: 4.94 miles / 7.96 kmGrade: EasyAscent: Approximately 72 metresTerrain: Village streets, tracks, paths and woodlandParking: Street parkingStart and finish: EsholtToilets: None that we noticedRegion: West Yorkshire

Starting in Esholt

We started in Esholt itself, where we found street parking.

The village is worth a look before you even start the walk. Stone cottages and older buildings give Esholt a traditional West Yorkshire appearance, and if you watched Emmerdale during the years it was filmed here, some of it may look strangely familiar.

Once out of the village, the surroundings quickly become greener and the route begins its circuit through the countryside around Esholt.

The Walk

For most of the way this is an easy, relaxed route.

There is only around 72 metres of ascent across the whole 4.94 miles, so there are no major hills. Instead, the interest comes from the changing surroundings as the route moves between the village, open paths and woodland.

The woods are one of the better sections.

There was one tricky bit when we walked it, but apart from that we found the route straightforward.

It's a good example of why we like these shorter local walks. You don't need dramatic moorland or a huge climb to find an interesting route, and Esholt manages to pack quite a lot into less than five miles.

Around the Water Treatment Works

Then there is the water treatment works.

You don't just glimpse it in the distance. The route actually loops around the site.

Which is nice!!.

It sounds like an odd feature for a country walk, and it is, but the works are actually an important part of the area's history.

Bradford's enormous industrial expansion brought serious problems with sewage and pollution. Esholt became an important site for treating the city's wastewater during the early 20th century, helping to improve conditions in the River Aire.

The nearby Leeds and Liverpool Canal also played a role, with waste once being transported by canal boat.

So the treatment works might not be beautiful, but it is part of the story of how Bradford, industry and the Aire Valley developed.

And once you've admired it for as long as seems reasonable, the walk continues.

Esholt's History

Esholt's story goes back much further than Emmerdale.

A Cistercian nunnery was established on the Esholt estate during the medieval period. It remained here until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the reign of Henry VIII.

The area later developed as an agricultural community before industry began to have a much greater influence on this part of West Yorkshire.

Ironworking took place locally, while the textile industry brought further development during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Despite being close to Bradford and Shipley, Esholt retained much of its older village character. That survival would eventually lead to the village becoming famous for an entirely different reason.

Emmerdale Comes to Esholt

For more than 20 years, Esholt was used as the exterior village for Emmerdale.

The real streets and buildings became familiar to millions of television viewers, with the village standing in for the fictional Yorkshire community.

The best-known survivor of that connection is The Woolpack.

Eventually, production moved to a purpose-built set, but Esholt's Emmerdale years remain an important part of the village's recent history.

It adds another layer to the walk. You can explore somewhere that looks and feels like an old Yorkshire village while recognising locations that once appeared regularly on television.

Is the Esholt Circular Walk Difficult?

No. We found this an easy walk overall.

At 4.94 miles, it is a useful route when you fancy a decent walk without committing most of the day to it.

The only section we found more challenging was the tricky bit through the woods. Otherwise, there were no significant difficulties and very little climbing.

We didn't notice any public toilets during the route.

Explore More West Yorkshire Walks

Esholt is one of many routes Michael and Lyn have personally walked for The White Shire.

Our West Yorkshire Walks take you through villages, woodland, canals, reservoirs and countryside across the region.

For somewhere completely different, use our Yorkshire Walks page and interactive walking map. It brings together our personally walked routes across North, South, East and West Yorkshire, making it easy to see what we've explored near you.

We don't simply collect routes from elsewhere. We walk them ourselves, which is why you'll sometimes find the less glamorous details alongside the castles, countryside and views.

Esholt Water Treatment Works being a particularly fine example.

Discover More with The White Shire

If you're making a day of it, The White Shire isn't just about walks.

Explore our Yorkshire attractions and historic places for more ideas, or have a look at our What's On in Yorkshire pages to find events taking place across the county.

We're continually adding places we've visited, walks we've completed and Yorkshire stories we've discovered ourselves.

Michael & Lyn's Verdict

Esholt Circular Walk is an easy 4.94-mile route with a surprising amount of variety.

We liked the old village and woodland sections best, and the route is easy enough to enjoy without feeling like you've set off on an expedition.

The Emmerdale connection adds some interest, while the industrial history explains why that enormous water treatment works is there in the first place.

Would we describe the treatment works as picturesque? No.

Would the walk be quite as memorable without it?

Probably not.

Michael & LynThe White Shire

4.94 miles | Easy | Street parking | No toilets noticed | West Yorkshire