Yesterday I finally finished part five, after many attempts and a false start on Saturday. The hiking in the eastern part of West Yorkshire is really limited compared to the western sections due to the relative lack of paths. While the Leeds Country Way does exist, it predominantly goes through farmland, which this route actively avoids. So finding a safe, enjoyable route has proved very tricky. In fact, on Saturday, my patience was severely tested when the route that I had walked a couple of times had cattle on it! Back to the drawing board…

There are one or two road sections on my version, unavoidable unfortunately, but they are kept to a minimum. The rest of the route makes up in terms of quality though, and it’s a very pleasant experience to arrive in Barwick in Elmet with its maypole and Anglo Norman motte and Bailey. Full description and video to come soon, which I only just managed to finish in daylight. The route, one way, is 18km. I was forced to do a return 36km walk as it’s tricky to link Garforth and East Keswick through public transport on a Sunday. A good challenge though, and despite being sore today for sure, I very much enjoyed myself.