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Photo: Small-town hero, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Take a walk along the banks of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, an impressive relic of the Industrial Age—still in daily use by canal boats—and early modern engineering feat. Walking north-west towards Skipton from the centre of town, past many typical mill buildings, visitors will encounter first the Three-Rise Locks, before reaching the spectacular Five-Rise Locks.
The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool.
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The Five-Rise Locks is an impressive, Grade I-listed staircase lock on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Bingley, first opened in 1774, and therefore a remarkable relic of the early Industrial and transport revolution in northern England. As the name suggests, a canal boat passing through the hinged gates of the lock is lifted or lowered in five stages. The Five-Rise is notable as the steepest flight of locks in the UK, with a gradient of about 1:5 (a rise of over 59 feet, or 18 metres) over a distance of 320 feet (98 m). The intermediate and bottom gates are also the tallest in the country. The Five-Rise Locks is a major tourist attraction in the Aire Valley and the town of Bingley. Boats that pass through attract a lot of attention, especially at weekends when large crowds may be attracted to watch the locks in operation.
St. Ives Estate
The St Ives Estate is a wonderful Country Park with woodlands, open moor, and a wildflower meadow, and paths throughout. The Adventure Playground is a fantastic feature for the children, and Coppice Pond offers both fishing opportunities, and a chance to feed the ducks.