If you go right here, in around a quarter of a mile you will arrive at The Hermit public house, this is a very friendly place to stop off for a bite to eat and liquid refreshments. (Include story behind The Hermit)

The old sign over the entrance to the Hermit Inn at Woodhead carries a picture of the eccentric Job Senior. Both Bogg and Speight in their books about Wharfedale written a century ago mention him. In his early days he had been a labourer, willing to do any job in Wharfedale. He eventually made his home in a rough dwelling on Burley moor and came to be known as the Hermit. A map of 1850 shows what is probably his “hut” on a triangular plot of land near the Coldstone Beck, on the sharp right bend of the Moor road above Robin Hole. It was a dilapidated dwelling. Speight quotes an eye–witness account of Job Senior‘s antics in “his primitive domicile”:

Here he used to hold high court, but the grand levee used to take place on Sundays, when numbers of persons from Bradford and Leeds used to assemble in front of his hut. There he gave them what he termed his “Blast”, which was a composition of his own, to represent sweet melody. The designing old man .. found that his loud chant brought him a large store of coppers as he lay singing on his bed of dried brackens and heather. When he made his ablutions I never heard, but there was plenty of pure water in Coldstone Beck. He had great compass of voice and his lowest notes were most powerful... . Going shooting on the moors at the break of day, we have stopped to listen to old Job, who then had no audience but was generally singing the 100th Psalm, and it was beautifully sung, his loud voice echoing amongst the rocks above, and sounding down far down in the valley

Speight concludes that he died in 1857 aged 77, and was buried in Burley churchyard. The funeral was witnessed by a large crowd. “Such like eccentrics are now of the past, and are not likely to be seen again.”

 

 

If you do visit The Hermit, you will need to retrace your steps back to the point you joined Moor Road. Cross the road and follow a stony track, after about 50yds go left to ford a stream. Follow the path uphill through trees then between walls to a gate. Then turn right beside the wall, which soon curves away, continue upwards on a trod (A low-cost footpath using unbound material instead of asphalt, but still fit for purpose).

Keep going when you meet a stony track; follow it round to the right, along the edge of the moorland. Follow a wall the wall to a stile next to a gate. After the stile keep right when the track forks. As you approach a small brick building keep right again. As the track wheels round a farm, route finding becomes easier.

When you get to a farm called York View (on a clear day you can see York Minster from here), go left off the main track, gradually descending by a wall to the right. When you approach the next farm, look out for 2 barns and a gate, on the right. There is an indistinct path opposite, which curves around a small quarry.

From here the walking is level through bracken with some great views over Lower Wharfedale. In around a ¼ of a mile, drop down into a narrow ravine, then cross Coldstone Beck. As you climb out of the ravine head right and then follow the path downhill to meet Moor Road by a sharp bend.

Follow the road down to the next sharp bend, Turn into Stead Lane, the stony track tacks you past several houses, continue between the fields beyond. Pass a wooden chalet, and then leave the track as it swings left towards a farm, dropping through a kissing gate to the right. Walk with the wood to your left. After another kissing gate, keep by the right-hand boundary, exiting at the far side, to then follow a fenced path.

When you reach a track, go right then bear left along a path which leads to a 2nd track within trees. Follow this track to the road (Moor Lane), turn left, and follow the road down under the railway bridge, then turn right to return to the car park