Booklet "Poets' walk" by Colin Speakman - reviewed by Roger Charnley

VERY recently published and now on sale is a unique and attractive "walk" booklet, featuring Burley-in-Wharfedale, Burley Woodhead and touching Menston, and produced by the well-known Yorkshire writer and poet, Colin Speakman.

The author of several Yorkshire walking guides, Colin is the creator of the ever-popular "Dales Way", the long-distance route between Ilkley and Windermere in Cumbria. Colin now resides in Burley.

This new book entitled "Poets' Walk" details a near-five miles walk from the Victorian Roundhouse in Grange Park, Burley-in-Wharfedale, to York View which is sited above Burley Woodhead. This newly-devised walk combines both poetry and photography. Carefully researched, the Walk has close links with four widely-celebrated published poets and topographers, who all in turn had connections with the Burley area. These are Thomas Maude, John Peele Clapham, Sir William Watson and Alfred J Brown, respectively dating back to the18th,19th and 20th centuries.

Impressive photographs by Dorian Speakman, a well-established Burley-based photographer and Colin's son, accompany each of the six selected key viewpoints. Whilst there is no printed guide-map in the book, Colin has denoted grid references for all six locations, using OS Explorer 297 (Lower Wharfe & Washburn Valley map). Burley's "Walkers are Welcome" group are also credited with having originally earmarked most of these six special viewpoints.

Colin, in his own distinctive manner of writing, has produced impressive, flowing and descriptive verses covering all six locations. For example, quite close to the Hermit pub, he has featured the local eccentric "Hermit of Rombalds Moor", Job Senior. In an extract here about this character Colin writes: "Dwelt in a hovel of stones, turf and ling......His songs, blasted, in a deep voice and raw as winter gale over Bark's Crag, drew Sunday wanderers who came to the Moor to listen, smile and toss a copper coin".

Guidance notes for the walk are also included, including advice that parts of the route are steep so strong footwear - plus some agility - is needed! One should allow some two-and-a half hours for the Walk.

A most interesting addition to the Yorkshire walking enthusiasts' bookshelves, this publication sells for £5; from the sale of each book £1 is donated to Burley Community Trust. It is planned that this "Poets' Walk" book will soon be available at a number of Burley shops, at other local locations and also at historic Bleach Mill (Bleach Mill Lane, Menston), which is actually featured as part of the Walk.

The book can also be ordered now on-line direct from Gritstone publishing website: www.gritstone.coop. In addition, contact can be made with the author: E-mail: colinspeakman@btinternet.com >.

by Roger Charnley