
Stage 6: Railway bridge near Jt 39 of the M1 to Lake Lock
Setting off from the railway bridge near the Nagivation Pub, Friday 17th September Bob is supposed to be writing about art and culture but for this stage I'm taking over his task. It was not my best day. It was a long journey to get to the start and then quite an uninspiring walk on a flood defence bank with the river always just out of sight. Then after a lunch break at the Hepworth Gallery we walked along what felt like a particularly unloved stretch. The development of the

Stage 5: Dewsbury to the Navigation Pub, near Jt 39 of the M1
Setting off from Dewsbury, Thursday 16th September A summery-autumny day. Bright sun, sometimes a bit too hot, but at the same time, signs and smells that remind us that nothing stays the same for ever, and the seasons are changing. We began with a bacon sandwich and cup of tea from Greggs, and Dewsbury looked a little better in the sunshine. Sitting in a quiet square eating our second breakfast, my strongest impression was how friendly it was, with people greeting each other

Reflections
This week we will be doing another couple of days of walking, so before we set off we thought we should reflect on what we have done so far. Bob: The art that we have found so far has been quite interesting, especially the fairy houses in the woods and the futurist city sculpture on the river bank. Chancing upon them was an added bonus, and they show that people use this unusual and sometimes unwelcoming, uncomfortable place to express their creativity. The mood of river has

Stage 4: Mirfield to Dewsbury
Setting off from Mirfield, Thursday 2nd September Bob: What strikes you most walking through Mirfield are the generous displays flowers. It’s amazing. Even on the most unlovely corner of a back road you will find plenty of flower tubs. We dedicate today’s walk to ‘Mirfield in Bloom’. Mirfield looks quite handsome, but there was little of visual art that caught my eye. It’s hard to avoid the long, long wall of graffiti art that has been commissioned for the railway underpass,

Stage 3: Brighouse to Mirfield
Setting off from Brighouse, Wednesday1st September Annie: Today, I have really had the sense that we have travelled with the river. It's character has changed dramatically. In Mytholmroyd, when not in flood, the river is shallow and narrow. If you didn't mind getting your feet wet, you could walk across it, definitely with wellies. In the first two days, the Calder grew and shrank as it gained water from tributaries and then lost it to the canal system. But today, it became