Previous Field Trips

The venue for the mystery trip will be a surprise! There will be a £4.80pp entry charge to access our destination. Lots to do and see at this seasonal time of the year. The trip will not disappoint. Easy walking.

We will take a detour on the way home to call in at St Aidan’s RSPB reserve with the hope of seeing short eared owls coming into roost.

Leaders; Margaret Rees & Marilyn Barber
Minibus transport; depart Unitarian Church 9.30am. Cost £7

We will fulfill our plan to visit Rodley Nature Reserve on a two yearly basis with this late autumn visit. Peter and Barbara Murphy will outline the recent developments on the reserve. We will be free to do our own exploration in the afternoon. The main interest will be birds and fungi. Easy walking .Please note there will be building work taking place for the construction of a new toilet block although portaloos will be available. Please note we will meet up at the car park on the left hand side over the bridge at 10am.

Leaders: Peter & Barbara Murphy, Coordinator: Margaret Rees
Minibus transport; depart Unitarian Church 9.30am. Cost: £6

This site is 4 miles SE of Wakefield & is adjacent to Angler's Country Park. The main interest is the fungi, particularly Agarics. The walk will be about 2 miles on fairly flat ground with no stiles. Parking is at Angler's CP SE372 152 where there are toilets & picnic tables. The woods are half a mile down a quiet lane from Anglers.

Leaders: Madeleine Massey and John Gavaghan
Minibus transport; depart Unitarian Church 9.30am. Cost: £7

Our visit today will take us to Keighley to visit a unique collection of trees in a beautiful arboretum at Devonshire Park. This park was opened in 1888 and provides an opportunity to view different species within a small area. Walking will be on good paths over a distance of about one mile with a slight uphill climb at the start. Lunch will be taken either in the open at the park or, should we experience rain, in Cliffe Castle itself, which will be our destination for the afternoon part of today's visit. Much work has been done in the grounds here and it will be interesting to see what progress has been made since a previous visit a couple of years ago. There are toilet facilities available within the Castle.

Leaders: Sally Tetlow and Stuart Tordoff
Minibus transport; depart Unitarian Church 9.30am. Cost: £6

Blacktoft Sands, situated on the south side of the Humber Estuary, has the largest reed bed in the country and is the home to a number of interesting birds including Marsh Harrier, Bittern and Bearded Tit. At this time of year it will provide refuge for migrating birds, mainly waders. There are 6 hides and the access path is level.

Toilet facilities on site. The area is exposed so be prepared. Admission free for RSPB members & a charge for non RSPB members.

Leaders: Julia Pearson
Minibus transport; depart Unitarian Church 9.30am. Cost: £10

This 110 acre site on the south bank of the Humber has two SSSI areas and is recognised as a Wetland of International Importance. It is an excellent location to see a wide range of wildlife in a variety of habitats. Birds should feature prominently on this visit with waders and perhaps a Marsh Harrier or a Bittern. Water voles are among the mammals present. The paths are many and flat but can be muddy.

Not surprisingly the area is exposed but the Visitor Centre facilities come highly recommended after our last very wet visit.

Leaders: Alice Gingell and Sally Tetlow
Minibus transport; depart Unitarian Church 9.30am. Cost: £12

There is now an RSPB visitor centre at this reserve. We will divide into two groups, the birders could explore the lakes (with possible migratory birds as well as residents) butterflies and dragonflies etc, whilst the botanists will investigate the interesting wetland flora adjacent to the drains and wildflower meadow.

Leaders: Stuart Tordoff and John Gavaghan
Minibus transport; depart Unitarian Church 9.30am. Cost: £8

This is a walk around the inside perimeter of the site and goes through an extensive area of gorse heathland. The walk is under 3 miles and is not hazardous or overly steep. There is a large car-park on the opposite side of the main road where the bus will park.

Toilets are alongside the Park cafe where of course refreshments can be had. If time allows other sections of the park may be visited'.

Leader: John Gavaghan
Minibus transport; depart Unitarian Church 9.30am. Cost £6.

Sunderland Point is an isolated hamlet situated between the estuary of the river Lune and Morecambe Bay and unique in being the only mainland village in the UK that is dependent on the tide for access. Hopefully we will have read the tide tables correctly. There are marsh, estuary and hedgerow habitats and we expect to see a variety of bird life as well as some interesting seaside plants such as sea lavender and sea aster.

Sambo’s grave, the resting place of a young slave in the 18th century lies close by and we may pay a visit to this attraction. There are toilets in the village. The walking is flat and easy. We will also call at the nearby village of Snatchems which is on the banks of the Lune and where the Golden Ball hotel offers facilities.

Leaders: Stuart and Gillian Tordoff
Minibus transport; depart Unitarian Church 9.30am. Cost £11

A new destination for BEES. Today we head to the beautiful Rosedale valley to explore the wealth of flora and fauna which give spectacular displays at this time of year. Our walk will take us along the banks of the River Seven and through some fields where, weather permitting, we should see butterflies and hopefully dragonflies and damselflies. It is expected the walk will be approximately 4 miles in length, through well maintained field gates with a short uphill section before crossing a road to reach a small conifer plantation and then downhill to Rosedale Village Hall where Robert will collect us in the minibus.

Toilet facilities are available in Rosedale. Mud may be an issue through the fields dependent on weather conditions.

We will have a meal in Weatherspoons in Thirsk (no pre-orders) before returning to Bradford.

Leader: Sally Tetlow and Robert Waind
Minibus transport; depart Unitarian Church 9.30am. Cost: £12