Dog-friendly Cross Hills

The oldest building in Cross Hills, a 1735 stone pub on Keighley Road at the village crossroads, taking its cask ale from a brewery its own site describes as less than half a mile away. The pub pitches itself squarely at walkers coming off the hill, describing customers cosying up in front of the fire in muddy boots after a long walk with the dog, so a wet dog by the fire is the expected picture rather than an awkward one. There is a sun-trap beer garden behind for warm afternoons. Food runs Wednesday to Sunday only, with the kitchen shut all day Monday and Tuesday, so a midweek walk needs planning.

The flat walk that Cross Hills and Glusburn actually have, reached on foot rather than by car. Drop north out of the village down Priest Bank Road into Kildwick, past the long low bulk of St Andrew's church, and join the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Kildwick's bridge 187, then follow the towpath north-east above the Aire valley towards Silsden. The Canal and River Trust has resurfaced the three kilometres between bridge 187 at Kildwick and bridge 191A at Silsden, so this is firm going in winter rather than the mud most towpaths turn into. There is no seasonal dog ban of any kind here: the Trust's towpath code asks only that dogs are kept under close control and cleaned up after, all year round.