top of page

Judy woods

Where is it?

Judy Woods is a 40 hectare area of woodland filling a steep sided valley between the Buttershaw estate and the village of Wyke. It forms part of the boundary between Calderdaleand Bradford district.

There are several ways to enter the woods but the most often used are the top entrance off Ullswater Drive, Buttershaw, and the lower entrance off Station Road, Wyke.

Getting there.

By bus

Bus, service 681 - to Halifax from Bradford Interchange - stops a short way from the woods entrance. Leave the bus at Buttershaw. The stop is opposite the Tesco Buttershaw store, and a large mill building.

( Woodside, Halifax Rd Fleece Street, stop no. 45015 )

Other services run from Market street and stop near the woods

The only slightly tricky part of the journey is getting from the bus stop to the wood entrance at the end of Ullswater Drive. For that a street map printed off the internet helps.

From the entrance, you can walk through the length of Judy Woods (about 1.5 miles almost all slightly downhill ) finishing at the Station Road entrance, Wyke ready to take a bus back to Bradford.

Huddersfield Road (A641) is a short walk from the woods, and the bus stop to Bradford Interchange is at the crossroads with Station Road. 

Bus 363/ X63, Huddersfield-Bradford which runs about 3 services an hour.  

By train

There is no station nearby, despite there being a “Station Road”.

By car

Street parking near the woods.

What is there?

Judy Woods is a collective name, bringing together a number of woods in the area. 

"judy brig"

The name remembers Judy North, whose cottage and ornamental garden were sited near the packhorse bridge.

These deciduous woods were planted with beech trees about 200 years ago. Many trees are at the end of their lives, and those that fall are being replaced with oak or birch, more typical of a northern wood.

The woods are at their best in April/ May. The sight of drifts of bluebells, set against the bright early tree leaves is magical.

bluebells - judy woods

What else is there?

· remains of iron and coal mining industry.

· variety of birdlife including: dippers, grey wagtails,

                                              green and greater spotted

                                              woodpeckers, nuthatches,

                                              tree creepers

· four species of bat

· occasional deer

· varied fungi

· autumn display, as beeches change colour

· events run by the “friends” group

judy woods

wheelchair accessible path

coded info. point

waymarker

· marked walking routes

· wheelchair accessible routes

· scannable information points

I would go again to see….

the views of the wood in Spring-time

Thanks to Stuart,

a friend of mine,and of the woods

Link: www.judywoods.org.uk/

bottom of page