B6265 (West Yorkshire)

This article is about the B6265 between Cross Hills and Cottingley in west Yorkshire.
For the other B6265. between Skipton and Green Hammerton in north Yorkshire, see B6265 (North Yorkshire).

The B6265 passing Airedale General Hospital

This version of the B6265 runs along the pre-bypass route of the A650 and A629 in Airedale. Although it has the same number as a much longer route on the other side of Skipton there has never been any continuity between the two roads and therefore our road can be classed as a duplicate unless planners know otherwise.

The road starts at a roundabout to the west of Shipley, where the A650 turns off its original route onto its present bypass. We continue ahead onto the old road, which is dual as far as traffic lights, where the B6146 bears left. After skirting the suburb of Cottingley we cross a bridge over the River Aire. The road then climbs through the suburbs of Bingley into the town centre, where it runs along Main Street to traffic lights, where the B6429 turns left. A run through the industrial dereliction of the suburbs takes us to Crossflatts station on the Airedale Line. We cross the railway and the A650 on adjacent bridges to run through the centre of Crossflatts.

On the far side of town we reach a roundabout by a retail park, from where a spur of the B6265 bears left to a roundabout on the A650. The mainline of the B6265, however, continues ahead. We run along a narrow residential area, squeezed in between the River Aire to the left and the Leeds & Liverpool Canal to the right. This is part of Riddlesden; at traffic lights a road to the village centre bears right whilst the National Trust's East Riddlesden Hall is to the left. We bear left and cross the Aire again and run through the northern suburbs of Keighley to a roundabout on the A650.

In fact, old and present routes of the A650 cross here; originally the road continued ahead into Keighley town centre but this is now the A6035. The B6265 bypasses the town centre by turning right and multiplexing along the A650 to another roundabout where we reach the A629. The multiplex continues ahead, now along that road, over the Airedale Line to a further roundabout, where we reach the original route of the A629.

The road to the left is still numbered A629 and still runs into the town centre. The B6265, meanwhile, regains its number by turning right and taking on that road's old route. It climbs gently through the suburb of Utley before reaching open country proper. We contour along the southern edge of the valley, with a good view to the north. Airedale is relatively narrow but still manages to fit in the railway line and A629 on this side of the Aire, whilst the Leeds & Liverpool Canal runs on the far side of the river.

It's not long before we become built-up again as we enter Steeton and run along the main road. After passing the Airedale General Hospital we continue past glimpses of fields and industry before crossing a beck, where we leave the City of Bradford Metropolitan Borough. The road now enters Cross Hills and ends at a signalised TOTSO on the A6068. That road now continues ahead along the former A629 over the railway line to rejoin the bypass.