The Bridleway, which runs through the village of Silkstone was formerly the route of a horse-drawn waggonway (early railway/tramroad). It was built in 1809 by the Barnsley Canal Navigation Company who were granted an Act of Parliament in 1808 for its construction. It transported coal from the collieries in the Silkstone valley 2½ miles from Silkstone Cross to Barnby Basin at Cawthorne where the canal terminates. The wagons were horse drawn and loaded weighed in at 3.5 tonnes. The route had a self acting incline also. Serious decline had set in by the 1860s as the steam railways moved into the area making the canal redundant.
Many stone sleeper blocks and features can be seen along the route (bridleway) and a replica wagon can be seen on a short length of track at Silkstone Cross.