Pennines – Page 2

Todmorden circuit (and Calderdale Way section) 23rd July 2017

Cath and I started from Kava Kafe in Tod. We went along the Burnley Road, into the graveyard, into Centre Vale Park and then off up the Calderdale Way rising steeply with views over the town with almost no buildings in sight despite it being just a few hundred metres away, just lots of greenery. We stayed on the Calderdale Way until Whirlaw where we shifted onto the Todmorden Centenary Way. The Calderdale Way goes in much the same direction but takes a lower route. We stayed up, passing the stone face below Windy Harbour. The Tod Cent Way is an old packhorse route with clear stone facings on one side. We crossed Hey Head Lane and continued to the next minor road which we walked along and then turned down Matthew Lane. This has a part with a sheer drop which is quite exciting. We trotted down to the main Halifax Road, along for a short stretch and then took the road to Harvelin Park so we could get onto the canal towpath. Back to Kava for refreshments.

Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map and use a compass with me and my navigation partner, Cath.

Wycoller and Boulsworth Hill 9th July 2017

This is walk 16 in Cath Dyson’s “Navigate your way around… The South Pennines”. I’d had my eye on Boulsworth Hill or more precisely on the summit Lad Law, because I like the name, for a long time. It’s accessible from Walshaw Dean which is one of my favourite spots but I’ve never done it from there.

I parked up at Wycoller and walked to the village, checked the time the cafe shut and decided to get back there in time for an ice cream. I followed Cath’s route but omitted the micro nav challenge up on the top. It’s a great walk with lots of variety, history, farmland, moors, access land, green cloughs with tinkling streams, big stones, woods, bog (only a short section, how I missed my bog pal there). When I got to the road leading out of Trawden, I could hear a brass band so I speeded up to get away. It seemed to get louder the further I went.

Back at Wycoller, I stopped for a very nice vanilla with a flake stuck in it. This is the cafe where I thought I saw Celia Imrie. Wycoller is also where Chris saw a ghost on the clapper bridge. There is a well known ghost in the hamlet but that one doesn’t fit Chris’s description.

Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map and use a compass with me and my navigation partner, Cath.

Calderdale Way 2nd July 2017

The latest project, at least I think it is. Carol and I did most of it 11 years ago when I was going through a rough patch and it helped. Both the physical act of walking and the obsessive recording of what we had done.

Because it’s mostly on footpaths it’s harder to find places to park the car to make sensible routes, this means the sections have to fall between roads. I remember this was the hardest bit before.

Babs is keen to join me I think!

We started in Millbank and headed up for quite a way until we got onto open moorland. Then we went back a different way down lanes with very few cars. All lovely in the warm sun. Quite windy.

B had chores to do so she went off. I returned to the bit with the soggy looking field and went a good bit further. There were some brick and concrete walls which turned out to be the remains of a WW2 decoy site, intended to confuse German bombers. I wonder if it did. Along Water Stalls Road but this is a green bridleway and not a metalled road. I turned back where this lane turns to descend to Catherine House. There were a lot of fidgety cows which made me not fancy it today.

It was apparently very cold when we did this in January 2006. I don’t remember it at all.

3rd July

I finished off the bit from the day before down to Catherine House which has a big old barn and big old chimney next to it. The cows were all a long way away this evening.

Sun in my eye, Stoodley Pike should have been in this!

Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map and use a compass with me and my navigation partner, Cath.

High Cup Nick 25th June 2015

This has been on the list for a while. It’s dramatic from a distance and close up. I parked on the Pennine Way (sounds bad but this was a road section) in Dufton.

It took an hour and 3/4 to reach the head of the nick where I had my lunch. Very windy and cold. The wind went straight up the fell. I practised some micro nav as I went along. The map I used (1:25K) had a GP abbreviation near the head of the nick. This means either a Gas Plug or a Guide Post. I didn’t check it out but reckon it’s probably the latter.

Tremendous views. The nick is the result of lots of volcanic and glacial action and more latterly, mining. See the village web site.

Back down in 1 hour and 1/4. Reversed the route because I didn’t fancy a long scree section to go back along the valley.

Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map and use a compass with me and my navigation partner, Cath.

MTL Holme Chapel to Hurstwood 14th May 2017

The last section. Very glad to have Babs with me to finish it off. After a bit of confusion on my part at the Ram Inn and giving the man who was minding the pub car park a good laugh, we set off. The morning’s hail storm was a memory and my wet clothes soon dried off in the heat of the sun.

The route takes you to the Long Causeway via lots of lime hushings which are the hillocks caused by all the flushing of the stone they had to do. There were once 50 kilns in this area but now dismantled and turned into walls.

Then it’s across to Cant Clough reservoir and a short hop to Hurstwood reservoir and Babs’s car. Back to the Ram where we had a drink which I had promised the publican we would do!

Now it’s over. The route is only 47 miles and tough cyclists do it in a day. I’ve walked nearly twice the miles. Babs and I did the 2 car thing twice. I did a short and not very nice section by bike. I walked in all weathers. So what’s next? I’m probably going to walk the full Calderdale Way because Carol and I never actually finished it when we did it about 12 years ago.

The last few sections from Lumb were top notch and I feel sure Chris would have loved it too. Here’s to you my darling love.