This was a back to front chunk. I parked in the Ram Inn at Holme Chapel. Once under the railway line the way goes past a couple of farms, one with far too many dogs, thankfully all chained up. One was massive and scary. A train passed by. Then up quite a steep hill to Mary Towneley’s stone. Up a bit more to another farm and then along past lots of sheep and lambs including some black ones that looked like Gnasher the dog, scrawny with spindly legs.
Turned back at Deerplay for the clockwise experience. There were young cows out near the railway but they ran away from me! A train went past. And then I was back at the pub. Just a couple of hours.
Pendle Hill
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Fabulous day. Warm at last. Out with Babs. We started off with a visit to Babs’s sister who lives near Lumb.
From Lumb it’s a lovely section of the Loop through rolling hills. And at last some horses on the bridleway! It had seemed as if I was going to walk the entire Mary Towneley Loop without seeing a horse on it. And today we were rewarded with a bunch of 4 and then a man and boy with the horse pulling them in a slo mo version of a quad bike.
We had a bite to eat at Deerplay (great name) no deer in sight and then returned by the same route.
Clough Bottom reservoirFirst horses actually on the Pennine Bridleway
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Back on foot for this little section. Still very chilly in the dry east wind. The first part is through a built up area. But soon out onto the hills with the sheep.
It took an hour to walk to Lumb and then I turned round and went back. I knew Carol’s dad was from Rossendale but hadn’t realised he was from Lumb. Will see a bit more on the next stretch.
Real leopard
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I'm walking the MTL clockwise and so the section entries are in the clockwise order not the date order.
Tuesday 18th April Watergrove to Broadley
Met up with my pal Babs and we did the car thing where we both drove to the end point, then one car to the start point which for some reason I find makes my head hurt to think about.
It was a gorgeous afternoon and the route was a delight, and made up for the 2 other days I’d had this long weekend on the MTL which were both hard slogs and not particularly nice.
I guess when Chris and I were thinking about doing the MTL on our bikes in 2 days, we were both a lot fitter, now it seems completely impossible.
We set off from Watergrove and took a route that kept the reservoir in sight for quite a long while. It was only 4 miles but seemed a lot longer, I blame Babs!! Only joking!!
BB on MTL
Showing off the Map and Compass hatIs it a llama?
Friday 14th April Broadley to Top of Leach
After some time away from the MTL I wanted to crack on with the western side. I knew this section would not be madly exciting on foot because it involves a long lonely stretch across the moor along Rooley Lane which is an old road.
So in the true spirit of the Loop I got the bike out and into the car. This is the first time the bike has been in the Yeti and it fits phew (with the front wheel off). I thought it would but nice that it actually does.
The first section from Broadley goes through the end of Healey Dell across the river and then through a mix of littered woodland, des res hamlet, water board land, grubby old farms until it reaches the bottom of Rooley Lane.
The entire ride to Top of Leach was uphill which was quite tough for my first outing in a very long time plus the wind was against me. The surface on Rooley Lane was either big lumpy stones or stone setts. I pushed the bike on the truly awful bits and got an all over bone shake on the setts.
It would have been easier to walk but also I would probably have despaired even more on foot as it was so bleak. I stopped at Top of Leach which at 474m is the highest point of the lane and of the MTL.
The ride down was a breeze even with the shaking, almost half as long.
Stone setts on Rooley Lane
Monday 17th April Top of Leach to Waterfoot
This was another back to front section. I parked up in Waterfoot and basically pushed the bike about 3/4 of the way to Top of Leach. It was less cold and less windy which was nice but it was very steep and very rough under wheel. I did ride the part on the flat through a large extinct quarry area. I felt a bit vulnerable there and there were a couple of dodgy looking men so I was worried about having to return the same way. At the moment it takes very little to make me anxious. I got to Top of Leach, ate my emergency supplies and then rolled back down. The quarry was fine and there were a few more people about with maps and rucksacks which made me feel more secure. I still had to walk the bike down the very steep parts but it took about a third of the time to get back down that it did to get up.
I’m glad most of this part is over as I haven’t really enjoyed it that much. Cycling the parts I’m not happy about is a good strategy as I always think I could put the speed on if I needed to, not entirely sure that is true as I was extremely slow on the ups today.
Cairns near the quarryScout moorCowpe reservoir
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Snatched a few hours whilst C dialysing at LGI. I parked up by the Summit pub and rejoined the Mary Towneley Loop. Heading west now. Very pleasant route contouring through the hills in the warm sun. Down to my t shirt!
Felt a bit stressed and tense because of all the anxiety at work and my legs are sore now even though only a 5 mile walk.
All the dogs I met barked at me. Why? And why don’t their owners sort them out and why don’t they apologise?
Got to the reservoir, had a drink, no not direct! Set off back. A man on a motorbike was clearly hoping I would hold a gate open for him. I pointed to the No Motor Vehicles sign and told him he had no right of way and shut the gate on him. He came through so I hopped off the path so as not to be run over. I suppose I did what I needed to do and he was happy breaking the law on his unregistered bike. He tore off up onto the moor making a big racket and scaring the sheep. What a tosser.
Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map and use a compass with me and my navigation partner, Cath.
