Rishworth Weekend: Day Two

Distance: 16 miles
Ascent:
Weather: overcast, warmer
Birds cont. Kestrel, grouse, mallards, unidentified long-beaked bird (snipe/redshank?)

The clocks went forward last night so we lost an hour. We had a substantial breakfast and were off just after 11am.

We took the lane away from the main road and then dropped back down to Dean Clough at the bottom of Booths Wood reservoir. Rob commented that it was odd to start the day going downhill, but there was soon some steep up.

Under the motorway passed the farm and along the track up on to open moorland and over to Scammenden reservoir. Unlike the last time we came this way, we were able to get across the dam wall, although it was too muddy for those in brown leather brogues.

Carrying straight on up the hillside, we came passed the farm and along a doggy reservoir down a path which got progressively wetter and wetter. At about the most wet point possible, a couple of interesting birds flew by, but were gone by the time we'd reached a dry enough place to stop and investigate. Suspect they were snipe or redshank but not sure.

We dropped down into Marsden to get some lunch and ate it at the picnic table near the end of Standedge Tunnel. No flies!

There were however lots of flies up on the moors as we walked over towards the A640. Going down the road a little, we joined the path which around and back over the road up towards the Oldham Way. We did some impromptu cow herding whilst walking down to Denshaw via New Years Bridge Reservoir.

Rishworth Weekend - Day One

Distance: 16 miles
Ascent:
Weather: overcast, chill wind,  dry

Bird count: Great tit, blue tit, magpie, black bird, jackdaw, Crow, pied wagtail, robin, pheasant,  honky goose,  lapwing, golden plover,  curlew, pippets, skylark, chaffinch, unidentified chirping bird.

Also: one squirrel.

Set off just after 11am. We braved the track,  and managed to get through the worst of the mud without too much squelching, and Rob's windproof survived its meeting with the barbed wire fence.

Through Pingot Quarry and along the Oldham Way to join the Rochdale Way near Newhey, towards Piethorne Reservoir. We crossed the reservoir and followed the track down towards Hollingworth Lake. Here we avoided the hordes and turned up the Pennine Bridleway and paths over the moors on Sheep Lane. A slog up the Roman Road up passed the Aigen Stone and straight on, through the wet, to the path around Rishworth Drain and up to Dog Hill.

We crossed over the wall and down the field, hearing lots of birds, including some not heard before and down the lane to the Turnpike Inn.

Padley Gorge

Distance 6 miles
Ascent 300m
Weather: sunny, chill wind, warm in the sunshine, shower.

A walk around the Longshaw Estate in the Peak District, starting from the NT visitor centre. We walked out of the park, over the moors (nice views and fudge!) and down Granby Woods into Grindleford. Up through the woods along Padley Gorge, watching out for boggarts and troll traps.

We took a path up to the Surprise View, where there was some rock climbing and then down (passing the happiest rock and the smallest dog in the world) the hillside, over the road and back over the road to the parkland. We visited the pond where there were mallards and mandarin ducks.

Idle Valley Nature Reserve

Distance 11 miles
Ascent virtually none
Weather sunshine and showers

Birds observed:
Blackbird
Mallard
Swan
Robin
Pheasant
Great tit
Blue tit
Coot
Tree creeper
Green woodpecker
Pied wagtail
Canada goose
Greylag goose
Pigeon
Wood pigeon
Magpie
Runner duck
Crow
Rook
Chaffinch
Grasshopper warbler
Moorhen
Tufted duck Shelduck
Reed bunting
Kestrel
Buzzard
Blackheaded gull
Sand marten
Heron
Grebe

Additionals:
Hairy caterpillar
Squirrel
Bees
Cute kitty
Bunnies
Sheep
Horses
Roaring fire, beer and good food.
Coffee and cake.
Rain.

Marsden Weekender: Day Two

Distance: 14.2 miles
Ascent: 650m
Weather: cloudy, windy on tops, drizzle later

We set off about 10:30 after a relatively restrained breakfast. The wind was quite strong so we decided to take a lower route back.

We followed the canal back near the end of the Standedge Tunnel and then turned off up the lane around the back of Pule Hill. The wind was markedly stonger up on the tops.

The Pack Horse Route led over the moors to the Pennine Way,  which we joined briefly before heading off down the Oldham Way down into Diggle. The canal towpath took us to Greenfield where we stopped at The Kingfisher for lunch. After lunch it started raining slightly, light drizzle for the next hour or so. We came back along the Oldham Way, meeting a couple of friendly dogs and horses.

Marsden Weekender: Day One

Distance: 15 miles
Ascent: 900m
Weather: dry, but overcast and windy
No dog incidents. 

Sulky walkers coming the other way: 2

This weekend is a tester to see if we think that we'll be in a fit state to walk the Pennine Way in a couple of months. Illness, bad backs and family commitments have kept us away from the hills for a while and I (at least, I don't want to do Rob a disservice) am shockingly unfit.

So we have planned a two day excursion out on the Pennine hills to Marsden and back.

We headed round Strinesdale Reservoir and down to Diggle via Badger Lane (accompanied by a skylark.) Over Lark Hill Lane and around Castleshaw to join the Pennine Bridle Way. We followed this a while and then joined the Station to Station Walk across the moors to the end of the Standedge Tunnel and along the canal into Marsden. We are carrying pretty much full rucksacks and wore trail shoes.