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.