Easter Weekend Ramblings Day Four

Distance: 12 miles
Ascent: 700m
Weather: misty start, getting sunny
Wheatears and robins.
Weasel Stoat Mammal Type Thing: 1
Detours due to paths on fire: 1
Total distance: 61 miles

It was misty but dry as we set off this morning. We didn't go back along the canal this time but headed up on to a hilly path on the other side of the road which was very pleasant and led up on to the moors.  There were lots of robins along here, trees planted by the Colne Valley Tree Society and some nice stone benches with a memorial carved into them. The path (the Colne Valley Circular) comes out near Butterley Reservoir, and we walked along the dam wall rather than taking the energetic option of walking down and back up again. We saw a sheep in a playground, looking quite happy, and some sheep in a garden, looking a bit more sheepish.

Up onto the moors, it was quite windy, and we took a path not much trodden along towards Redbrook Reservoir and then along Thieves Clough Bridge towards the Pennine Way. We turned off immediately onto the Pennine Bridleway and down into Diggle, seeing a wheatear and some sheep that were unwilling to have their photo taken. We stopped for a pot of tea at the Diggle Hotel and changed our plans slightly to avoid walking along the canal, which we decided would be heaving today. Instead we decided to walk up Harrop Edge, although this was firstly stopped by the path not being there and secondly stopped by the path being on fire.

The lane further on was available and we took this up to Lark Hill, then down into Uppermill and followed the lane up over Hill Top Lane and on to Bishop's Park and the Medlock Valley Way down to Roebuck Lane, where we saw what was probably a stoat.

Easter Weekend Ramblings Day Three

Distance: 19.5 miles
Ascent: 1050m
Weather: overcast but dry, quite windy


Well fed, we left the pub and walked down the road into Todmorden. There was a little wiggly path which seemed to run alongside the road, but we spurned this in favour of speed and getting some distance in early, given how long the first part of yesterday's walk had taken. From town, we turned up a side street signed the Calderdale Way and, staying on the lanes, we walked to Lumbutts and then turned up a stone flagged path up on to the moors.

We crossed the Pennine Way at Withins Gate (Rob was careful to step over it, I don't know because I didn't look at it) and we followed the Calderdale Way (signed by a C and a curly W in the shape of a tree) down to Withins Clough Reservoir, at the end of which was a large, odd building the purpose of which wasn't really clear.

I don't really remember the route down into Ripponden. Rob tells me that we walked along a track with barbed wire down the side and there were some trees. Had a wee on Water Stalls Road. I sat on a stile and faffed with my shoe. There was a short path with more dog poo than you could shake a stick at. And then we walked down into Ripponden. We crossed the main road and found the path onto a disused railway. This was quite an odd place, it was dank and a little bit eerie, with old bridges and ironwork around but mostly fallen trees and an ugly little stream. It was quite nice to get up the steps onto an old green lane where it was brighter and the air was fresher, although there was no where to sit for quite a long time and we eventually stopped on the verge for a sit down and a late lunch.

I might have moaned about my toe hurting a bit.

The M62 was now visible in the distance and we headed towards it, taking one of the tunnels under the motorway and up on to Cow Gate Hill above Scammonden Reservoir. This area is being used for MotoX and we got quite a good view of it all.

We crossed Deanhead Reservoir and headed  up the hillside passed the scruffy farm and passed the little pond where, surprisingly, there were no dog walkers today. We had planned to stop and have some tea at the seat on the moor path here, but just as we approached someone (after a period of seeming indecision) decided to sit on it. Bitch. We walked on - over Reaps Hill along the Colne Valley Circular Walk to Blake Clough and then down some green lanes and the very deep cut path of Deep Gate to Bank Nook, under the railway line and onto the canal for a short distance before turning off to the Olive Branch Inn.

Easter Weekend Ramblings Day Two

Distance: 17.5 miles
Ascent: 700m
Weather: dry bit more cloudy than we expected.
Dudley Dursleys: rather a lot.
Donkeys, llamas and an observatory: Yes! All in the same view!

Woodpigeons!

Invisible woodpecker 

Herons: 3

Brown feet: one each

We set off about 9:30am and made our way out of the hotel grounds (possibly not by the approved route) and on to Manchester Road. We attempted to walk along the canal but only made it as far as the first bridge, where the metal walkway which had apparently been there before no longer was. We retraced our steps back to the road. 

A quick visit to the Co-Op in Castleton for supplies for lunch today and tomorrow (as we are not sure of shops in the middle of the moors) and we headed off down a side street signed towards Heywood. This soon became a pleasant tree lined path through fields that led down to Crimble Mill. Crimble Mill was in a bit of a state; the elves have been slacking.

We then visited Queen's Park, where there was a nice lake with some herons nesting in one of the trees on an island, some very frisky moorhens and an aquaplaning swan.

We headed north up through Norden, going along an old green lane which petered out at a housing estate, where the footpath was overgrown with brambles and holly, been used for den-building and then practically incorporated into people's back gardens. It looked like that might soon change, for at the other end the path is being rebuilt and a fancy new gate installed. 

There was a slight change of plan in Healey Dell Nature Reserve, we carried on through here as it was a nice path and then followed the Rossendale Way up on to the moors, over Brown Wardle Hill,. Middle Hill and (with a slight detour through the quarry) onto Hades Hill. It was about here that I realised quite how far today's walk would be, the first part was rather slow going and it was already mid afternoon. 

We left the Rossendale Way to join the Todmorden Centenary Trail, as it looked like a better path, and then over the world's biggest stile and down a new plantation where they are growing trees in gravel. Here there were donkeys, llamas and an observatory down in the valley. We skirted round above that and then passed through a farm, through a gate, through a bog, and down a very pleasant green path which led down the side of a very steep sided valley towards the Staff of Life pub, where we were very well looked after.

Easter Weekend Ramblings Day One

Distance: 12 miles
Ascent: 500m
Weather: sunny and warm
Comedy brown sheep: one

We were a little later than usual setting off,  as I'd started the day in Exeter. After cup of coffee, hot cross buns and some last minute packing, we were off.

We walked over Bishop's Park and followed the Crompton Circuit up to Brushes Clough, stopping for lunch on the very small bench at the trig point. We came down the little path beside Pingot Quarry, which was surprisingly hard work on the leg muscles.

The Oldham Way through Crompton Fold was pleasantly dry and there were lots of lambs and funny sheep to admire, we then joined the Rochdale Way through Burnedge and along Thornham Old Road, where we detoured to go over Tandle Hill and nearly got ourselves a dog.

At the end of Thornham Lane (presumable not very old) we turned right down Manchester Road towards the Norton Grange Hotel.

Manchester Weekender

We walked in along the Medlock Valley Way. At the Hollinwood Branch Canal, we saw a sparrow hawk eating a magpie,  which it had apparently caught and drowned in the canal.

Stayed at the Piccadilly Gardens Hotel.
Went shopping, bought new shoes (Salomons, Rohan windproof and a shirt)
Had dinner at the Grill on New York Street (good steak!)
Went to see The Double at the Printwork's Odeon (bastards talking through it!)

Walked back home on Sunday along the Rochdale Canal and Tandle Hill, avoiding Horse Field.

A Walk To Hopwood Hall

Distance: 14.7 miles
Ascent: 450m
Weather: grey and damp, rain showers but not as bad as forecast
Points of Interest: a pub

Local training walks avoiding the Pennine Way or places we've been quite a lot lately are getting in short supply. Today, we took a walk to the nature reserve at Hopwood Hall, via the Crompton Circuit, Oldham Way and Rochdale Way routes. It was rather muddy. We didn't see anything particularly interesting but we did call in at the Tandle Hill Tavern for a drink.

Castleshaw Round

Distance: 17.5 miles
Ascent: 850m
Weather: light rain, drier later
Rude Toads: 6

Flat Toads: 3
Sweary horse woman: 1
Comedians: 1

Dirty cows: lots

We decided to do two walks from home this weekend. The weather forecast was not good,  although this morning didn't seem too bad. There was some self congratulations as we found ourselves actually out of the house and on our way. We made it as far as the hedge by the church at the top of the street before we stopped and put our waterproofs on.

Over Bishop's Park it was very wet,  a good test for waterproof socks. Took the path quite trodden lately through Diggle, over Lark Hill Lane and passed the reservoirs at Castleshaw. We followed the Pennine Bridle Way to Piethorne Reservoir and Newhey,  coming back to Brushes Clough, via the little nature reserve, where we saw a bunny, a squirrel,  a jay, a dead shrew and some toads being rude.