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.