Around Denshaw

Distance: 17 miles
Ascent: 870m
Weather: cold and cloudy
Kestrels, goosanders,  mallards, great crested grebe, vole, bunnies, curlew and a short eared owl.
Sore feet: me

We set off without any real route or plan other than that we needed to call in at the co-op for something for lunch.

I had shoe regret fairly early on, and by the end of the day was contemplating putting them straight in the bin when we got home. These are the black and silver asics, which I think are too big for me so my feet are moving around in them.

We went around Strinesdale and along Badger Edge Lane to Ship Lane, taking a grassy path to the left over the hillside and down the grassy sloped path into the village centre. We walked along the main street and up a track to Heights, seeing some exotic sheep (jacobs and something creamy brown with horns) and getting barked at by a little dog named Tidge.

Lunch was had (quite long time after we noted how hungry we were) along the Pennine Bridleway in the shelter of a wall and we had flask regret. But the roast pork and apple sauce sandwiches were nice.

Some coat and foot tape faffing and we set off around the reservoir and along to Piethorne,  where we took the path through the trees on the far side and then crossed back at the wall. At the car park I put more tape on my feet and used the facilities. We took a grassy footpath up opposite the ranger's office which meets up with a nice bridleway track that comes out at the cattery. There are some really interesting looking old farm houses here.

At Brushes Clough we watched a short eared owl hunting low over the moorland, it was still quite light and the owl didn't seem bothered by us at all.

We took the path directly down to the lower car park, where someone had flytipped some bags of potatoes over a wall and then returned, somewhat slowly,  along the track. We were accompanied part way by a lady out walking her inquisitive golden retriever.