WTC Ways Day 0

Distance: a couple of miles
Ascent: not much at all
Weather: everything
Bunnies: a lot
Strange bird noise: 1

Today we start our WTC Ways walk, which will be a 2 week walk taking in the Yorkshire Wolds, Tabular Hills and Cleveland Ways. Starting from Hessle, near the Humber Bridge, and heading up to Filey, then around the Yorkshire Moors up to Saltburn and down the coast to Scarborough, this will be a 250 odd mile hike taking just over 2 weeks.

When I say we start today, we didn't do very much walking on the route today. Today mainly involved going to work, getting excited about going on holiday, looking worriedly out of the window at the atrocious weather, sitting on a tram worrying about what we haven't packed, sitting in the pub, finding out our train was cancelled, sitting some more and then sitting on the next train. Entertainment provided by a man who hadn't got a ticket. Which wasn't very entertaining at all actually.

Black clouds loomed on the horizon as we got off the train, and we headed over a busy road and down a path to the shore of the Humber. The actual start of the Yorkshire Wolds Way is at the start of a little path near a hotel and an inlet with some containers, (ed- there is a special fingerpost on one path near a car park, but we didn't go to the car park, so didn't see it) and a little further on, near to the Humber Bridge, there is a monument and a car park with some cars that it was best not to look at too closely as it was getting quite dark. We made our way through a little wooded park so we followed a cycle track to Ferriby Road and the Premier Inn.

Oldham Way - Day Two

Distance: 26.5 miles total
Ascent: 1450m
Weather: started dry but muggy, drizzle in afternoon turning heavy rain with very strong winds
Bunnies: 5
Hares: 3
Jumping cows: 1
Germs: lots
Ankle injuries sustained: 1
Detours: 1 rather long one, but it did result in a pub lunch so not all bad.

It was dry (although damp) in the morning when we set off after breakfast. The hotel breakfast was good, a help yourself buffet. I hadn't slept particularly well, despite the room and bed being comfortable and being completely shattered. I was woken up at 1am by wedding revelers on their way to bed and then had a really sore throat for the rest of the night. I put this down to not drinking enough during a long day yesterday and made sure to keep taking drinks of water, which obviously is no bad thing. But as I type this today, a few days later, with a box of tissues handy and a Lemsip on the go, no, it probably wasn't just dehydration.

We miscalculated on the lunch provisions for today, and set off with only emergency chocolate and water to keep us going, a bit concerned that there didn't seem to be anywhere obvious to get food from on the route.

Through Park Bridge the Way heads up into the trees on the hillside, which is quite a steep and remote-feeling path for somewhere that is essentially a park in the middle of a city. From Park Bridge we went though Bog Field (very boggy) and then Horse Field 2 (without horses today) and then along the road to turn off up the path towards Hartshead Pike. The path was clearer than last time we were here years ago, when it was overgrown with nettles and brambles, and we were soon out into a wet Duck Field and then onto muddy Cow Path.

A brief stop to admire the views and look at the toposcope (mostly pointing towards clouds) and we were off towards Saddleworth. Between Quick and Grasscroft we realised that the route we usually take, and headed off down without really noticing, isn't the Oldham Way but the Tameside Trail. It was decided that we were going to do this properly, and so retraced our steps up the field and took a left at the bottom of Strawberry Lane rather than right, soon to meet up with Oldham Way markers. Going this way took us closer to Greenfield on the Huddersfield Canal so we decided that we'd make a detour to the village and have lunch there. The Kingfisher pub does a very nice Sunday Roast and puddings to take away - so the rest of the day we carried two enormous wodges of carrot cake with us.

When we left the pub, about an hour later, it was really raining so we stopped under a bridge and put on our waterproofs (under the watchful gaze of a canada goose) and prepared to get wet.

We walked around Dove Stone Reservoir (to give it its proper name at least once) and up to the war memorial on Pots and Pans. Long Lane was incredibly muddy - and kind of set the tone for the rest of the day. Mud, puddles, rain, gales and paths chewed up by off road motor vehicles.

Crossing Standedge, where the Oldham Way joins the Pennine Way for a while, was incredibly hard going. The winds blowing so hard I could barely walk and the rain pelting down, it wasn't much fun. But then the ways part and the Oldham Way turns more grassy and peat groughy. This was very wet and muddy indeed, but soft under the feet and easy to walk.

Getting to New Years Bridge Reservoir involved some wandering around but checking out the post in the middle of the bog got us on the right track and we were crossing the reservoir not long after and through the gate where we'd started yesterday morning.

That just left a short walk back home - we got in at 9:20pm thoroughly knackered, but pleased with our efforts.

I have no memory of this place
edit - Pots & Pans War Memorial Obelisk and Alderman' Hill

Injun's Head, Dovestones

Above Chew Brook, Dovestones

Oldham Way - Day One

Distance: 23.5 miles total
Ascent: 750m
Weather: damp, rain, showers, damp
Seen: Ducklings, goslings, grey wagtail, orange tipped butterfly, bluebells, forget-me-not, rainbow.
Wet cameras: 1
Blisters: 1

The Oldham Way is a 40 mile long distance trail which skirts around Oldham, the official start being at Dove Stone Reservoir covering moorland and parks, and also more urban areas, which definitely add contrast. The waymarker is a blue owl disc, although we only saw one or two of these out on the path, mostly it's a yellow disc with an arrow and Oldham Way written on it. The best marker is the engraved stone one on top of Pots and Pans. On the whole, the Way is well marked, but there are sections where there aren't any markers and it could be a bit confusing - also many of the downloadable routes for gps are wrong, taking the Tameside Trail in an almost direct line between Quick and Noonsun Hill, when the actual route on the ground wiggles its way down through Grasscroft.

We set off from home at just after 10am and walked up the road through Denshaw to the oddly named New Years Bridge Reservoir, to begin our Oldham Way Walk. We decided to do the walk over two days, stopping at Smokies Hotel in Bardsley overnight. We called in at the Co-Op on Ripponden Road for lunches and provisions and headed off into the drizzle. It seemed a bit odd to be walking passed our regular turning back point in Denshaw village before we'd even begun the walk proper. As we climbed the stile and entered the field to begin, the rain was already falling.

We made a brief sandwich stop in Brushes Clough nature reserve when the rain eased slightly and then were off again. There was another lull when we reached the newly done up entrance to the park, near Jubilee Bends, the name of which escapes me and it doesn't appear to be marked on the OS map - anyway we took advantage of a nice new bench to have a proper sit down and some sandwiches.

The route leads up the hillside and over farmland (with very curious sheep and strange grey blue stuff spread on the pasture) towards Royton, Tandle Hill Park and on to the Rochdale Canal. We thought the canal was looking a bit less rubbishy today and made sure to stop and thank a chap with a wheelie bin collecting bottles and litter.

The going was flat and easy along the canal towpath and through Failsworth to Daisy Nook and our overnight stop at Smokies Hotel in Bardsley. The sun came out and there was a rainbow to end the day's walk.

Manchester Weekender

Saturday
Distance: 12 miles
Weather: cold start, occasional shower
Birds of note: Greenfinches, wren, canada geese, mallards, moorhen
Rats: 1
Harpies: 1
Iron Man 3

We walked into Manchester along the Medlock Valley way, stopping for elevenses at Daisy Nook Country Park. We took a few scenic detours, in order to increase our chances of seeing interesting nature on the walk, as we'd been discussing the subject and had only been able to come up with a big dead fish as the most notable thing. We saw some 'things' swimming about in a little pond and lots of butterbur flowers. We later decided the cormorant from earlier in the year had also been quite interesting.

Sunday
Distance: 14 miles
Ascent: 450m
Weather: chill wind, mostly dry

We saw quite a lot today, including:
Swallows
Lots of honky canada geese
Cowslips and forget-me-not
Fieldfares
White (feral?) duck
Bees
Swan on nest
Very angry swan chasing geese
Geese running away
More moorhens
Heron
Friendly donkeys
Goats

Walked back along the Oldham Way, along the Rochdale Canal and Tandle Hill Country Park. We risked horse field as it has been quite dry of late. It was fine, and we had a little donkey meet and greet.

Photos serve as reminder why I carry a decent camera most of the time.

Oldham Way part way

Distance: 18.5 miles
Ascent: 800m
Weather: Sunny start, chilly wind on tops, drizzle turning to rain
Heard: Buzzard, skylarks
Seen: Rangers getting very excited about a buzzard, alpacas, lapwings and curlews, guinea fowl, goats, chaffinch masquerading as something interesting, mandarin ducks, squirrel, little lambs

We set off from home at quarter to 10 and it was sunny and quite warm. Over brushes Clough there was much excitement about a buzzard, and we actually followed the proper route of the Oldham Way, rather than just heading towards Denshaw on the paths we usually walk. There was quite a lot of snow left in the sheltered spots by the lanes and walls. There were a lot of song birds singing.

Through Denshaw past the new reservoir construction work, we started on the chocolate eclairs, bought for Offa's Dyke last year and not yet eaten, we decided they probably hadn't been out for many walks yet, given that the bag still seemed to be in good condition.

Over Stanedge Edge a chill wind got up, we past quite a few well wrapped up people and also quite a few dead sheep which was a bit depressing. Turning off the Pennine Way and on to the Tameside trail we went down into Diggle, and decided to follow the canal for a while rather than follow the Oldham Way around Dovestone Reservoir. The canal goes past a rather nice looking cafe at the Brownhill Countryside Centre which has just opened just on the outskirts of Dobcross and then into Uppermill and Mossley. There were lots of ducks and geese and a worryingly wobbly bike rider on a very narrow bit of tow path under a low bridge.

At Mossley we turned off the canal and made our way through Grasscroft and Grotton, then over the fields into Lees, in the rain, and back home.

 

 

Rishworth and Wessenden Moors

Distance: 21 miles
Ascent: 1000m
Weather: cool in wind, bright and dry
Seen: Kestrel, wheatears, lambs, mountain hare, small tortoiseshells, bad spelling.

Our plan to set off early was slightly spoiled by our chosen carpark being commandeered by a film crew with lots of trucks and trailers. So we had to drive a bit further and park along the A640 to set off from there. We walked over White Hill on the Pennine Way and through said carpark (there was a man combing his hair in truck wing mirror but I wasn't brave enough to ask him what they were filming.)

As we crossed the M62 footbridge a decision was made to make the walk quite long and head over Blackstone  Edge to the Aiggen Stone and follow Blackwood  Edge Road and go over Dog Hill. The path was slightly wet in places but nothing that couldn't be easily skirted by those not wearing waterproof shoes. We stopped for lunch by a rocky shelter and pondered what bees do for food up on Rishworth Moor at this time of year. We walked along the path of the old road until we reached the wall at Privy Clough where we met a couple of chaps with very large motorbikes contemplating their route. We left them there - contemplating that in a bog, a pair of walking boots is far more appropriate than pair of wheels with half a ton of bike on top.

Finding the steps over the wall, we headed down off Shrimp Hill down a farm track, seeing lots of little lambs and a flock of wheatears. The track went through the middle of a little hamlet, with comedy signs on their gates, and then under Booth Wood Reservoir, up a steep wooded hillside and on to a track which goes under the M62 motorway, at the farm in the middle of the carriageways. It must be a noisy place to live, but the farmer, whom we saw a couple of times, seemed very friendly.

We left the track and climbed the hill on open access land, crossing a couple of lanes, negotiating a footpath detour around Scammonden Reservoir and passing by a farm / scrapyard, before coming out onto Slaithwaite Moor.

Dropping down into Marsden (passing a lot of pissed up people heading for the station on the ale trail) we took a footpath over a tiny bridge, passed the church.We were still feeling quite energetic, so decided not to take the opportunity of a short cut back to the car, but  took the lane passed the factory and up the hundreds* (*maybe a slight exaggeration) of steps (complete with obligatory helpful people pointing out they were finding it much easier going down. Thanks) We took the lower level path around the top reservoir and crossed the footbridge. Up on Wessenden Moor navigation is easy, just follow the pavement, we saw a mountain hare, brown on his back with white winter fur around his tail, which we saw quite clearly as he scarpered.

Around Swellands Reservoir it started getting chilly as the sun dropped. The path leads around the water and then away to the west on stone slabs as it crosses the hill towards the A62 and the Pennine Way. The Way lead across Standedge and back to the car.

Windy Hill

Distance: 12 miles
Ascent: 350m
Weather: pleasant, sunny and no wind
Seen: Meadow pippets, ducks, blue sky.

With plans afoot (haha) for this year's big hike, we have started training again. This weekend saw us easing ourselves in gently, with a walk from Windy Hill, over Blackstone Edge to the end of Warland Reservoir and back - stopping for a couple of brews along the way.