Barbon Low Fell

Distance: 11 miles
Ascent: 500m
Weather: strangely warm, becoming wetter

After a bit of faffing and buying sandwiches from the Church Mouse village shop in Barbon,  we set off.

The footpath heads into park land and along a stream through woodland,  with a couple of bridges that we didn't cross but had a look from for an elusive dipper, and had a good view of a buzzard.

As we emerged from the woods, there was a heavy shower, so we sheltered (or tried to)  under trees to change coats and pack things away. Then we were out onto moorland,  with the stream below us in the valley.  Unfortunately the footbridge at which we should have crossed Barbon Beck had been damaged beyond use as a result of the recent heavy rain and there wasn't an easy crossing point nearby.  On the map there's another fb a bit farther up the valley,  so we headed alongside to find it. It is open access here, so no worries about there not being a path.

There was a fortuitous small footbridge (not marked on the map, about half way to Short Hill Bridge) so we used this and walked back along the road. The dipper made a reappearance too.

A rocky track leads up towards Bullpot Farm, then after a short while on a road,  we turned off up on to Hogg Hill. A quick visit to the top (quite windy, over a wall) and we followed the ridge along to Barbon Low Fell. Dropping down, we stopped for lunch sheltered behind a wall, and it started raining.

We returned along rocky bridleways, complete with art (rocks in tiny drystone wall enclosures) by Andy Goldsworthy and then across wet parkland with friendly sheep and robins, fighting kestrels and a deer.

Arnside Knott

Distance / Ascent: n/a
Weather: cloudy

A brief visit to the top of Arnside Knott,  as we were nearby at Leighton Moss. It was getting dark, and quite muddy underfoot.

Saddleworth Round

Distance 12 miles
Ascent 450m
Weather: dull and drizzly
Siskins

We walked along the Medlock Valley Way via Strinesdale and across to Lydgate. Then crossed at the junction to the lane that leads up to the back of Wharmton hill, following the paths to the golf course and down the hill. We turned off before the canal, passing under the old quarries and on to the Donkey Trail.

From the end of the trail in Delph,  we headed up by the slippy steps and back over Bishop's Park.

To Hollingworth Lake

Distance: 16.5 miles
Ascent: 500m
Weather: wet start, turning chillier
Magpies, blackbird,  kestrels, crows, gulls, long tailed tits, Reed bunting (reed bunting!), thrushes, ducks, long tailed tits, cormorants,  lapwings, grey herons, dippers, buzzard. Squirrels, bunnies, Highland cows.

We waited until the rain had eased off slightly before setting off up the hill and along the track towards Brushes Clough and under the aerials towards the lane above Denshaw (seeing a few fat blokes in cars driving to and from the car park.)

Avoiding the small angry dog farm and shitty  muddy lane towards Piethorne Reservoir by taking the footpath across the fields,  we dropped down to join the path. It's also open access here, so we didn't worry too much about following the exact path to the reservoir.

We followed the track around the lakeside and then crossed the wall, heading around to the far side,  where we had lunch and tea. There's a path on the map that goes through the small patch of woodland,  but no sign of any actual paths, so we followed the path by a wall above and round to head towards the motorway bridge.

Over the bridge we crossed farmland,  some of which was rather muddy indeed, and then down wet rocky paths towards Hollingworth Lake.  The flooded farmland provided some good birdwatching,  then the cafe by the lake provided fine coffee and tiffin.

It was getting quite dark by now (about 3:20pm) so we decided to head back along tracks to Piethorne and then along the roads through Newhey and up Buckstones Road to meet the track by the small intake track. Here we turned off road and resorted to torches, startling a couple of Highland cows and doing some stargazing (bit early for the geminids)  along the track to home.

Smardale Gill

Distance: 9 miles
Ascent: 200m... if that...
Weather: rain on and off, occasional blue sky and sunshine.
Buzzards, heron, goldfinches,  long-tailed tits, red squirrel, nuthatch (probably), pixie goblet lichen

It was raining very heavily as we set off, the lanes running with water and the ground very muddy. The streams and rivers were full and fast running. The path crossed a few pillow mounds (in italics) and across grass fields with sheep to Smardale Bridge which is on the C2C path. We weren't on it for long, turning off almost straight away along Smardale Gill a very pretty valley above Scandal Beck. We saw buzzards and a red squirrel on a dry stone wall. The rain eased off and eventually stopped,  blue skies appearing and a view brief patches of sunshine.

We carried on beyond the viaduct into the nature reserve, where we did some bird watching, frustratingly lacking in binoculars or zoom camera. Here we saw a couple of trains crossing the Smardale Viaduct which is on the Settle to Carlisle line. At the end of the reserve,  we turned back towards the viaduct (taking a detour down into the treed valley, but didn't see anything very interesting down here) and then met some other walkers who soon turned back, surprisingly, seeing as they were about three minutes away from seeing a view of the very impressive Smardale Gill viaduct. It was quite windy as we crossed, then carried on along the dismantled railway line, passing lime kilns and interesting fungi, back into Newbiggin-on-Lune and afternoon tea at the garden centre.

After lunch we waited a short time for the heavy rain shower to pass, then followed the path and bridleway to Ravenstonedale.

Ravenstonedale Common

Distance: nearly 11 miles
Ascent: 830m
Weather: wet and windy
Goldfinches,  heron, wet sheep

The forecast for today was for light rain. It wasn't actually raining when we set off, but it wasn't long before it started.  We walked through Ravenstonedale village and along a very wet track up into the low cloud to Knott, where it was also windy.

We dropped down off the ridge and contoured around towards Knoutberry, with misty views of Gais Gill and its waterfall,  and then up to Green Bell (605m.)

The going was grassy and wet, a little slippy in places as the ground was sodden but pretty firm overall. We crossed over a col and headed up to Randygill Top, which was the highest point of the day at 624m. From here we went north to Hooksey,  our last Hill of the day,  and then followed the clear track along and down the ridge to Weasdale. Here we took a detour through the nature reserve over to Newbiggin-on-Lune for a fine afternoon tea at the garden centre, watching the wind and rain against the conservatory windows. By this time,  we were both pwt. Questions will be asked later.

Fine footpaths through fields took us back to Ravenstonedale,  the skies clearing slightly - although the rain didn't stop.

Marsden Moor, over March Hill

Distance: 9 miles
Ascent: 450m
Weather: blue sky, warm
Kestrels, long tailed tits,  geese formations.

 

After a fairly late decision to go for a walk (germs permitting) and it being a lovely morning,  we weren't sure if there would be any space in our chosen car park up on Marsden Moor, but there was, and we were set off walking by 11.20am. We went east along the Pennine Way, but soon turned up a path north towards March Hill, following some off road bikes in the distance.

 

I had a play in a boggy bit, then washed hands and antibacc'd, hopefully sufficiently.  As we were coming down the other side of the hill, we saw the off roaders making their way up to the main road, apart from one who was having a bit of difficulty.

 

The day was warmer than expected,  so there was some decoating,  and also some dark contrast in the shadows, making it quite hard at times to see the muddy path under the grass / reeds. Coming to the lane, there was a lot of wet and a bit of map reading practice.

 

Lunch was had overlooking Marsden, stunning in the autumn sunshine and we were visited by ladybirds and butterflies.

 

We went over Pule Hill, the incline (dis) remaining dis today. There was a couple lads coming up the other way, one of whom was struggling a bit and making some rather distressing noises. We gained an hour on Standedge Edge, enjoying the afternoon not quite setting sun.