When i got my all-areas Metrocard back in march, i saw opportunities to maximise my travel around West Yorkshire and get in as many trips as possible that would otherwise require the purchase of two train tickets, but my obsession with Wharfedale has meant that I have yet to make any trips across the moors between the valleys of Aire, Calder and Colne. I thought I'd have got going in June but here we are at August Bank Holiday weekend and are in danger of running out of Summer, and despite me saying that I wasn't going to start doing regular Sunday walking, here we go again after another grotty Saturday, but on the middle day of a three day weekend means that I should have let my legs recover by the time it comes to work again. So, onwards, for what is remarkably my first ever trip from the Calder to the Aire, and amazingly my first stretch in Calderdale in over 9 months.
Hebden Bridge to Keighley, via Walshaw Moor & Penistone Hill 12.7 miles
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| Hebden Bridge |
Somehow I've never walked out from Hebden Bridge during my walking odyssey and that seems like a mistake, so that is immediately rectified as I set out from the railway station after 9.30am, seeing the River Calder and the Rochdale canal for the first time this year, heading along Burnley Road and Albion Street, enjoying the feeling that I have the town to myself on this sunny Sunday morning. The people are to be found in the square with the giant fountain pen, that is actually the gnomon of a sundial, already out in numbers for breakfast and its away from the land of made-over mills and curious boutiques that I go as I cross the bridge over Hebden Beck, and on up Hanging Royd lane, which is much more terraced and industrial than the prettier faces of this town. First ascent comes at Moss Lane, a road leading up to most post-war semis and not the kind of route I'd ever want to walk to get to my house, so I'll assume that the developers and residents around here are more resilient than I am and having gained altitude, the pat along Eversley Lane seems to lead me through someone's garden before hitting the enclosed and slippery paths that wind their way along the hillside amongst some much older houses of Slater Bank to lead up into Lee Wood. Gaining height above the town and beck is immediately preferable to wandering down along the road, but rare looks back see the town is already covered in haze, like all Calderdale is steaming, and it's pretty sultry as I make my way up through the largely deciduous wood, happy that I'm not fighting through a sea of bracken, eventually hitting the long level track that leads a long way up the valley of Hebden Beck to a couple of hostels, and for me it's shadiness beneath the conifers and straight forward progress, aside from meeting a walked Golden Retriever that just knows that I have got something edible in my bag. Meet the Calderdale Way and follow that horribly broken path down to the Blue Pig at Midgeholes and cross over the bridges as Hebden and Crimsworth Dean Beck merge, making a beeline for a necessary stop at the plush-flush convenience before the trail leads me to the moors, and using the break to fold over OL21 where I have no wind to interfere, and to slather on sunblock as the day is suddenly feeling a whole lot warmer than it did when I left home.
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| Crimsworth Dean |
Meet the Hardcastle Crags Estate, which is already filling it car parks with day trippers, but I won't be making much use of the National Trust's lands, instead heading north around the enclosed bridleway that drops me on the road above the parking area and sends me out above Bridge Clough, ascending at a pretty steady rate, for the traditional Calderdale 150m, in the clear as far as Hollin Hall (somewhat over-named), and then largely beneath the cover of trees as I wonder if there will be many people doing the moor crossing today, as two parties met on early suggest yes, but once out above the tree line it feels like I'm going to have the track to myself for a while. The track leads on, purposefully up to Laithe farm, and beyond it still has the feel of a being an old road that history left behind, favouring the A6033, rising along Clattering Edge on the opposite side of the valley, running much higher on the moor but featuring less by way of hard ascents. First excellent view of the day comes as the path crests, showing the track onto the moor extending pretty obviously up to the top of the valley, whilst behind me Stoodley Pike and St Thomas the Apostle, Heptonstall stand out above the haze that seems to be consuming Calderdale, and a pleasing feeling of solitude descends among the high pastures. The abandoned farmstead of Nook draws attention, and my desire for my own personal remote hostel has me peering into the ruins to see if they could be made livable (not really), and plans to turn the barn into a bunkhouse slip from the mind when I find that a 4 inch deep pool of slurry has washed out across the path and I have wandered into it. Extract myself and get back to the business of walking, descending down to the interceding cleft of Hardibut Clough, and then hitting the long descent down to the valley floor, feeling like I'm losing most of the altitude gained, but the reality is only about 80m, and not having had a view up to the moors to west for the whole time I was up there. Once down at the approach to Paddock Beck and Gram Water Bridge, three parties pass in short order and I wonder how early they set out from the other side to get here, maybe they are residing locally, like the couple in the camper van with all its windows shaded, parked at the roadside where I stop for essential watering before hitting the route to Top of Stairs.
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| Walshaw Moor |
The first 60m up towards the watershed is on road, for farm access and its surprisingly hard work, and there's not much point thinking you are going to out climb the tractor that you see coming up the valley as it does slopes much better in low gear than you can. At Lane End , I finally get a view to the west below Thurrish Farm, and then it's back onto rough track as the path leads up another 40m to meet the moorland edge, ad I'd been a bit clueless as to the name of the moor as my OS map gives me no definitive identity, but a helpful sign announces Walsaw & Lancashire Moor, so that's me told. Beyond some level going amongst the moorland grass the path starts to burrow into a groove as the ascent sharpens and it becomes obvious as to why this never became the main route betwixt Aire and Calder, and beyond the 400m contour, the track levels off and the going up to the path summit becomes a lot more straightforward, the route having suggested that it would be a lot more difficult that I had expected. It's really quiet on the moor top, hardly any indication of bird life and only the faintest hum of traffic an the main road half a mile distant, and the feeling of solitude is most gratifying as I look to miles of grass to both east and west, with only traces of cottongrass and not a sprig of heather to be see. I seem to have given plenty of amateur botany lessons as I've gone this year, but the holes in my knowledge are again exposed as I didn't expect grass on gritstone, so it must be a soil composition thing too, though you can see the difference in vegetation just from a look at a satellite picture. Carry on up to meet the boundary stone at the path summit, showing a bench mark but no confirmed altitude, somewhere above 425m I guess, and I prop myself up on the wall that runs along the path, zipping up my jacket to keep the wind off and chowing down on pizza, and deciding that a ridge walk along this section of the moor would probably be unwise as there looks to be some rather damp going in both directions.
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| Leeshaw Reservoir |
It's not far from the summit to the point where the descent starts and sight into the Worth valley is obtained, with the hazy line of Rombalds Moor in the far distance, and I'm not far into the cleft dug into the turf when three more walking parties are met ascending, and having enjoyed having the summit to myself, I carry on, wondering why no one else seems to be carrying the quantity of baggage that I am, do these people not thirst? Wet earth and rock is the going of choice as the path wanders its way downhill, pausing only for a look at a brief lesson in soil profiling where a stream has carved a large gash out of the turf. The next few fields illustrate more of that long reedy grass, and the distinctive wind turbine that stands above Haworth appears to give a better sense of location, and than at the next turn, the track becomes fringed with heather, so nice to see it make an appearance after all that grass across the top. Meet Bodkin Lane, that is actually cobbled but pretty horrible to descend on as it doesn't allow for secure foot placement as I descend, preferring to walk along the dirt alongside and leaving the stones to the ascending gang of shirtless lads, and once again it becomes clear that this track might have been good for droving and packhorse traffic, it would be pretty much useless for motor traffic. A look out to the west shows that Haworth Moor is a riot of purple heather, so the Worth Valley is clearly composed of a different sort of stuff, and ahead is Leeshaw reservoir, gradually revealing itself and then our constant companion as our route descends 100m to its perimeter wall and then swings down below the dam. The road beyond would be the obvious route straight down to the town, but that would be too easy for this day, and instead take the the path that take the farm track up to Westfield Farm, and then along the field boundary beyond, offering 270 degrees of perspectives on the reservoir, and also inducing the fiercest of sweats in me, not that the 60m of ascent is that tough but because I'm sheltered from the wind and the humidity over the grass is surprisingly challenging.
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| Penistone Hill |
Breezes return on the edge of Haworth Moor, but I'm not venturing deep into that, instead following the track along its perimeter to Moorside Lane to venture onto some of this Heather moorland at Penistone Hill, which is the sort of wild country park that any town should have (like Bradgate Park in Leicester), and the tourist hot spot of Haworth pretty much guarantees a crowd of visitors young and old. I'm not going to claim the 317m summit, instead taking the route around the gritstone outcrops of the higher section, taking the path that I had worried might be hard to trace, but is dead obvious on the ground, and this offers views into the western branches of the Worth valley, with Lower Laithe as the major feature and the previously unseen (to me at least) high moors that have unfortunately gained the name of
Brontë country, the park even has a sculpture called Literary Landscape to ram the point home. Not being a literature fan, I'll just enjoy the novelty of a new landscape and wonder if the couple dressed in their wedding gear and rolling around in the heather, to the amusement of their photographers, have actually got a reception to attend this afternoon. Depart the moor by the track that leads down by Balcony house, offering some welcome sustained shade, and then join the path that leads down into Haworth via pens of ducks and hens before dropping into the trees to emerge into the yard of St Michael & All Angels church (yes, another one), and also into the swelling tourist traffic, taking the briefest of glances to the famous parsonage before stepping out into the throng on Main Street. I'm surprised that so many people are out on a Sunday, but as it's Bank Holiday weekend, it shouldn't be a surprise and I surmise that this town is kept alive and vibrant by its literary connection, but I'll not be adding to the tourist horde, instead heading out of town via Changegate, and once I've started out down Lord Lane, I've got the trail to myself again.
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| Christ Church, Oakworth |
It's a pretty long walk down to the crossing of the River Worth (which I always thought had flowed east of Haworth, rather than north of it, so I've learned something new today) and there's a humpbacked aqueduct and a rather pretty child-sized summerhouse down here at the valley bottom, and the steep descent down is naturally followed by a rather steep road walk back up again, as there's no good cross country route up to Oakworth. Stop for watering as the field walk starts, admiring the view of Penistone Hill and the town that is surely a corruption of High-Worth, and having a moment of horror as a 4x4 descends the road with two girls perched out of the sunroof, and fully anticipate something horrible happening, it doesn't, but I mean
seriously... Forward progress is made along the field boundaries, turning into one of those paths that seems to peter out as it lands in the yard of Clough House farm, and beyond lies Oakworth, a village I only know as a stop on the K&WVR, and I'm not going to get much opportunity to explore today, but along Mill Lane I note contemporary developments to complement the residential conversion of mill buildings as well as far too many stucco clad council houses, possibly the least attractive housing style in these isles. Turn into Colne road to take a look at Christ Church, Oakworth, an oddly austere bit of Victorian Early English styling, and then find a back alley that leads up around the 1970s bungalows of Moor Drive to find the bridleway that leads out above Holden Park, which feel like it doesn't really go anywhere until I find old houses towards its end. A field walk follows over to Slaymaker lane, a wonderfully named road, before hitting the final ascent of the day, a rather broken field walk up to Branshaw Moor, which currently has a golf course sitting atop it, which reminds me of a joke that a Scottish tour guide once told: 'In England they put a fence round a patch of rough ground and call it a National Park, In Scotland they put a fence round a patch of rough ground and call it a Golf course.'.
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| Keighley from Occupation Lane |
Tread my way over to Occupation Lane, for a fine view over Keighley and the Aire valley beyond, and it's a much more extensive town than I'd ever have credited it, getting a good elevated view really does enhance your perspective, it seems, and now's the time to get a move on and hard surfaces ensure that the last couple of miles can be done at the clip. The long descent starts out, meeting the outer edge of the suburbs and then dropping down onto Oakworth Road and I head on down into the town feeling like I have maligned this town somewhat unfairly, having figured it as one of the towns that died with the passing of industry, now sitting near the bottom of the West Yorkshire desirability league, but a nicely bright day like this shows up its good face remarkably well, and a detour to walk along the edge of Lund Park shows up an urban oasis of quite some pleasantness, though I'm sure it should be a lot busier on a day like today. Further on there's the Keighley Workhouse, rendered desirable as the Hillworth village residential development, and taking a detour from the route to go down Church Street to look at the parish church and to admire the Victorian shopping parades that are as attractive as any in the county, of course the 1960s didn't do the town any favours, but then again, which towns didn't suffer? And so off Low Street to Worth Way for the last 2 miles to be done in about 40 minutes, as I roll up at Keighley Railway station at 3.10pm, and I'm not going to do the last half mile down to the Aire Bridge, justifying this moment of laziness as I've already been there this year and have to make tracks home by Sunday scheduled public transport, and I have my parents dropping in for a flying visit and they can't meet me sweating up a storm again, can they? Not quite Calder to Aire then, but Calderdale to Aire valley is close enough.
Next on the Slate: Following on today's theme, Hebble to Worth!
1,000 Miles Cumulative Total: 794.9 miles (2013 total: 329.6 miles)
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