#49 Whitworth to Todmorden

14.04 Miles
744 Metres Ascent
03/02/14

For once I had time on my side and had no real deadline.  I had this route in mind for a while but due to one thing and another I hadn’t got round to it.  The weather was OK, overcast and windy but it wasn’t raining!

The first part of the route was very familiar, up the rake and around the top of Watergrove.   Things are still very wet but the Pennine bridleway is probably the best track in the region.  I decided to climb Clay Pots hill as an added extra.  It seemed a good idea at the time, adding about 2 miles and 200 metres to the day.

Rooley Moor

12.3 Miles
447 Metres Ascent
02/02/14

Another day and another tight deadline.  I had pretty much 4hrs to do something with.  So a ‘dash’ up Rooley Moor was in order.  As I’ve said in the past, this is a good hard track that takes you up and over the moors.

 

It was windy again but dry.  The sun even came out at a few points!  There were a few points I could have done with sunglasses, which after yesterday was a shock to the system. 

Why am I enjoying this?

10.87 Miles
363 Metres Ascent
01/02/14

It’s past 6pm.   Sunset was over an hour ago.   The wind is gusting to 40mph.  It is 4°C without adding the wind-chill and it’s raining.  Why am I walking across the moors above Whitworth?  And why am I enjoying this?

 

I was back on familiar turf above Whitworth and Watergrove, after spending a good part of the day driving.  I had planned something longer, but my usual lateness was compounded by a strict home by 7pm deadline (When your mum tells you your tea will be on the table at 7, it’s the sort of deadline you can’t afford to miss!).

#45 Watergrove to Calderbrook

10.87 Miles
363 Metres Ascent

I had planned a few routes for the next 3 days and it’s only typical that I had to change these plans at the last minute!   Family ‘bookings’ meant I could initially stay out until 1, but this changed to 12.30 by the night before.  In the end I was out of the house by 8am, on a cold dank morning.  The stream running down the middle of the road from the rake was an early indicator of the moisture content of the hills above!

 

The changed plan meant I was going to walk for approx. an hour and a half, then turn around, retrace my steps before a little loop to add a few more miles in.  Not a pretty solution by any means but it was easy to plan and also meant I had a good idea of my times.

#35 Watergrove and Clay Pots Hill

7.64 Miles
485 Metres Ascent

It was an early start on a cold day.  I was out before 8am into a cold dawn.  The thermometer said 2 degrees C and it certainly had a chill to it.  This was a quick walk with the limited time I had available, it was the Rugby World Cup final in the afternoon so I was off to Old Trafford for the first time in years.

The plan was to head to Watergrove then follow the Pennine Bridleway towards Clay hill, a quick stop at the shelter and then back to the Bridleway.  For once I followed the plan!

#33 Rooley Moor and Cowpe

14.29 Miles
761 Metres Ascent.

I have previously walked most of this route before, but todays plan was to see if I could make a nice extension (of about 2 miles) so I could use this route in winter when the conditions are a lot rougher.  Basically I need a route I can use in all weathers, to take that excuse away from me!

The Pennine bridleway is such a route, it might get a bit slutchy in places, but in the main it's useable all year round in all weathers.  The Rossendale Way round Cowpe Lowe could meet those needs.  Today was a good excuse to have a look.

#32 Watergrove Wander

8.14 Miles

467 Metres ascent 

Back up north for a short visit so it would be rude not to go for a wander.    I had planned to get here in time to do a decent walk (3rs ish), so with sunset at 1630, I needed to get to Whitworth for about 1300.  In the end I set off on the walk at 1530, with only 1hr of daylight to use.  Fear not, I took a torch!

 

Watergrove

Heading up the Rake it was satisfying to do it with any breaks or stops to catch my breath!  I am getting fitter and am still losing weight, even though I don’t think I look much different.  (The scales, the change in clothes size and general fitness say otherwise).  I decided to head towards Watergrove reservoir and then up the hills, to come back round to the Rake.

#27 Rooley Moor and Top of Leach

11.81 Miles

578 Metres 

The weather was warm but misty, meaning no views and hot and sweaty!  Today’s walk was partly to find a good long walk for winter when staying in the area.  I wanted something that I can do in rough weather, that wouldn’t involve sinking and had a good mileage and ascent.  Rooley Moor road fits that bill.  It’s a track up onto the moors and is mostly stone slabs. 

Walking from Whitworth down a short section of the Healey Dell nature reserve brings you to the Pennine Bridleway and the Mary Townley Loop.  This begins the climb up to Rooley Moor on mainly farm tracks, through Prickshaw and onto the Moor.  The landscape is quite strange in parts with lumps and bumps, probably tailings from the mines and queries in the area.  Unfortunately some people still use the area for dumping waste, the ease of access can be a bad thing in places.

#26 Crook Hill to Brown Wardle

8.70 Miles

495 Metres 

Last Wednesdays walk up to Copy Clough had given me a few ideas so I set off today to explore a little.  Following the same route up to Copy Clough brought me out at the top of Ramsden Road, from here I planned to take the ‘long Causeway’ onto Crook Hill.  However I couldn’t find an obvious path, especially one with such a grand name!  So I went off piste up the hill to the obvious footpaths on top.  

I headed over Crook Moor heading towards Crook Hill and had planned to just wander over the moors between the paths.  There was however a well walked path in the general direction so I just followed that.  This led to a well-made stone circle shelter with great views across the whole of Manchester.  Even on an indifferent day in terms of mist and smog, it was still easy to make out the tower blocks in the city centre.  Might have to come back up here on a clear day!

#24 Copy Clough

5.84 Miles

368 Metres

After a flight back from New York Yesterday and spending most of the day in the car driving up, I needed to get out and about before tomorrow’s big walk up Snowdon.  So I headed up Waingap Hill and onto the Pennine Bridleway.  Normally I head down towards Ramsden Road and Watergrove, but headed up towards Rough Hill instead.

 

I had a bit of a time limit on this walk plus I wanted to be down of the hills before it went dark so after getting to Copy Clough I decided to turn around.  This short leg stretch gave me a few ideas for another walk which could include Rough Hill, Middle Hill and Brown Wardle.  Depending how I feel I might get to do later in the week. 

#30 Watergrove

#30 Watergrove

Distance - 7.21 miles
Ascent - 455 metres

A late start to today, the weather was pretty ropey in the morning, so when a gap in the cloud was spotted I was off out.  I had a big walk the next day, so I wanted to do something fairly easy, but at the same time I wanted to try a few different places.

Pennine Bridleway



Going up the Rake I followed the same track as the other days.  The views over Manchester showed how close to a drenching I was.  Black skies blocked the views towards Saddleworth and made a sharp contrast to the blue skies above my head!  Again the wind was strong, battering the ears.