#14 Cowm Resevoir and Healey Dell

#14 Cowm Reservoir and Healey Dell

Distance - 7.83 Miles
Ascent - 282 Metres

Second walk in a week, I must be ill!  Yet again I was trying to tire out the dog and myself, but failed again on one count!  Those collies have too much energy.  I started the walk by again going round Cowm.  The weather was a little better, the cloud base was higher and the hilltops revealed themselves. 
 

Cowm Reservoir

I actually did 2 laps of the res, mainly because the dog likes chasing a ball!   From the res it's a short but flat walk along the valley to the Healey Dell nature reserve.  This part of the valley was heavily used during the industrial revolution and it's impact is noticeable.

#13 Cowm Reservoir and Rushy Hill

#13 Cowm Reservoir and Rushy Hill

Distance - 8.97 Miles
Ascent - 484 Metres

My first walk of the year and for me was my Christmas Walk, I worked all Christmas so only got my pressies the day before!  The weather was grim (foggy) but surprisingly dry for Whitworth, the land was sodden but for once none was falling from the skies.  The track round the Cowm reservoir is well maintained and flat (once you have walked to the top of the dam!).  It's a popular dog walk area but was fairly quiet and remarkably free from Dog poo bags dumped in trees!

Foggy Cowm Reservoir

After a lap round the reservoir we took a track out of the back of the res which follows an old quarry road.  This area was very wet underfoot, with water flowing out of what seemed every part of the hillside.