Last Of The Summer Pies: 8 Mile Walk - Stanbury | Ponden Hall | Ponden Kirk | Alcomden Stones | Top Withens | Harbour Hill

Ponden Hall. The Bronte sisters were regular visitors here from when they were children and undoubtedly took advantage of the owner's extensive library. The building is reputed to be the inspiration for Thrushcross Grange in Emily's Wuthering Heights and Wildfell Hall in Anne's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. It has also been suggested that it could have been the model for Wuthering Heights itself.

Distance: 8 miles

Ascent: 1100 ft

Walking: Andrew

Weather: Cold and overcast with sunny spells

OS Map: OL21 - South Pennines

Starting point: Main Street, Stanbury

Photography: Andrew using Nikon D750 / Nikon 24-70 mm f2.8

I fancied a challenge today, so I decided to take the harder (but more rewarding) route up to Top Withens via Ponden Hall, Ponden Kirk and Alcomden Stones.

Being a bit dodgy with heights, I'd avoided the path across the top of Ponden Kirk before, taking the steep uneven steps down Ponden Clough instead, but I was determined to grit my teeth this time and get across it and I'm glad I did.

Access track to Royds Hall Farm and New Coney Garth with Ponden reservoir in the distance

Spring has sprung

Royds Hall Farm

Heading down the track to Near Coney Garth

Near Coney Garth. The footpath goes straight across the front of the farmhouse but I decided not to go that way, what with the pandemic and all. It always feels a bit awkward walking through people's gardens and farmyards but particularly now so I turned round and retraced my steps to a walled lane opposite Royds Hall Farm

Cold Knoll Farm

The view across the valley from Cold Knowle End Road

An interesting section of dry stone wall on Cold Knowle End Road

Barn door on Cold Knowle End Road

Walled track down from Buckley Farm to Rush Isles

Ponden Reservoir was built in the 1870s to supply water to the mills in the Worth Valley.

The beautiful Ponden Hall is now run as a B&B https://www.ponden-hall.co.uk

Looking back over Ponden Reservoir

Not necessarily something you would expect to see on a walk over the moors

An International Harvester tractor. I think it's a 454, which were built at their factory at Five Lane Ends, Bradford (formerly the Jowett car factory and where Morrison's is now) between 1970 & 1973

A Swaledale ewe on Ponden Slack

Farm on Ponden Slack

View across the Worth Valley to Dean Clough from Ponden Slack

Looking back down the Worth Valley

Heading up Heather Hole

Ponden Clough waterfall and the rocky outcrop of Ponden Kirk

The view across Ponden Clough with the wind turbines on Ovenden Moor in the distance

Ponden Kirk is believed to have been the inspiration for Penistone Crag and The Fairy Cave in Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. Local legend has it that if a couple crawl through the narrow gap at the base of the crag together, they must marry within a year or they will die. If they marry anyone else, they will be doomed to commit suicide and their spirit will haunt the rocks for ever. It was all I could do to walk along the path at the top, let alone scramble down the sheer drop and squeeze through a narrow gap between rocks, so I think I'll be safe.

Small waterfall near Ponden Kirk

A rare example of graffiti created by a fictional character

The path heads across the top of Ponden Kirk

The view from just above Ponden Kirk, the top of which is the large rock in the foreground

Ponden Clough from Kirk Brink

Looking back down Ponden Clough to Ponden Reservoir

Looking back from higher up Ponden Clough. The boardwalks are built over boggy patches by grouse shooters

Bridge over Ponden Clough and a grouse shooting butt on Stanbury Moor

Looking back over Stanbury Moor

Middle Moor Clough

Alcomden Stones is a collection of large boulders that were probably deposited near the top of Delph Hill by a glacier during the last ice age

Heading over Delph Hill

Top Withens

Heathcliff and Cathy, the two sycamore trees that stand next to Top Withens

Heading down the hill towards the ruins of Middle Withens Farm, ironically demolished in the 1930's to prevent it being vandalised.

The path heads down South Dean Beck towards the Bronte Waterfall

Stepping stones across South Dean Beck

I turned off the more popular tourist route to the waterfall and headed for Harbour Hill

Withins Foot, where Crumber Dike flows down into South Dean Beck

Looking back over the beck, Withins Foot and over to Top Withens from Harbour Scars

Looking back again from further up Harbour Scars

Continuing up Haworth Moor towards Harbour Hill

A path turns off and heads across Harbour End, eventually emerging at the waterfall. I didn't want to disturb the nesting birds so I carried on up the hill

Harbour Hole, just below the top of Harbour Hill

Rounding Harbour Hill, Stanbury and Penistone Hill come into view across Haworth Moor

Stanbury again from the corner of Harbour Lodge

Looking down Harbour Slack towards Stanbury and Oakworth

Harbour Hole Bottom. Insert your own joke here.

Heading down Rock Head Hill towards the Bronte Waterfall

Looking down highest drop in the Bronte Waterfall. Most visitors only see the bottom section, which is not usually that impressive, particularly if we haven't had any rain for a while. It is actually made up of a series of small waterfalls that are only accessible via the very steep path but well worth the effort.

The Bronte Bridge over South Dean Beck from the path down Rock Head Hill. Downstream from the bridge, where the waterfall stream flows into the beck, its name changes to Sladen Beck