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| Walshaw Dean Middle and Lower Reservoirs, with Gorple reservoir just visible in the distance. |
Distance: 9.5 miles
Ascent: 1500 ft
Walking: Andrew
Weather: Sunny
OS Map: OL21 - South Pennines
Starting point: Main Street, Stanbury
Photography: Andrew using Nikon D750 / Nikon 24 - 70 mm f2.8 & Nikon 70 - 300 mm f4.5 - 5.6
My first walk this year without a coat included some spectacular moorland scenery to compliment the blue sky.
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| A very pleasant new across the Worth Valley to Oldfield from where I parked in Stanbury |
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| Looking up the valley, with the Old Silent Inn bottom left, where Bonnie Prince Charlie hid during his retreat to Scotland in 1746. It is also reputed to one of the most haunted pubs in Yorkshire. For more details CLICK HERE |
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| This rhododendron on Back Lane is the first one I've seen flowering this year |
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| Walking up Back Lane, I had the distinct feeling I was being watched |
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| Looking back over Bully Trees Farm to Stanbury and Lower Laithe Reservoir |
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| Not sure about the design of these new way markers |
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| Harbour Hill and Harbour Lodge, with the Bronte Waterfall hidden by the tree. |
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| Another ruined farmhouse |
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| The first sight of Top Withens in the distance |
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| It doesn't seem to be getting any closer |
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| Finally made it and there isn't a soul about |
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| This inscription on the window lintel at the back of the building is believed to have been done to avoid having to pay window tax, which was a property tax based on the number of windows in a house. |
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| The Pennine Way as it passes over Withens Height End |
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| Ovenden Moor Wind Farm from Withens Height End |
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| Low flying grouse |
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| A wide view from Dean Stones Edge shows the all three Walshaw Dean reservoirs. Gorple Reservoir is also just visible in the distance. |
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| Possibly an old way marker stone, judging by the arrow. I'm guessing this was a standing stone at some point. |
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| A grey-lag goose |
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| Work started on the the three Walshaw Dean reservoirs in 1900. Halifax Corporation had commissioned them to supply the town due to a rapid increase in the population. The navvies who built the reservoirs were housed in a temporary town of wooden huts near Heptonstall, known as Dawson City, and transported to and from the site on a specially constructed narrow gauge railway. The work finished in 1908. For more details about the construction of the reservoirs, CLICK HERE |
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| The middle reservoir and upper dam |
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| The size of the in-flow channel gives some idea of how much water can, at times, flow off the moors |
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| The upper dam |
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| The middle reservoir from the upper dam |
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| Until fairly recently, the banks of the middle reservoir were covered with large rhododendrons. These have been cut right back and it looks like many of them didn't survive although some seem to be coming back to life. It must have been an amazing sight when they were all in flower. |
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| Grey-lag and Canada geese on the middle reservoir |
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| The lower reservoir from the middle dam |
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| A security guard on the middle dam |
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| The middle reservoir |
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| Having walked around the middle reservoir, I was back on the Pennine Way at this point and heading back to Top Withens |
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| Dean Stones Edge |
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| Wherever you go on the moors, in the remotest places, there is always a lone Christmas tree. I might bring some baubles and fairy lights up here next time. |
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| A few more people about than earlier |
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| Looking back over Top Withens as I headed up Delph Hill |
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| Home village of Oakworth can be seen on the hill in the distance |
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| The trig point on Delph Hill. You can just see Pendle Hill to the left, about 12 miles away |
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| Looking back to Top Withens from Withens Slack |
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| The ground is too rocky to drive fence posts into it, so the farmers have developed this method of placing alternate posts on opposite sides of a wall to support a fence |
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| The view across the valley to Crag Bottom, where I walked a couple of weeks ago |
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| I love the yellow ochre colour of this lichen at Lower Heights Farm |
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| A lapwing, or peewit if you prefer. They nest on the ground on the moors at this time of year in fairly large numbers |
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| Stanbury with Oakworth beyond |
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