2 Mile Walk - A short snowy stroll around Earl Crag

Distance: 2.1 miles

Ascent: 375 ft

Walking: Andrew

Weather: Sunny with a dusting of snow 

OS Map: OL21 South Pennines

Parking: Informal parking area at Stake Hill

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

 

Lancashire's Pendle Hill, in the distance, is 1827ft high and is famous as the birth place of the Quaker movement and, of course, the infamous Pendle Witch Trials of 1612, which resulted in ten people being found guilty of witchcraft and hanged.

Wainman's Pinnacle - More about that later

Everyone seems surprised when it snows in April but I don't think it's that unusual. It's probably more common to get snow at this time of year than it is at Christmas.

Wainman's Pinnacle, also known as Cowling Pinnacle or The Salt Pot, stands at the western end of Earl Crag, high above the village of Cowling. It was originally built as a decorative folly by local landowner R B Wainman. It was damaged by lightning in 1900 and was rebuilt by locals.

The views over the North Yorkshire countryside and the villages of Cowling, Cononley, Glusburn, Kildwick and Sutton-in-Craven are spectacular, particularly when there is snow on the ground, although, because of the altitude (approx 1200 ft, it is often shrouded in cloud.

Lane Ends from just below Wainman's Pinnacle

The narrow ledge directly below Wainman's Pinnacle

Cowling from the ledge

At the opposite (eastern) end of Earl Crag, stands Lund's Tower, also known as The Pepper Pot.

Grade II listed Lund's Tower (also known as Sutton Pinnacle, Ethel Tower, Jubilee Tower or The Pepper Pot) is another stone folly. It was built in 1887 by wealthy local businessman James Lund, either to celebrate his daughter, Ethel's 21st birthday or Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. 

The view from the top of the tower is incredible - this is just a small part of it - and well worth the tight squeeze (well, it was for me) getting up the dark, narrow spiral steps.

The snow disappeared quickly in the warm spring sunshine