7 Mile Circular Walk - Stanbury | Watersheddles Reservoir

Distance: 7 miles

Ascent: 1200 ft

Walking: Andrew

Weather: Overcast, sunny spells

OS Map: OL21 - South Pennines

Starting point: Main Street, Stanbury

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

Following on from last week's not-quite-to-plan walk, I decided to gauge whether I'd be able to walk to Wycoller from home by heading for Watersheddles Reservoir and The Hanging Stone, then seeing if I had the time / energy to carry on.

Looking across the Worth Valley to Oldfield from Stanbury

Looking up the valley to where I'm going to be walking

The Old Silent Inn, formerly known as The Eagle, is supposed to be one of the most haunted pubs in Yorkshire. It also provided a hiding place for Bonnie Prince Charlie on his retreat back to Scotland after being defeated at Derby in 1745. More history here

Hogweed

Looking across the Worth Valley to Oldfield from Rush Isles farm (right)

Scar Top

Scar Top Chapel was built in 1869. It replaced an earlier Methodist Chapel on the site which was built in 1818 

The gates of Scar Top Chapel

Ponden Hall seen across Ponden reservoir. The hall has strong links to the Bronte family and is believed to be one of the houses on which Wuthering Heights was based

I can never resist a selfie in a convex mirror

Joining the Bronte Way

Looking across the valley to Far Dean Fields farm

Whitestone Farm

Old Snap Farm

Looking back towards Ponden Reservoir

Silver Hill Farm

Moor Lodge aka Scar Top Pine Furniture (sadly no longer). The only way to see these rhododendrons is to follow the Bronte Way up the valley. They are pretty much hidden from the road. Although the path is quite clear and, I assume fairly well used, I've never met anyone else when I've walked this bit.

Burnside farm

A stunning display of bracken and rhododendrons

I'm not sure how these non-native rhododendrons got here but I assume they were planted by the water company when they built the reservoir, probably to stabilise the river banks and prevent the river getting blocked.

This plinth marks the border between Yorkshire and Lancashire

Watersheddles dam just ahead

A Herdwick ewe

Looking back down the valley

Watersheddles Reservoir

I presume KWW stands for Keighley Water Works. Judging by the style of lettering, this gate was installed when the reservoir was built in the 1870s.

When I got up to Watersheddles, I could see some heavy rain in the distance heading my way so I turned round. By the time I got here, looking down on Ponden Reservoir from Crag Bottom, I was pretty damp. 

Crag Bottom

Dean Clough

Dean Clough

Across the valley to Whitestone Farm and Old Snap

Ruined barn at Far Dean Fields Farm

The new sign looks Photoshopped on but I can assure you it isn't

Ponden Reservoir from Old House

A view up The Pennine Way from Rush Isles

Common Bistort

Red campion

Cold Knowle End Road