Last Of The Summer Pies: 6.5 Mile Circular Walk - Haworth | Penistone Hill | Oxenhope | Leeshaw Reservoir | Bodkin Lane | Harbour Lodge

Monday 26 July 2021

6.5 Mile Circular Walk - Haworth | Penistone Hill | Oxenhope | Leeshaw Reservoir | Bodkin Lane | Harbour Lodge | Lower Laithe Reservoir

Distance: 6.5 miles

Ascent: 1000 ft

Walking: Andrew

Weather: Overcast with sunny spells

OS Map: OL21 - South Pennines

Starting point: West Lane, Haworth

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

Starting from West Lane at the top end of Haworth, this turned out to be a real wildlife walk. It was amazing to be able to watch the barn owl hunting on Haworth Moor. The heather is just coming into flower so I'll be spending a lot of time up on the moors over the next few weeks.

West Lane, Haworth

Plenty of thistles around at this time of year and the bees love them

Seems the butterflies like them as well (I think it's a butterfly, rather than a moth)

Hollings Farm, with Oldfield across the valley

...and ladybirds too.

Looking up the Worth Valley from Cemetery Road with Stanbury in the trees on the left, Oldfield on the hill opposite and Lumbfoot below.

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A short diversion into Haworth Cemetery to see the grave of Lily Cove. Lily was the star attraction at the 1906 Haworth Gala, parachuting from a hot air balloon. Bear in mind that this was less than 3 years after the Wright brothers' historic first powered flight and so anything related to flying held a great deal of fascination for the public. It is believed that as she drifted towards Ponden Reservoir, being terrified of water, she released herself from her harness before reaching it and plummeted to her death.
Her story is told in more detail HERE

Teasels

It's bilberry season on Penistone Hill

Lower Laithe Reservoir and Stanbury from Penistone Hill

Evidence of stone quarrying is everywhere on Penistone Hill

Heading down towards Oxenhope, the rose bay willow herb was very colourful

Upper Marsh

A squeeze stile with added gate, just in case.

Marsh with Mould Greave Farm ahead

The lane that runs alongside Hoyle Syke

My favourite Oxenhope gate at Mould Greave Farm. Just look at those scrolls...

Another nice piece of local ironwork

A long stretch of bindweed and assorted wild flowers along Hawksbridge Lane, Oxenhope

Dunkirk Mill

Looking back along Dunkirk Beck towards Dunkirk Mill

A small patch of harebells

A small tortoiseshell butterfly - you guessed it, on a thistle

Some more bee / thistle action

A Yorkshire rose on the gates to Leeshaw Reservoir

I'd guess this is a dog rose (and I bet the insect is called Eric)

Bodkin Lane

Ragwort (aka Stinking Willie) with what I presume is a moth

Leeshaw Reservoir. Despite it having been dry for quite some time, water still runs down Bodkin Lane

Bodkin Farm

You can see the effect of the water running down the road

Despite the best efforts of the men who laid the cobbles at an angle to encourage the water to run off to the left hand side, it still ripped most of them out

This gives some idea of how steep this section of the lane is

A great view over Leeshaw Reservoir from Bodkin Top

Looking back down Bodkin Lane with Penistone Hill in the distance

Thornton Moor Conduit is part of an impressive network of Victorian channels that criss-cross the moors, linking the many reservoirs around here. When you think about it, they are quite a feat of engineering, ensuring the levels are exactly right to get the desired flow in the right direction.

The thistles along this stretch are pretty impressive. Many of them stand a good 7ft high.

Looking over to Penistone Hill again from Green Holes Hill

Bond Clough with a view over Haworth Moor

Bond Clough again with the last of the foxgloves

The heather is just starting to flower

Approaching Harbour Lodge

Top Withens

Top Withens and Harbour Hill

I sat and watched this barn owl hunting for a good half hour. I didn't have an appropriate lens for wildlife photography so these are not the best photos, I'm afraid.