6 Mile Circular Walk - Stanbury | Ponden Kirk | Alcomden Stones | Top Withens

Distance: 6 miles

Ascent: 1100 ft

Walking: Andrew

Weather: 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 and Nikon 70-200 mm f2.8 

Classic Bronte Country walk, taking in some of the locations that inspired Emily Bronte when she wrote Wuthering Heights.

Looking across the Worth Valley from Stanbury to Oldfield

Up the Worth Valley past The Old Silent Inn and Ponden Reservoir

Royds Hall Farm

Ponden Dam and the hamlet of Scar Top

Rowan berries

Rush Isles

Ponden Reservoir with Ponden Hall (left), the inspiration for Thrushcross Grange in Wuthering Heights. It is also believed that a box bed in the hall inspired the scene where Cathy's ghost returns to the window of Wuthering Heights and begs Heathcliff to let her in. Someone should make a song about that.

High on the hill ahead is the rocky outcrop, Ponden Kirk. More about that later.

Ponden Hall

Ponden Farm

Contractual obligation sheep shot

I was so lucky to capture this. I had to run up the hill and balance on a stile to get it. The shower was approaching so I thought the lens would be getting spotty but it looks like I got away with it. The rainbow was only complete for 10 seconds at the most and quickly faded from left to right.

Dean Clough

Looking back down the Worth Valley from Ponden Slack

An amazing array of colours across on Birch Brink

Ponden Kirk, with the old sheep fold above and Alcomden Stones on the horizon

Ponden Kirk appears as Penistone Crag in Wuthering Heights. At its base is the narrow natural tunnel, known as the Fairy Cave, which has a number of local legends attached to it. You can read more HERE 

There must have been a fair amount of rain overnight, by the look of this stream on Kirk Brink

Heading onto Kirk Brink

The spectacular view from Kirk Brink, near Ponden Kirk

The old sheep fold. Quite why anyone would want to fold a sheep is beyond me.

The top of Ponden Kirk

Delph Hill

Looking down Ponden Clough

Alcomden Stones

The trig point on Delph Hill

First sight of Top Withens

Upper Heights Farm

Once again, Stanbury is bathed in sunlight, while everywhere else is in shadow

Avery friendly little twite. Never seen one before.

Enfield Side