A Wander Around Hardcastle Crags

Distance: 4.5 miles

Ascent: 600 ft

Walking: Andrew

Weather: Overcast

OS Map: OL21 - South Pennines

Starting point: National trust car park on Midgehole Road, Hebden Bridge.

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

A favourite place to walk but there were plenty of bits I still hadn't explored.

Off into the deep dark wood..

Hebden Water tumbles over rocks all the way through the woods. There was a surprising amount of water, considering it's July.

A common sight on woodland walks round here. No doubt this practice will soon die out, though. You can't really do it with a credit card or Apple Pay.

It's sometimes a toss-up where to put your feet - Slippery roots, slippery mud or slippery stones.

There are several weirs on this section, dating back to Victorian times. They were designed to regulate the flow of the water to the mills downstream in Hebden Bridge.

After a big downpour, the flow of the water can be fierce and Hebden Bridge ofter hits the news with severe flooding. These stepping stones are huge. They were originally held together with a thick metal rod running through the middle of them and they have pointed front ends to deflect the flow but they were still swept away in a flood.

After about 1.5 miles walking through the woods, Gibson Mill appears in a clearing.

Lord Holme Mill to give it its proper name, was built in around 1800 by Abraham Holme, a farmer and cotton spinner from nearby Heptonstall. It was originally a cotton spinning mill powered by a water wheel until the 1840s when weaving sheds were added, along with weaving sheds for the production of cotton cloth.

Manufacturing ceased in 1890, then in the early 1900s, the mill was converted into an 'Entertainment Emporium' with a skating rink and dance floor. This continued until 1945, when the building was left to stand empty until it was bought by the National Trust in 1950, along with the surrounding Hardcastle Crags, and restored as a museum.

Nothing annoys me more than when people stick loads of exclamation marks at the end of a sentence but sometimes...

I didn't realise how high it was up here

I bet the view is amazing on a clear day.

Having explored the Crags a bit, I retraced my steps to Gibson Mill

Just over Hebden Water from the mill there is a beautiful waterfall. Overall, it's quite a long drop and difficult to do it justice with a photo (especially without a tripod)

I saw this moment and quickly snapped it. Unfortunately my settings weren't ideal and so it's not sharp - Oh well, you can't win 'em all.

 

5 Mile Walk - Gibson Mill | Hardcastle Crags | Walshaw | Shackleton Knoll | Crimsworth Dean

Gibson Mill, or Lord Holme Mill to give it its proper name, was built in around 1800 by Abraham Holme, a farmer and cotton spinner from nearby Heptonstall. It was originally a cotton spinning mill powered by a water wheel until the 1840s when weaving sheds were added, along with weaving sheds for the production of cotton cloth.

Manufacturing ceased in 1890, then in the early 1900s, the mill was converted into an 'Entertainment Emporium' with a skating rink and dance floor. This continued until 1945, when the building was left to stand empty until it was bought by the National Trust in 1950, along with the surrounding Hardcastle Crags, and restored as a museum.

 

Distance: 5.5 miles

Ascent: 750 ft

Walking: Andrew & Gaynor

Weather: Overcast with sunny spells

OS Map: OL21 - South Pennines

Starting point: National trust car park on Midgehole Road, Hebden Bridge.

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

Back to Hardcastle Crags after only two weeks, we are determined to make the most of our National Trust membership this year.

This time, we decided to do a longer, more challenging walk than the other week and continue up the hill past the crags and on up to Walshaw. It turned out to be more challenging than we expected. Despite the relatively low elevation gain quoted on the route card we used, the first three quarters of the walk are virtually all uphill, steeply in places and it really took it out of us. Some great views though and the sun put in an appearance for the last half.

Setting off along Hebden Dale

Hebden Water

Foul Hill

These tree trunks tethered across Hebden Water are designed to catch debris and slow the flow of the water, hopefully helping to prevent flooding further downstream in Hebden Bridge

Gibson Mill. The striped canopy is a recreation of the refreshment stand that stood there when it was a working mill

The finger sign says "To the Crags". Personally I think they should add at least a couple of exclamation marks - To the Crags!!!!!

One of the crags. The walker at the top looked to be struggling to find a way down. We pretended not to notice and carried on 😬

Walshaw Wood

Walled lane at Walshaw

Heading up Shackleton Knoll

Looking back over Hebden Dale and Walshaw from Shackleton Knoll

Heptonstall and Stoodley Pike in the distance

Heading down towards Crimsworth Dean at Coppy

Coppy

The view across Crimsworth Dean to Gib

Ruined farmhouse at Nook

Crimsworth Dean

Hollin Hall