3 Mile Circular Walk - Ogden Water | Ovenden Moor

Distance: 3.3 miles

Ascent: 400 ft

Walking: Andrew & Gaynor

Weather: Cloudy, cool

OS Map: OL21 - South Pennines

Parking: Ogden Water Country Park, Ogden Lane, Halifax HX2 8XZ

Photography: Andrew using Nikon D610 / Sigma 10-20 mm f4-5.6

A very popular walk, well known locally, starting in the woods next to Ogden Water then out onto Ovenden Moor, passing close to a large wind farm. 

There are loads of different walks starting from Ogden Water, from an easily accessible short circuit of the reservoir to full day explorations of the surrounding countryside. We arrived early to make sure we got a parking space because it is always busy, even in winter.

Leaving the car park, we walked down into the wood as far as the bridge at the bottom end of the reservoir, then followed the stream up Great Scar, past some old quarry workings and a couple of small waterfalls. 

Emerging from the wood, the narrow path up onto the moors was very muddy and slippery and, in places, had fallen away to the stream below, making it quite difficult to negotiate. We decided to cross over one of the small wooden bridges and take the lower path at the other side. This led to a point where we had to cross back over the stream via some very slippery stones but, thankfully, we managed to stay on our feet.

We eventually reached a set of weirs, where we took the lefthand path up a flight of rough steps onto Ovenden Moor. This is where the mud really started. At the top of the steps, the stile was area of mud and we decided to take the easier route and step over the low fence.

It wasn't until we reached the very top of the hill, close to one of the huge wind turbines, that it became more stable underfoot. By this time we were both beginning to feel like we'd done a walk, even though we'd only gone a mile and a half. The turbines were turning very slowly in the gentle breeze as we passed and making a constant low humming noise. They are quite a landmark locally and can be seen from miles away (including from our bedroom window).

After crossing the bridge (or is it a dam?) over Skirden Beck, the path joins a more substantial track which heads back down the hill to the dam on Ogden Water. This appears to have been constructed to transport stone from the quarries on the moor down to build the dam. Despite its appearance, it's actually quite rough and tricky underfoot and over the years a path has been worn at the side of it by people who found it hard on their feet and ankles. It's quite a long drag down the hill and we were glad we hadn't done the walk in the opposite direction. The views over Halifax Golf Club towards the town are worth the effort though and it's great to see the thousands of trees that have been planted on the hillsides.

Back at the reservoir, there was plenty of birdlife to see, mainly seagulls, admittedly, so watch your chips!

Overall, an enjoyable walk with a variety of landscapes and some great views. The path is a bit tricky in places at this time of year but well worth persevering.

CLICK HERE to see a 9.5 mile walk I did from Ogden with Tim & Mark in August.

7 Mile Circular Walk - Stanbury | Top Withens | Alcomden Stones | Ponden Clough | Ponden Kirk | Ponden Reservoir

 

Distance: 6.7 miles

Ascent: 984 ft

Walking: Andrew & Mark

Weather: Cloudy, sunny spells, cool

OS Map: OL21 South Pennines

Parking: Colne Road, Stanbury

Pork pies: Keelham Farm Shop, Skipton

Photography: Andrew using Nikon D610 / Nikon 24-70 mm f2.8

This is a moderate 6.7 mile walk over open moorland, including the ruins of Top Withens Farm (believed to be the inspiration for the location of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights), Alcomden Stones and towering escarpment of Ponden Kirk.

We parked at the Bus terminus on the edge of Stanbury but made the mistake of arriving just as the kids were being dropped off at school and, in the space of a couple of minutes, it went from secluded country lane to rush hour at Piccadilly Circus. Note to self....

The walk began with a steady 1.75 mile gentle uphill stroll, with a couple of steeper bits, to the famous ruined farm of Top Withens. It can get quite busy there because of the links to Wuthering Heights, in fact it is said to be the only tourist attraction in the UK where the signs are in Japanese. The ruins themselves are not that impressive but the location is incredible and your destination can be seen in the distance for most of the walk up to it. I've spent many happy hours up there admiring the views and wildlife, particularly this year when I've had a bit more spare time than usual.

After a short stop, we headed up Delph Hill behind the farm where I was surprised to see the heather was still flowering, albeit a bit past it's best. We reached the trig point on the summit and turned to continue on to Alcomden Stones, a short distance to the west. This cluster of rocks sits just below the top of the hill and has great views over the nearby borders into Calderdale and Lancashire and, in the opposite direction, towards Oakworth. This was the obvious place for a pie stop and for Mark to take the usual standing-on-a-big-rock selfies. 

This week's pies were a bit disappointing, to be honest. The meat filling was great but they were in a foil dish, which seemed a bit odd, and the pastry was very greasy. All the ones we've had on previous walks scored 5/5 but these were definitely only a 3/5.

Our intention, like the two ladies who passed us while we were eating, was to follow the boundary line with Calderdale district north east across Middle Moor Flat and up to the summit of Crow Hill but there is no established path and the ground was extremely boggy after recent rains, so we decided to retrace our steps to Alcomden Stones then follow the path along the line of grouse shooting butts down Middle Moor Clough (which also proved to be pretty boggy). The ladies who'd passed us earlier could be seen silhouetted on the horizon at the top of Crow Hill, so their navigation skills were clearly better than ours.

The path eventually reaches Ponden Clough, where the stream drops steeply down quite a distance and the views across to Haworth are spectacular. There is a choice of paths at this point and Mark decided to take the upper one and I descended the tricky, uneven steps which follow the stream to the bottom of the escarpment. Mark's route took him over the top of Ponden Kirk, a rocky outcrop which was immortalised by Emily Bronte as Penistone Crag. Local legend has it that anyone who crawls through the hole in the rock, known as the Fairy Cave, will be married within the year, always assuming they manage not to fall down the umpteen foot sheer drop that awaits them as they exit at the far side.

Our paths converged a short distance further on and we headed on towards Ponden Reservoir, passing the beautiful Ponden Hall (currently up for sale, if you have £1,000,000 to spare), which also appears in Wuthering Heights as Thrushcross Grange, and then back up the hill to Stanbury.