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.

 

4 Mile Walk Around St Ives Estate, Bingley

Distance: 3.7 miles

Walking: Andrew & Gaynor

Weather: Sunny

OS Map: OL21 - South Pennines

Parking: Blind Lane car park

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

A favourite place for us to walk. The huge amount of different woodland paths and variety of views allow the visitor to wander without pre-planning a route. 

The sprawling estate has been owned by Bradford City Council since 1929, with a golf course being added in the 1930s, and was opened to the public in 1974. It was originally the grounds of a mansion owned by the Ferrand family and this Grade II listed building, along with others on the estate, are currently being restored and converted into residences and business units.

Cow parsley or, if like me you come from Northamptonshire, keck. When we were kids we used to make whistles and pea shooters from the hollow stems. The smell of the stuff takes me right back.

A lovely old yew tree marks a parting of the ways. We went right.

Bluebells at the end of May. The cold winter and early spring have led to a lot of stuff flowering together that would normally be weeks apart

Copper beech

There are loads of really old rhododendrons here and they were pretty much at their peak today

This one was particularly beautiful and quite unusual

Coppice Pond. Note the cygnets

A huge copper beech that glowed in the sunlight

Fresh beech leaves

Look closely and you'll see a great spotted woodpecker

A massive old oak tree

Greater stitchwort, also known as Star of Bethlehem or popgun because of the way it's seed pods burst open with a pop to disperse the seeds.

Hawthorn blossom, also known as May blossom for obvious reasons. It is a pagan symbol of fertility, although it is believed that if you take hawthorn into your house, it will be followed by illness and death. Probably best not to in that case. The old saying "Ne'er cast a clout 'til May is out" refers to the hawthorn coming into flower, not the end of the month as many people believe.