Gyrn and Moel Wnion from Abergwngregn

Posted on March 25, 2026 by ms6282

The end of a busy week; last Saturday I set off early and set off for North Wales for a walk I’d planned in the northern Carneddau from Abergwngregyn. This range of quiet hills and mountains in northern Eryri (Snowdonia) has become a favourite the last few years. The routes published in guidebooks are fairly limited but the OS map suggested that there were other ways to get amongst them. I recently came across Hilary Pullen’s website (Nearly Uphill) and associated Youtube channel that has a number of routes up from the northern side of the range. One of them went up two lesser peaks to the south west of Abergwyngregyn and that’s what I was going to (more or less) follow. I was tempted by another slightly more challenging route going higher up from the same starting point, but I’m not that “fell fit” at the moment.

It was a sunny day, but longer range visibility was poor, which was disappointing, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the walk.

I parked up in the free car park on the edge of the village, booted up and set off. Abergwngregyn is something of a “honeypot” destination due to its proximity to the Aber Falls (Rhaeadr Fawr and Rhaeadr Bach). The village itself isn’t very “chocolate box” and most visitors just pass through on their way to the falls. Most people park in the car parks at the other side of the village, closer to the falls, but the free car park was about half full when I arrived.

I set off through the village until I reached the sign post for the North Wales Coast path. I wondered whether I’d see any of the semi-wild ponies that live up on the Carneddau mountain sides during my walk.

A steep climb up the hillside then ensued.

At the top of the climb there are outstanding views of the mountains and over the sea. The haze restricted what I could see but I could still just about make out Anglesey over the Menai Straits.

Initially I was following the high level route to the falls on the west side of the valley bu just after the power lines I turned right up a path that headed up the hill

until it reached a ladder stile, the other side of which was Buarth Newydd, one of multi-cellular sheep folds that are characteristic of the Carneddau uplands.

I was on a broad path now, probably reflecting its use by the sheep farmers, which contoured along the side of the hill above the valley.

There was a good view towards the mountains and I could just about make out the waterfalls through the haze.

Then I spotted a small group of three ponies, including a foal, up on the hillside a little way above the path.

The path descended and then climbed back up the valley. However, it was no longer broad and easy to see and I lost it for a while, making my own way through the rough ground, climbing gradually up hill until I reached a clear path higher up on a broad boggy plateau from where I could clearly see my first objective, the modest hill of Gyrn. There was a large sheepfold at the foot of the hill.

Reaching the hill I met another walker (a rare beast up here) who was taking a break sitting on a rock. I stopped to chat. He was a local and he kindly told me how to correctly pronounce the names of some of the landmarks. I then carried on, climbing up the hill, which was covered with scattered rocks, so I had to tread carefully.

There was shelter on the top of the hill, but on a fine day I didn’t need to use it while I took a break and ate my dinner.

The summit of this modest hill, standing alone on the plateau is an outstanding viewpoint. Despite the haze I could make out most of the high peaks of the Carneddauand the Glyyderau, and I was pretty sure I could see Snowdon too.

Looking north and west, there were no high peaks so I could see right down to the coast and Anglesey (Ynys Mon).

My next objective, Moel Wnion, which, at 1903 ft is just short of qualifying for the title of a mountain, was directly north, and I could see a herd of ponies scattered across the hill side.

Descending, I had a good view of the sheepfold, Buarthau’r Gyrn.

These sheepfolds up in the Carneddau are used when a number of farmers gather them for shearing or other purposes, usually three times a year. Each farmer has their own cell in the fold but they work together to bring sheep into a large gathering pen and then into a dividing pens for sorting. After identifying their own sheep through markings or clustnodau, a specific pattern of cuts on their ear, they move them into their own cell. There’s further details here if you’re interested.

After crossing the boggy ground between the two hills (it wasn’t too bad underfoot after a week of dry, sunny weather) I climbed steadily to the the summit of Moel Wnion.

There was a shelter on the summit, inside of which there was a damaged trig column. The top of it lying on the floor just outside the shelter.

More good views, including over to Bera Fawr and Bera Mawr to the east.

I didn’t dally too long up here but started to make my way down the hill

passing close to another small herd of ponies.

The views ahead, now, were dominated by the sea, rather than the mountains.

When researching this route on Hilary Pullen’s website, her report noted that a gate which a path shown on the OS map passed through, was locked. (The path wasn’t marked as a right of way so the farmer probably had the right to do this, even though that seemed rather mean of him). I’d plotted a route using the OS maps app that avoided it and reaching the power lines I turned left heading downhill (passing more ponies!) towards a different gate.

Guess what – this was also locked. So I dithered around a little looking for another option wondering whether I’d misread the map and had missed the right gate. Not seeing anything obvious, after a while I consulted the map (should have done that straight away, really) and saw that there was a right of way further down the hill, so I made my way to that and was able to go through an unlocked gate, follow the path through a field and then join the North Wales Path heading back towards Aber.

Rather than descend into Aber the way I’d come up, I follwed a track that descended more gradually off the hill

and then through fields and past the church on the edge of the village and then back to my car ready for the drive home.

Hardcastle Crags and Crimsworth Dean

Posted on March 22, 2026 by ms6282

Last Tuesday I was on the train again, this time to Hebden Bridge. I planned a walk from the station up through Hardcastle Crags, across the moors and down to Crimsworth Dean.

Looking back at my blog I realised that it was a couple of months short of 10 years since I last visited the National Trust owned deep wooded valley.

Leaving the town centre I found myself climbing up a very steep residential street up on the west side of the valley before turning off on a path through the woods, climbing and then descending gradually down towards the start of Hardcastle Crags.

Looking down on Hebden Bridge from the hillside.

On the way along the woodland paths I passed a number of houses. An ideal location with views across the valley, I think that, in the past, their residents would have had a hard life stuck up here without the services (piped water, electricity, gas, sewage) that we take for granted these days. They’re not so far from the town, but it’s not the easiest of walks to get there and back..

I carried on through the woods down to the river, passing the Blue Pig and crossing over the old bridge and over to the carpark and start of Hardcastle Crags.

There’s a network of paths criss-crossing the woodlands and I weedled along making my way down to a path on the north side of the river.

At several points the river can be crossed using stepping stones although the two sets I passed both had stones out of position, which would make using them a little hazardous.

Eventually I arrived at Gibson Mill, about half a mile along the valley, which was built around 1800. The National Trust website tells us

Gibson Mill was first built in 1803 to harness the power of Hebden Water to spin cotton. Later in the 19th century, the tranquil setting of the surrounding Hardcastle Crags valley saw the mill reinvented as a popular entertainment destination that attracted locals and day-trippers to spend time away from hard-working lives. This role continues today under the care of the National Trust.

The main structure was built between 1800 and 1803 for local farmer and textile manufacturer Abraham Gibson (1745-1834). Officially named Lord Holme Mill (for reasons that remain unclear), the site was next to the river on flat land below Gibson’s house at Greenwood Lee. The river provided power to drive the new cotton spinning machinery he installed in 1805. The finished yarn was probably supplied mainly to local weavers making fustian (a type of heavy-duty cotton cloth used for clothing), a Hebden Bridge speciality.

By now I was brasting for a brew, but to my great disappointment the cafe at the Mill was closed. I subsequently discovered that it’s only open from April to Noember. Oh well, a drink of water had to do.

I carried on along the track and then turned off the path that climber up to the top of the millstone grit outcrops that give the Crags their name.

I had to take care walking along the narrow, uneven track along the crags

from where there were good views across the wooded valley to the surrounding moorland.

I couldn’t see a way down from the end of the crags where I wouldn’t risk breaking my neck, so I retraced my steps and went back down the way I’d come up.

I could have taken a path through the woods down to the river and returned to the mill on the opposite bank. However, I’d planned to return to Hebden Bridge via Crimsworth Dean so carried on along the track, climbing up to a minor road from where there were views across to the lonely moorland, beloved of the Brontës and currently threatened by the development of what could potentially be the largest windfarm in England. I’ve summarised the issues in a previous blog post.

I carried on along the road for about half a mile before turning up a path that would take me across the moor to Crimsworth Dean, another deep valley leading down towards Hebden Bridge.

There were now a number of options I could take. When I went down the Dean as part of a walk last year, I took the lower path on the west side of the valley. This time I decided to take the higher track.

The view across the valley at the start of my descent.

I ended up by the Hardcastle Crags car park.

The poet, Ted Hughes, who was born and grew up in Mytholmroyd, and, with his brother, came camping in the Dean. A series of walks, Discovering Ted Hughes’s Yorkshire, with downloadable maps by Christopher Godhard, have been devised including one around Crimsworth Dean which provides another good option for a walk from Hebden Bridge.

I crossed the river and took the riverside path route along the north bank (you have to walk on the road for a little while for part of this route) avoiding another steep climb and descent.

Reaching the town I had time to buy a couple of cold drinks from the Co-op, browse in the independent bookshop and enjoy the late afternoon sunshine, before catching the 5:10 train back to Wigan.

A walk from Stalybridge with the Lancashire Rail Ramblers

Posted on March 15, 2026 by ms6282

Yesterday (Saturday) I was out for my second walk with the Lancashire Railway Ramblers. This time the walks were between Stalybridge and Greenfield so I was able to catch the direct train to the former from Wigan Wallgate. there were several other members of the Wigan Ramblers taking the train too so I was able to relax and enjoy chatting with them both before and after the walk. The forecast was good and although the air temperature wasn’t so high it was warm whenever the sun emerged from behind the clouds.

I chose to take the shorter and less demanding of the two walks on offer. We started at Stalybridge and made our way to Greenfield where we caught the train back to Stalybridge. The longer walk started at Greenfield and the route was largely over ground that I’d already traversed. I also fancied a more relaxed walking pace and an opportunity to chat with the Wigan crew and, hopefully, get to know some new people.

Here’s a group shot taken at the station before we set off.

651181162_26365659103057431_6543962974037957249_n — Photo from the Lancashire Rail Ramblers Facebook page

The start of the walk took us through a very pleasant park just a short distance from the train station, landscaped in a way that felt like being out in the countryside.

We then passed the large boating lakes.

We were soon out on paths through the fields and most of the route was then on paths and country lanes through a broad thread of countryside between fairly populous settlements.. Not surprisingly, there was quite a lot of mud about but we managed to traverse it without too much trouble, although the slippery surface meant we had to be careful when going up and down hill.

The path went through somebody’s garden here! After the wells in Silverdale last week here’s another one, although clearly ornamental rather than a real one.

Our route skirted the very edge of Ashton-Under-Lyne, passed through Knott Hill nature Reserve and then climbed up Hartshead Pike, where we stopped for our lunch break. The tower provide some shelter from the cold wind for a few of us who managed to take advantage of it.

There were views in every direction; over the plain to Manchester and Oldham and, in the other direction, across to the moors in the east. I have had enough of looking at the sprouting towers of Manc-hatten over the last few years, and concentrated my gaze on the moorland.

Reinvigorated we resumed the walk, starting by descending the Pike and then following a ridge of land above Mossley, where we passed a cross erected in 1994 by a group of churches from the small town.

We descended from the higher ground and after a short stretch of road walking climbed another hill. On the way up we were hit by a hail shower which swept in from the north. Fortunately the hailstones were small and the shower didn’t last long.

We then had to descend again, taking us into the small settlement of former home textile workers houses

where we crossed the border into Saddleworth. The boundary stone marked the former boundary between Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire. The area is now all in Greater Manchester, although many Saddlewrth residents don’t recognise that. I can sympathise. I’m adamant that Wigan is in Lancashire (although I’m happy to take advantage of some benefits of Greater Manchester, such as the rail and tram add on to my bus pass 😂).

We took a track down to the canal and then followed the tow path to Greenfield and then made our way to the station. We arrived in plenty of time for the next train which would take us to Stalybridge for our connection to Wigan

I’d enjoyed the walk of about 8.5 miles (I’d forgotten to start my tracker before we left the station so the stats below are a slight representation of the route) and had got to know several people from the group who I hadn’t met before. The Rail Ramblers have a quite full programme of walks planned across the North West and West Yorkshire. I’ll hopefully get out with them again soon.

A walk around Silverdale with the Ramblers

Posted on March 12, 2026 by ms6282

The first Saturday of the month meant that there was a Wigan Ramblers “coach walk”. This time our destination was Silverdale. I’ve been going up to this quiet area on the borderlands of Lancashire and Cumbria for many years, but other than walking along the coast from Silverdale, I’ve mainly defaulted to routes centred on Arnside, so the walk last Saturday took me to some places I’d been meaning to walk for some time. That’s one of the advantages of letting someone else work out a route.

The M6 was closed near Preston, so our driver had to divert via the M61, which meant we were a little later than planned arriving in the village, but we still had time at the end for a visit to the pub.

We set off heading south along a quiet lane, passing passing Lindeth Tower which, was used by the author, Elizabeth Gaskell who wrote one of her novels, Ruth.

A little further on we could see Walduck’s Wall, jutting out into the Bay. It’s the remains of an aborted attempt to reclaim an area of land from the Bay in the late 1870’s.

After passing Jenny Brown’s Cottages,

we joined the coastal path a little further along, at Jenny Brown’s Point.

We made our way towards the tower, which rather resembles a lighthouse. It’s not, of course but was part of a copper smelting furnace dating back to the 1790s.

A short distance after the lighthouse we left the coastal path, climbing steeply up hill and then made our way through pleasant woodland to Wood Well, where we stopped for our dinner. This is one of the “Wells of Silverdale”. This is limestone country and with the rock which means water doesn’t stay on the surface but makes its way underground. The limestone, however, is underlain by non-porous rock and can re-emerge in springs or be “tapped” with a pump. The locals in the past created storage tanks for water that they could then use for their animals and for domestic use until water was piped in from Thirlmere in 1938.

This was the first well that we encountered during the walk. Although our route wasn’t specifically based around them, we passed several others. My “bloggy friend”, Bowland Climber, has done a walk around the wells with some friends in 2023, and Arnside and Silverdale Landscape Trust also organise guided walks around the wells. It would be interesting to sign up for one of them.

Here, the water emerges from the crack at the bottom of the rock face and is collected in the large tank. I wasn’t tempted to take a drink!

Re-energised after a break and a bite to eat, we carried on through woodland, fields and a stretch of a quiet minor road

Passing another storage tank (Burton Well).

and an old hand pump at Dogslack well.

We weedled around until we reached the car park at the bottom of King Williams Hill, when we made our way upwards towards the Pepperpot.

I’ve seen this tower many times in posts by Mark of Beating the Bounds and Andy of Surfnslide. I’ve been meaning to go and have a look at it for ages but have never got round to it, so I was pleased to have finally made it.

The tower commemorates Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee and was constructed by local builder Mr Bowskill in 1887. It’s “proper” name if the Queen Victoria Jubilee Monument, but everyone calls it the Pepperpot due to its shape.

There were good views over the Bay.

We descended the way we went up and then at the bottom of the hill made our way to The Cove where we stopped to take in the view. It was sunny when we set off on our walk but the cloud had drifted in during the day. However the light over the sea (the tide had come in during our walk) was amazing, turning the sea a milky colour. My photos really don’t do it justice.

From the Cove we made our way through a field on towards the Silverdale Hotel for refreshments before the journey home.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/85478582@N00/55142483522/in/album-72177720332410927

A walk to the Bridestones

Posted on March 10, 2026 by ms6282

Last Tuesday I took the train to Todmorden for a walk up to Bride stones. It was a fine day which seemed to signal the start of Spring; perfect weather for a walk on the moors.

Looking across the town towards Stoodley Pike. I was up there a few weeks ago.

Leaving the train station I climbed steeply up the hill on a quiet road on the south side of the river, before turning down a path above Centre Vale Park, called Lovers Lane.

The path climbed along the flanks of the hill before descending gradually back down to another narrow road leading to the main road along the valley. I walked along the road before turning up a lane that climbed steeply up the hill towards the moors.

There are several groups of millstone outcrops and boulders up on the moor. This was my view towards the Orchan rocks when I stopped part way up my climb for a bite to eat (and a rest – I’m definitely not “fell fit” at the moment).

Stannally Farm – one of the numerous farms scattered across the moor. Many of them, like this one, have been renovated and modernised. at one time they were occupied by farmers who participated in the “dual economy” of raising animals and producing products for the textile industry

Looking back I had a good view of the moors on the south side of the valley.

Eventually the Bridestones came into view; a collection of Millstone Grit rock formations, which stretches for about half a mile along the ridge. The rocks have been eroded by the windblown sand and grit and driving rain, creating weird and wonderful shapes.

It’s a popular spot up here – it’s possible to park up on Eastwood Road that runs high up on the moor just a short distance to the north of the rocks, and there were a few other visitors providing some sense of scale for my photos!

The formations are, not surprisingly, similar to those on Blackstone Edge, which is only a few miles away.

The Bottleneck Bride, after which the Bride Stones are named, is a large boulder precariously perched on a narrow neck of rock. At one time “her” groom stood close by, but today “he” lies on the ground next to her having fallen over some time in the past. One day she will no doubt join him due to the continued erosion.

This post provides some interesting background on the history legends surrounding the stones.

leaving the stones I cut across the moor until I reached the a track and started my descent down the hill. There were good views across the moors to other hills including Stoodley Pike

About half way down I reached the Wizard of Whirlaw, which stands at an intersection of paths and tracks, including the the Todmorden Centenary Way.

The sculpture may have been inspired by the novel of the same name, published in 1959, written by William (Billy) Holt, a well known character round these parts.

I carried on down the hill over fields and along quiet tracks and lanes enjoying the peace and quiet, the pleasant weather and great views.

Towards the bottom of the hill I reached the start of the town and passed a privately owned historic and Grade II* listed building, It was once the residence of the Yorkshire MP Joshua Fielden which is now divided into private residential apartments. (Information from Wikipedia)

Dropping down to the main road along the Calder Valley, rather than return to the station via the main road, I decided to join the canal towpath.

Reaching the station, I didn’t have too long to wait on the platform for a train back to Wigan.

A walk on the Furness Peninsula with the Lancashire Rail Ramblers

Posted on February 16, 2026 by ms6282

Through the Wigan branch of the Ramblers I’ve learned of other walking groups in the area and one that struck my fancy was the Lancashire Rail Ramblers who organise walks utilising – surprise, surprise – the rail network. I finally got round to joining one of their works last Saturday. I’m quite keen on restricting my car use and travelling by public transport, and the walks programme looked interesting, so, appropriately for Valentines Day this sounded like a “marriage made in heaven”.

There were two walks on the programme, setting out from Ulverston and then heading to Dalton-in -Furness to catch the return train. One was a 12 mile walk described as “moderately strenuous” while the other one was “moderately easy” and about 8 miles.

When I arrived at Wigan North Western Station there seemed to be some chaos on the railways with lots of trains in both directions running late. However, my London to Glasgow Avanti train came in more or less on schedule. I arrived at Lancaster in good time for the connection to Ulverston. Changing platforms, I bumped into another person with a rucksack who was also joining the Rail Ramblers, so we travelled together. I then spotted four members of the Wigan Ramblers group, but it turned out they were off to Silverdale to “recce” a walk.

When the train drew out of the station there were plenty of passengers wearing walking gear, all spurred on by the promise of some decent weather after a few weeks of misery, who disembarked at various stations along the route. However, when we arrived at Ulverston there were only 7 walkers who descended to the platform. It transpired that most of the group were on a train that was running late and missed the connection at Lancaster. We had another hour to wait for them. Two walkers decided to head off on their own but the rest of us, rather than wait on the station, set of into the town centre to get a coffee. On the way we passed the statue of Laurel and Hardy, the former having been born in the town.

When we returned to the station we didn’t have long to wait for the rest of the group to arrive, including one familiar face from the Wigan group. It was decision time now – which walk to join? I wasn’t sure about the likely pace of the group going on the long walk. I was concerned that they might be “athletes” and I’d be lagging at the back. So, initially I thought I might go on the shorter, less strenuous walk. However, at the last minute, I decided to chance it and go on the longer one. The lost hour meant that a decision had to be taken during the walk about whether to curtail the route, otherwise the pace would have to be upped to make sure the group would catch the train at 5 o’clock at Dalton. As it happened, the latter option was taken, but I managed to keep up OK.

We set off back through the town, joining the Cumbria Way, which we followed for a few miles.

The ground was muddy and slippy in places, but overall conditions underfoot were much better than the walk the previous week from Audlem.

Looking across to our right we could see a lighthouse up on a hill. This can be seen from all around the Ulverston area. It might a strange place for a lighthouse, and it is, but it isn’t one! It’s actually a 100 foot high monument, built in 1850 by public subscription,as a memorial for a local notable, for Sir John Barrow. It stands on the 450 ft high summit of Hoad Hill, and is a Grade II* listed building.

Snowdrops starting to bloom gave a hint that, despite recent weather, Spring wasn’t too far off.

It wasn’t long before the snow covered fells came into view.

During the walk we had views of the Lakeland Fells, Ingleborough and some of the other high hills in the Yorkshire Dales, Morecambe Day, the Duddon Estuary, the Irish Sea and even a glimpse of the Isle of man.

Zooming in we could just make out Coniston Water too.

After a brief lunch break – time was pressing if we were to make the 5 o’clock train – we carried on climbing up on to the fell. The weather was now starting to come in from the west.

At the summit of the walk, where we had views ahead towards Black Combe and the Duddon estuary, there was a little snow on the ground. We could see rain coming in.

As we turned south down the path to start the second leg heading towards Dalton, snow began to fall. Fortunately it didn’t last too long as we still had more than half the walk ahead of us, over moorland, passing by wind farms and two reservoirs and along country lanes.

I spent most of the rest of the walk talking and getting to know other members of the group and so didn’t take any more pictures. We also had to pick up the pace a little if we were going to catch that train. I’m glad to say we made with about 10 minutes to spare. The shorter route group were waiting on the platform. They’d arrived almost an hour earlier, just in time to see the 4 o’clock train pulling out of the station!

The return journey went to plan. I changed at Preston and only had a 10 minute wait for the Avanti train – next stop Wigan North Western.

I enjoyed the walk. Given the weather forecast, I bet the Lake District was bursting at the seams, but, although we did see a few other walkers, Furness, being outside the National Park is a little off the beaten track and was very quiet. I hadn’t done a 12 miler for some time (boosted by another 3 miles to and from the train station in Wigan and the diversion into Ulverston) so was tired by the time I got home. I needed a couple of days to recover!

Stoodley Pike from Todmorden

Posted on January 19, 2026 by ms6282

Now I have more free time I keep an eye on the weather forecast and look out for a decent day for a longer walk. There’s not been so many of those lately (well, it is January) but Thursday looked promising, so I decided to catch the train to Todmorden.

I left home under a gloomy sky but by the time I arrived the cloud had burned off and I was greeted with a blue sky and sunshine, albeit with some cloud hanging around. I’d originally planned on going up the moors to the north west of the town, up to the Bride Stones, but looking north east I could see the monument atop of Stoodley Pike and was tempted to change my route and head up there. Although I’ve climbed this hill quite a few times now, I’ve mainly been up from Hebden Bridge and only once from Todmorden. Then I’d gone up via the Calderdale Way but this time I decided on a different route, following the canal before climbing up to the small village / hamlet of Mankinholes and then onwards up onto the moors. There were several options for the return journey.

I’d been a little late getting up so took a later train than planned, which, given the early sunset (about half four) , meant I had to keep an eye on the time so that I didn’t end up being on the moors in the dark. However, I reckoned I’d be able to make it back in time.

Walking along the towpath I was soon out of the town and starting to walk in more open countryside. An easy walk of about 5 miles would have taken me to Hebden Bridge but my route would leave the canal after a couple of miles.

In the Calderdale there’s plenty of reminders of its industrial past and heritage. This old mill looked like it had been converted into flats.

As I was late setting off, I hadn’t made up a flask of coffee and, on a sunny, but still chilly day, was beginning to regret that. However, I’d spotted a couple of people walking towards me on the towpath clutching takeaway coffee cups and, sure enough soon came across the Moonbean Coffee Boat, moored up on the canal. So, of course, I had to stop to give myself a caffeine boost! I bought an Americano and sat down to drink it, taking the opportunity to eat one of my sandwiches while I chatted with Molly, the barista, and one of her customers. The boat travels up and down the Rochdale canal, mooring up for a few days at different locations, which Molly (who lives on a narrowboat) publicises via Instagram and Facebook. (It was good coffee too).

Just after the coffee boat, I left the canal at the next bridge and started the climb up the hill out of the valley. After a stretch of steep tarmac, there was a clear path through the fields and woodland. Inevitably it was a little muddy underfoot, but not too bad. This is the view looking back down to the canal, from part way up the hill.

At the top of the hill the path levelled off, proceeding in a fenced passage between fields along a paved causey . The paving stones were in the centre of the passage what, in Cumbria, they would call a lonning. This was clearly an old, established route. It was possibly part of a packhorse or maybe just the way locals made their way across what would have been boggy ground, going to and from their work in the mills or otherwise travelling up and down the countryside. The paving was deteriorating, with some of the paving stones dislodged or missing. The ground to either side was broken up and muddy due to the passage of farm animals, and most of the paving stones were covered in mud, so care was needed to keep my eyes on the ground so as not to slip. However, I couldn’t resist casting my eyes over to the moors.

The route reached a farm and a small hamlet and then joined the narrow road towards mankinholes.

In a field to the right of the road I spotted what looked like an ancient cross, probably medieval. However, I haven’t been able to find any information about it. It wasn’t accessible by a right of way so I couldn’t get close up to it.

After a mile or so I reached Mankinholes, passing the Youth Hostel.

The hamlet is an old settlement, probably with originns in the 13th Century. Today it consists of a small number of 17 and 18th century buildings, nicely restored, once occupied by agricultrural workers and hand loom weavers.

The houses have the typical rows of mullioned windows that allowed maximum light into the first floor work rooms for hand loom weavers and home spinners.

An old, very long, trough, still fed by a stream, which would have been used to slake the thirst of packhorses passing through the hamlet and also for cooling milk churns.

I took a broad path between the fields until I reached another causey that climbs up towards the moor. At one time this was a major route and stone flags had been laid down to make the going easier for the pack horses and ponies. The flags were well worn indicating their age and the number of feet – human as well as animal – that had made their way up and down the hill. Now it was my turn!

The causey took me most of the way up the moor, although I turned off it towards the top onto a well defined path for the last stretch. I then started towards the monument. There was a broad path (the Pennine Way crosses along here) but at first this was very muddy so I dodged between rocks and muddy patches to keep my boots relatively dry. After a while, the condition of the main path improved, the surface covered by grit that had probably been worn away by the weather from the millstone grit rocks and boulders that litter the ground along the moor. There was a cold wind blowing from the south, behind me, but I was well wrapped up. Reaching the monument I stopped for a while to take in the views and re-fuel, the monument providing some relief from the cold wind (a flask of coffee would have been nice!)

This was the view west towards Bridestones Moor and with Todmorden to the far left.

The view north across the moor towards Hebden Bridge with Heptonstal and Chiserley visible on the higher ground. I now had a decision to make regarding my route back. I thought about carrying on to Hebden Bridge, but having walked to the Pike to and from the town a number of times I fancied something different. One option was to drop down Pikeand then take the Pennine Bridleway route that passes southwards along the foot of the hill. However, I knew from previous experience that the track can be very muddy with deep puddles in winter. So, given the time restriction to avoid having to walk back across country in the dark, I decided to retrace my tracks back along the ridge and descend down the causey, heading towards Lumbutts.

At the bottom of the hill I joined the road across from the double decker chapel. It was only constructed in 1911, replacing an earlier building. The ground floor was used for the Sunday School with the main chapel above it.

I carried on along the road towards Lumbutts village passing the site of the old textile mill. Most of the mill buildings except for this unusual tower The mill was water powered and the tower contained three water wheels, one on top of the other, powered from lodges (small reservoirs) on the hills above.

Following the route of the Calderdale Way, I carried on along the road through the village then joining paths through the fields that would take me back to Todmorden. I passed a number of old, traditional houses which are now expensive, desirable residences

Looking back, as sunset was approaching, Stoodley Pike was lit up by the low sun.

I carried on along the Calderdale way through fields and along a country lane, eventually arriving at the small former textile town down in the bottom of the narrow valley.

Crossing over the Rochdale canal, I popped down onto the towpath

and some of the narrowboats moored up along the canal side.

Returning to street level, I headed towards the station. Historically, although now part of West Yorkshire, Todmorden used to be split by the border between Lancashire and Yorkshire which ran along the Calder river. The neo-Classical Town Hall actually straddles the border.

There are two direct trains to Wigan from Todmorden, so I didn’t have long to wait for one on the platform. The sun set soon after.

Ramblers’ walk from Lytham to Blackpool

Posted on January 9, 2026 by ms6282

The first Saturday of 2026 I was out with the Ramblers for a walk along the coast from Lytham to Blackpool. We had a good day for it; cold and sunny with a bright blue sky, but walking along the beach there was a head wind, a northerly blasting us with sand (well, blasting is something of an exaggeration). It seems that it’s become a tradition for the Wigan and District Ramblers to walk along this section of coast for the first walk of the year, varying the route and direction from year to year.

The coach dropped the “long walk” group off near the Lytham windmill while those planning to walk the shorter route stayed on for a few more miles.

Initially, we turned inland to walk through Witch Wood that runs along the railway line for a mile or so. It’s obviously popular with locals, especially dog walkers as, on a fine day, there were plenty of people walking along the path in both directions, blowing away the cobwebs after the Christmas festivities.

Heather, one of the group, was keen to find the Witch’s grave – she’d been here a couple of times before and was unsuccessful, but this time managed to locate it. So this is where the witch was buried. The headstone doesn’t give anything away.

The Witch, was actually a horse, a favourite of the local big wigs, the Cliftons of nearby Lytham Hall, which fell and died in the wood on 5 January 1888.

Leaving the wood we made our way back to the coast by the boating lake. Nobody out on the water today!

We walked around the lake and a little further on along the prom we stopped for a break by the full sized Spitfire monument.

We had a considerably longer stop than planned as one of the group, wo really wasn’t up to the longer walk was well off the pace and was in danger of getting left behind. The group leader went back to talk to him and persuaded him to take a taxi to the end of the route. I think that was definitely the right decision.

We carried on now joining the route through the sandhills and along the beach to St Annes Pier.

It was busy with walkers.

On the Prom, just after the pier the Sunken Gardens, (also known as the Les Dawson Garden due to his statue located in the middle of the square) surrounded by sheltered benches, was the ideal spot to stop for our dinner out of the wind (and a quick visit to the loos on the pier – 20 p’s needed).

After a break we resumed our walk along the beach, head on into the wind, carrying on until we reached the Prom at Blackpool South Shore. The headwind made it a tougher walk than you’d think looking at the map and the fairly large group started to spread out. A couple of the group were starting to lag behind, and I hung back acting as an unofficial back marker to make sure they made it to rejoin the everyone else who waited at the start of the prom.

After regrouping, we carried on along the prom as far as the South Pier (Blackpool still has three of them) where we crossed the road to the facing pub where the short walk group had already just arrived.

We stayed in the pub for an hour or so before reboarding the coach which was parked up on the road nearby.

I’m not a great fan of Blackpool (unlike when I was young) which I find rather brassy and somewhat tacky. However Lytham and Saint Annes were always much more genteel and the coast along her (alongside the Ribble estuary at Lytham) is very pleasant and I enjoyed the walk. Relatively easy as it was essentially flat terrain, although the headwind and, in places, the loose sand underfoot, meant it waw a little more difficult than might first appear.

Ashurst Beacon from Appley Bridge

Posted on January 6, 2026 by ms6282

On the 2nd January I caught the train to Appley Bridge – a short ride of only 2 stops from Wigan – for a walk up to Ashurst Beacon. It wasn’t my first walk of the year as I’d been for a shortish wander in the Plantations on New Year’s Day. My walk took me from the village up to the top of the hill and then down to the canal for an easy stroll back to the station. It was a potentially muddy route but it was a cold, clear day so, higher up at least, the ground was hard underfoot, although it was muddy lower down for the final stretch to the canal, so I didn’t manage to avoid getting my boots dirty as well as the bottom of my trouser legs. I should have worn my gaiters to save some washing!

I crossed over the canal bridge and set off down the road.

Shortly after the bridge I could have taken the path through the fields but as that tends to be muddy even during fairly dry spells I carried on along the road, turning down Lees Lane before leaving the tarmac as I climbed up the hill.

Looking back across the fields as I climbed there were good views across to the West Lancashire Moors

I varied my route slightly from the other times I’d been up to the Beacon, and passed Stone Hall, a Grade 2 listed building, from the early 18th Century.

I carried on along the lane and turned off onto a path climbing along the edge of the fields that took me to Long Heys Lane, a narrow tarmacked road. A short walk on the tarmac, passing behind the now derelict Prince William. I used to bring visitors up to this former pub and restaurant when I had an office in Orrell, 2 or 3 miles away so I was sad to see it in such a poor condition. It was shut by the brewery (Robinsons) back in 2020. Another victim of the Covid lockdown, perhaps.

Turning of the road it was a short walk along to the Beacon.

The tower, a Grade 2 Listed Building, was built in 1798 for Sir William Ashurst as a watch tower to warn of a French invasion in the lead up to the Napoleonic War. before the trees were planted and grown there was a good view all around including to the coast at Liverpool and Southport. It’s likely that this was also the site of an earlier relay beacon from the Elizabethan period when there was a threat of invasion by an earlier enemy, the Spanish.

It was cold in the wind but I sheltered behind the structure for a bite to eat and a drink of hot Vimto from my flask. I got chatting with the father of a family, who used to come up as a boy.

The tower and it’s surroundings was left to Wigan Corporation in 1962 “for the enjoyment of the people of Wigan“. although it’s now in West Lancashire District (although one of the people of Wigan was there to enjoy it!). The plaque commemorating this, however, disappeared from the side of the tower some time ago.

Moving on, I descended down quiet lanes and paths towards the canal

with views across to the West Pennines (with Pendle Hill just visible)

and Parbold Hill across the Douglas Valley.

At the bottom of the hill there was a short walk along Lees Lane which I’d turned off to climb the hill, before I took a path towards the canal, part of it being rather slutchy.

The path crossed the River Douglas

just before I reached the Leeds Liverpool canal at Bridge 40.

I had a few options here but decided to take the easy route along the canal towpath back to Appley Bridge

I made my way back to the train station where I had a wait of about 20 minutes for my train.

A walk around Edale and Castleton

Posted on December 21, 2025 by ms6282

I’m getting a bit behind on writing up these posts despite supposedly having more time on my hands now. I like to keep on top of my write ups but it’s two weeks tomorrow since I took the train over to Edale for a pre-Christmas walk with my friend Jacqui. Ah well, better late than never.

We met up at Edale train station and then set off on a route that would take us up to Hollins Cross on the Great Ridge, make our way down to Castleton where we stopped at a cafe for some dinner before returning to Edale via the “old “broken road” and round Mam Tor. We were lucky with the weather. There was heavy rain the days before and after, but we managed to complete our walk just before the wet weather swept in.

It was a difficult route, missing out on the higher hills, but was a great opportunity to have a good chinwag. Here’s a few snaps.

Looking across Edale to Grindslow Knoll as we started to climb up to Hollins Cross

The view back down to Edale and the bulk of Kinder on the way up to Hollins Cross

Starting the descent from Hollins Cross, looking down to Castleton (on the left) with Winnats Pass just visible to the right

Leaving Castleton we headed towards the “broken road”, passing the Odin Mine, a former lead mine. Lead mining is known to have taken place around here right back to Roman times, although this mine was mainly worked mainly worked from the 17th to 19th centuries.

The Odin Mine Crushing Wheel, used to crush the ore ready for processing

We made our way along the “broken road”. This used to to be the route of the A625 from Castleton over to Edale which was seriously undermined by several land slips and was finally closed to traffic in 1979.

The view of the Great Ridge over towards Lose Hill

We bypassed the summit of the “Shivering Mountain” making our way round the side of the hill and after a short stretch of tarmac, took a path down the hill back to our starting point. I didn’t take any snaps on the way down. The path was very muddy and slippy, but we both made it back down without losing our feet!

Reaching the station I had 50 minutes before the next train so we settled into the cafe for a brew and a slice of cake. The portions are rather large to say the least so shared one between us!

It had been good to catch up and stretch our legs. On the platform as the train drew in, we agreed to meet up again in the New Year.

Down by the Dougie

“Beware those men, the jokers and the tricksters and the clowns. They will laugh us into hell.”

Tag Archives: Hiking