CALDERDALE WAY 2012


 

 Stage 1.  Todmorden to Midgley  22nd. March  (15 miles)

 

 

ALL  READY  TO  GO  IN  TODMORDEN

It was a beautiful early spring day as our group of 13 took the path out of Todmorden and headed steeply uphill, to Todmorden Edge, before dropping down to the valley floor again at Centre Vale. This level section wasn’t long lived before the climbing started again, taking us onto the higher ground overlooking Calderdale. The quaint buildings and bridlepaths were a reminder that, in bygone times, it is were everything happened. This was duly confirmed shortly after a very pleasant lunch break in Colden Clough, as our walk took us through Heptonstall with it’s 13th. century church and, along with other historic buildings, the oldest Methodist chapel still in use today.

 


LUNCH  STOP  IN  COLDER  CLOUGH

Down in the valley once more, it was back to the reality of the present where the loos were locked, only open at weekends and bank holidays in winter and cost 20p a time anyway. Fortunately we have our ways and means!

 

FOOTBRIDGE   IN  COLDEN  VALE

With the sun still shining, it was hot work as we climbed uphill again to Pecket Well and our third ‘brew stop’ of the day. It was easy going from there though as we skirted Wadsworth Moor to Crow Hill Nook, before leaving the Calderdale Way to drop down into Midgley. This is where we will rejoin our walk for the next stage.

Our day’s walk wasn’t over, as there was still another mile and a half to go along the road into Mytholmroyd where, timed to perfection, our public transport was waiting at the bus stop to take us back to our cars in Todmorden.

What a lovely day.

 

 

Stage 2. Midgley to Brighouse 5th. April 2012 (15 miles)

 

StageWhat a wonderful day’s walking, with blue skies and wall-to-wall sunshine above, all day long and snow adding that extra magic to the views. Ten of us set off above Midgley, from where we had left the route a fortnight before. The first three or four miles were slow going, because of deep drifting snow filling the walled tracks that are feature of the area. We even had to solve the problem of a deep bank that held a mini-cornice!

 

MINI  CORNICE  ON  WARLEY  MOOR

 

It was looking like we would be finishing late, but eventually the snow on the route receded. Although there seems to be very little level ground in Calderdale, we were able to make much better progress after Upper Brockholes. Skirting to the north of Halifax, it was up to Catherine Slack, before the descent into the Shibden Valley and on to Norwood Green where we passed the Old White Beare, named after a ship which took part against the Spanish Armada in 1588.

 

WALLED  TRACK  NEAR  HOUGH  GATE  HEAD

 

Now, just four miles from the finish at Brighouse, where we just had to wait ten minutes or so for a train, that took us back to our cars at Mytholmroyd. Just over seventeen miles recorded on a perfect day.

 

 

Stage 3. Brighouse to Todmorden. 19th . April (21 miles)

 

We got off the train in Brighouse, on what we had all hoped would be another lovely sunny day, with weather conditions similar to those we had enjoyed on previous stages. No such luck this time, as it was raining and gloomy and not at all inviting for this our longest leg. We weren’t helped by the train having been delayed, for almost half an hour, by some failure to the system back down the line.

Undaunted we set off along the towpath of the Leeds/Liverpool canal, putting our best foot forward, and magically the rain didn’t seem so bad after all. The only thing was we seemed to twist and turn and go up and down and after two hours, when we stopped for a brew, still short of Greetland, we all felt somewhat short changed for our toils.

BLUEBELL  WOODS  near  SOUTHOWRAM

What a pity the weather wasn’t better, as the section that followed along Greetland Moor and Norland Moor, must be very pleasant walking on a good day.

More ups and downs as we dropped down into Ripponden, then over by Soyland Town and down to the valley below Mill Bank. In areas like this, once down the only way seems to be up and up it was again, over the hill and down again to the very interesting Cragg Vale.

Up to now we seemed to have walked away from, or parallel to, our final destination in Todmorden as much as we had towards it. But at last, from Cragg Vale, the way ahead was more straightforward and the gradual climb from Withens Clough reservoir over to Mankinholes didn’t trouble us. Destination in sight, morale was high and higher still at the finish in Todmorden.

FINISH  AT  TODMORDEN

In spite of the weather on the last day, it was a very enjoyable and rewarding three days walking. But, unfortunately, the weather was determined to have the last word and water was everywhere as we did our best, at our cars, to get changed into dry clothing for our respective journeys home.

 

For more pictures from Stan     CLICK  HERE