11th April 2021 - Earl Crag and Wolf Stones
Walk Details
Distance walked: 13.7 miles
Total ascent: 2045 ft
OS map used: OL21 - South Pennines
Time taken: 7 hrs
Route description: Ickornshaw-A6068-Park Lane-Lumb Lane-Pennine Way-Close Lane-Piper Lane-Buck Stone Lane-Earl Crag-Dick Lane-Pole Road-Green Aden-Greystones Lane-Newsholme Dean-Broad Head Lane-Nook Allotment-Millennium Way-Keighley Moor Reservoir-Pennine Way-Wolf Stones-Pennine Way-Ickornshaw
At long last! After nearly four months I've finally done a walk that didn't start from home. The "stay at home" order for the last (and hopefully final) lockdown was lifted on the 29th March, but it took me a couple of weeks until I felt comfortable actually driving somewhere to go for a walk. It wasn't far though. It's just a short drive east to reach Ickornshaw for the route that I had planned, which took in Earl Crag, Newsholme Dean and the trig point on Wolf Stones, all familiar territory, and which was often in view during my walks from home. What I didn't expect was the cover of snow that I woke up to. It had snowed the previous evening but I didn't think that it had amounted to quite as much as it did. It made for a great walk, with fantastic views from a snow covered Earl Crag in the morning, and although the April sun soon got to work at removing the snow, there were great skyscapes as shower clouds built up through the afternoon.
After parking in a layby at the top of Ickornshaw I walked up to the A6068. I briefly walked west up the A6068 and then crossed onto Park Lane opposite and then walked up this road to the south and east, and then along the byway of Lumb Lane. At the end of Lumb Lane I turned right and briefly followed the Pennine Way south, before taking the byway of Close Lane on the left down to and across Dean Hole Clough and up to Piper Lane. I then walked up Piper Lane and Buck Stone Lane until I reached a layby on the left and the path north to Earl Crag. I then made my way east along Earl Crag from Wainman's Pinnacle to Lund's Tower, and then down to Dick Lane below. Road walking next, south along Dick Lane, and then east along Pole Road until I reached a bridleway on the right. I took this bridleway south across moorland to Greystones Lane. After walking east along Greystones Lane I took a bridleway on the right down into Newsholme Dean, where I found a convenient place to stop for lunch. I then followed the bridleway south out of Newsholme Dean, turning right onto a bridleway to reach Broad Head Lane, which I walked up to the west. At the end of Broad Head Lane I took a bridleway on the left south across Nook Allotment, then a footpath south and west across fields to reach the Millennium Way. I then followed the Millennium Way west across Oakworth Moor to Keighley Moor Reservoir, then the path from there up to the Pennine Way. I followed the Pennine Way to the northwest, then left it to visit the trig point on Wolf Stones. After taking in the view I returned to the Pennine Way and followed it north, across Ickornshaw Moor, down to and around the valley of Dean Brow Beck, past Lower Summer House Farm, and back to Ickornshaw and where I was parked.
Total ascent: 2045 ft
OS map used: OL21 - South Pennines
Time taken: 7 hrs
Route description: Ickornshaw-A6068-Park Lane-Lumb Lane-Pennine Way-Close Lane-Piper Lane-Buck Stone Lane-Earl Crag-Dick Lane-Pole Road-Green Aden-Greystones Lane-Newsholme Dean-Broad Head Lane-Nook Allotment-Millennium Way-Keighley Moor Reservoir-Pennine Way-Wolf Stones-Pennine Way-Ickornshaw
At long last! After nearly four months I've finally done a walk that didn't start from home. The "stay at home" order for the last (and hopefully final) lockdown was lifted on the 29th March, but it took me a couple of weeks until I felt comfortable actually driving somewhere to go for a walk. It wasn't far though. It's just a short drive east to reach Ickornshaw for the route that I had planned, which took in Earl Crag, Newsholme Dean and the trig point on Wolf Stones, all familiar territory, and which was often in view during my walks from home. What I didn't expect was the cover of snow that I woke up to. It had snowed the previous evening but I didn't think that it had amounted to quite as much as it did. It made for a great walk, with fantastic views from a snow covered Earl Crag in the morning, and although the April sun soon got to work at removing the snow, there were great skyscapes as shower clouds built up through the afternoon.
After parking in a layby at the top of Ickornshaw I walked up to the A6068. I briefly walked west up the A6068 and then crossed onto Park Lane opposite and then walked up this road to the south and east, and then along the byway of Lumb Lane. At the end of Lumb Lane I turned right and briefly followed the Pennine Way south, before taking the byway of Close Lane on the left down to and across Dean Hole Clough and up to Piper Lane. I then walked up Piper Lane and Buck Stone Lane until I reached a layby on the left and the path north to Earl Crag. I then made my way east along Earl Crag from Wainman's Pinnacle to Lund's Tower, and then down to Dick Lane below. Road walking next, south along Dick Lane, and then east along Pole Road until I reached a bridleway on the right. I took this bridleway south across moorland to Greystones Lane. After walking east along Greystones Lane I took a bridleway on the right down into Newsholme Dean, where I found a convenient place to stop for lunch. I then followed the bridleway south out of Newsholme Dean, turning right onto a bridleway to reach Broad Head Lane, which I walked up to the west. At the end of Broad Head Lane I took a bridleway on the left south across Nook Allotment, then a footpath south and west across fields to reach the Millennium Way. I then followed the Millennium Way west across Oakworth Moor to Keighley Moor Reservoir, then the path from there up to the Pennine Way. I followed the Pennine Way to the northwest, then left it to visit the trig point on Wolf Stones. After taking in the view I returned to the Pennine Way and followed it north, across Ickornshaw Moor, down to and around the valley of Dean Brow Beck, past Lower Summer House Farm, and back to Ickornshaw and where I was parked.
Route map
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Leaving Ickornshaw on Park Lane
I soon have views of the surrounding snow covered moors
Looking west along Park Lane towards Knarrs Hill in the distance
and south across the northern slopes of Ickornshaw Moor
On Lumb Lane with a great view looking north across the snow covered moors around Lothersdale to Barden Moor and Skipton Moor
Looking back west along Lumb Lane to Knarrs Hill and the moors above Ickornshaw
Skipton Moor and Farnhill Moor to the northeast, and I can make out the western end of Earl Crag on the right
Heading east along Lumb Lane
The snow covered slopes of Ickornshaw Moor above me to my right
Since I was passing I had to take a photo from the Pennine Way just off Lumb Lane to the south of Lower Summer House Farm. There's a great view looking north across the moors around Lothersdale to Barden Moor and Skipton Moor. I'd be back here six hours later and it would look quite different.
Briefly on the Pennine Way to the byway of Close Lane
Heading east down to Dean Hole Clough
Views to the north as I make my way up Close Lane..
Looking northwest across the moorland around Lothersdale to Pinhaw Beacon from Buck Stone Lane
Pendle Hill in the distance to the west
I leave Buck Stone Lane for the footpath to Earl Crag
On Earl Crag. Wainman's Pinnacle with Pendle Hill in the distance, and the village of Cowling below..
Looking east along Earl Crag to Lund's Tower
The view to the north from Earl Crag goes all the way to Buckden Pike and the moors around Wharfedale and Malhamdale. It didn't snow around there last night, and now the strong April sunshine is starting to change the landscape back to its usual green around here.
Looking back to Wainman's Pinnacle as I make my way east along Earl Crag..
Approaching Lund's Tower at the eastern end of Earl Crag
Looking across Airedale to Farnhill Moor and Skipton Moor with Glusburn and Cross Hills below
Lund's Tower
A last look back along Earl Crag to Wainman's Pinnacle as I make my way down to Dick Lane
Airedale from Dick Lane
Steeton Moor to the east from by Ayden Farm
Boundary stone with OS benchmark at the junction of Pole Road with Long Gate
Heading east along Pole Road
A look north along the byway of America Lane
and across Airedale towards Barden Moor and Skipton Moor
Looking back west as I reach the top of Pole Road
I leave Pole Road for the bridleway across to Greystones Lane
Newsholme Dean from Greystones Lane
Keighley Moor to the west
On the bridleway down into Newsholme Dean..
A choice of means for crossing Dean Beck
Looking east towards Keighley from above Newsholme Dean
Heading west up Broad Head Lane. It looks like the weather is about to change.
A short time later and a snow and hail shower passes through as I was heading south along the bridleway across Nook Allotment..
Looking north to the moorland around Airedale
Following the path west across Oakworth Moor
The shower clears to the south over Haworth Moor and Stanbury Moor..
At Keighley Moor Reservoir
Looking east back to Newsholme Dean and the moorland around Airedale
Nab Hill, Haworth Moor and Stanbury Moor to the southeast
Looking east across Oakworth Moor to Ilkley Moor in the distance
On the final approach to Wolf Stones and Pendle Hill appears in the distance to the left
Looking towards Boulsworth Hill from the trig point at Wolf Stones
Dramatic skies as a shower clears away
Pendle Hill from Wolf Stones
Watersheddles Reservoir and Boulsworth Hill
Pendle Hill and the Forest of Bowland to the west and northwest
Looking up to the trig point backed by dramatic skies
Following the Pennine Way north down Ickornshaw Moor. There are lots of showers around now, which certainly makes for some dramatic skyscapes...
The Pennine Way passes a number of shooting huts on the edge of access land...
Barden Moor in the distance from above Dean Hole Clough
Views across Dean Hole Clough from the Pennine Way..
Waterfall on Lumb Head Beck
Following the Pennine Way back down to Ickornshaw. What a contrast to this morning...
