11th March 2017 - Darwen Moor
Walk Details
Distance walked: 5.9 miles
Total ascent: 1081 ft
OS map used: 287 - West Pennine Moors
Time taken: 3 hrs
Route description: Roddlesworth Information Centre, Tockholes Road-Ryal Fold-Darwen Hill-Witton Weavers Way-Duckshaw Clough-Darwen Moor-Cartridge Hill-Tockholes Road-Witton Weavers Way-River Roddlesworth-Roddlesworth Information Centre, Tockholes Road
Not the best of weather forecast for this weekend and when I set off for a few hours walk on Darwen Moor this lunchtime it was in anticipation of it being wet tomorrow. Little did I know that it would be much better than I expected. It was still good to get out though despite the resolutely grey skies and poor visibility.
I started the walk from the car park of the Roddlesworth Information Centre on the Tockholes Road. From the back of the car park I took the short cut to the track to Ryal Fold Farm. I followed a field path downhill towards Earnsdale Reservoir before heading up to the track round the north side of Sunnyhurst Hey Reservoir. I then made my way up to the Jubilee Tower on Darwen Hill. The Witton Weavers Way trail was then followed round the eastern side of the moor until I reached Duckshaw Clough, here I left the trail for a track that goes up and over the moor. I did a there and back to the top of Cartridge Hill before following the track down to the Tockholes Road. I crossed over and then made my way through the woods down to the River Roddlesworth. To finish, I had a steep path to climb up to the car park.
Total ascent: 1081 ft
OS map used: 287 - West Pennine Moors
Time taken: 3 hrs
Route description: Roddlesworth Information Centre, Tockholes Road-Ryal Fold-Darwen Hill-Witton Weavers Way-Duckshaw Clough-Darwen Moor-Cartridge Hill-Tockholes Road-Witton Weavers Way-River Roddlesworth-Roddlesworth Information Centre, Tockholes Road
Not the best of weather forecast for this weekend and when I set off for a few hours walk on Darwen Moor this lunchtime it was in anticipation of it being wet tomorrow. Little did I know that it would be much better than I expected. It was still good to get out though despite the resolutely grey skies and poor visibility.
I started the walk from the car park of the Roddlesworth Information Centre on the Tockholes Road. From the back of the car park I took the short cut to the track to Ryal Fold Farm. I followed a field path downhill towards Earnsdale Reservoir before heading up to the track round the north side of Sunnyhurst Hey Reservoir. I then made my way up to the Jubilee Tower on Darwen Hill. The Witton Weavers Way trail was then followed round the eastern side of the moor until I reached Duckshaw Clough, here I left the trail for a track that goes up and over the moor. I did a there and back to the top of Cartridge Hill before following the track down to the Tockholes Road. I crossed over and then made my way through the woods down to the River Roddlesworth. To finish, I had a steep path to climb up to the car park.
Route map
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Setting off on the footpath to Ryal Fold
and then it's down and across a field towards Earnsdale Reservoir
Approaching Jubilee Tower on Darwen Hill
The view from the tower today isn't up to much. Darwen Moor.
Great Hill in the distance
Blackburn and..
..Darwen below
Earnsdale Reservoir and the drained Sunnyhurst Hey Reservoir
Jubilee Tower
Time to head across the moor on the trail of the Witton Weavers Way
Looking back to Jubilee Tower
and down on the town of Darwen
It's so murky that I can barely make out Holcombe Moor in the distance
Darwen Moor is bleak today as I take the track across its top..
Jubilee Tower in the distance as I reach the top of Stepback Brook
At the cairn on Cartridge Hill, the high point of Darwen Moor
Looking towards Jubilee Tower
A little bit of Belmont Reservoir is visible and Winter Hill would be behind it if it wasn't for the murk
Great Hill and Withnell Moor
Taking the track down to Tockholes Road
The rest of the photos were taken as I walked through the Tockholes Plantations back to the car park. I think that there's a stark beauty to the bare trees beneath grey skies and the moss covered walls.
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