Pennine Walker, a photographic walking diary

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18th January 2020 - Top Withins and Stanbury Moor

Walk Details

Distance walked: 7.3 miles

Total ascent: 863 ft

OS map used: OL21 - South Pennines

Time taken: 5 hrs

Route description: Penistone Hill Country Park-Haworth Moor-Harbour Lodge-Harbour Hill-Oxenhope Stoop Hill-Dick Delf Hill-Pennine Way-Top Withins-Stanbury Moor-Alcomden Stones-Stanbury Moor-Top Withins-Pennine Way-Bronte Way-Bronte Bridge-Bronte Way-Millennium Way-
Penistone Hill Country Park

At last there's a weekend of reasonably fine weather forecast, so I'm going to make the most of it and go out walking on both days. I've decided to stay close to home for today's walk with a visit to Bronte Country, an area that I've become very familiar with lately. The route I went for started from Penistone Hill Country Park, which seems to be my favourite starting point for a walk around here, and took in Haworth Moor, Top Withins and Stanbury Moor. It was a cold and windy, but bright day, with lots of winter sunshine and great visibility for taking in the moorland views. Very wet underfoot though, not surprising given all the recent rain, and the partially frozen ground high up didn't help any.

From the car park at Penistone Hill Country Park I crossed Moor Side Lane and followed the track west across Haworth Moor towards Harbour Lodge, then took the footpath around Harbour Lodge, up to and under Harbour Hill, and then up onto Oxenhope Stoop Hill. I then walked west along the moorland ridge over Dick Delf Hill to pick up the Pennine Way, which I then followed north to the ruins of Top Withins. After a break for lunch I paid a visit to the Alcomden Stones and the trig point on Stanbury before returning to Top Withins to resume my journey along the Pennine Way. I followed the Pennine Way east until I reached the Bronte Way, which took me down to Bronte Bridge, then east along the northern slopes of Enshaw Knoll to the Millennium Way, which I followed back to Penistone Hill.

Route map
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© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. License number PU 100034184.

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It's a lovely winter's morning in the Worth Valley..
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Looking back to Penistone Hill as I follow the track onto Haworth Moor
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On the track to Harbour Lodge
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Leeshaw Reservoir below
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A heather covered Haworth Moor
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This lichen encrusted signpost is where I left the track
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The Worth Valley and Haworth Moor from above Harbour Lodge
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From Harbour Lodge I take the path beneath Harbour Hill and then up onto Oxenhope Stoop Hill. I can see Top Withins on the hillside in the distance from here.
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On Oxenhope Stoop Hill. Looking down the Worth Valley with Ilkley Moor in the distance.
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From up here I can now see across the moors around Calderdale..
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Dick Delf Hill with Withins Height behind to the right
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Looking south across the moors around Calderdale towards Blackstone Edge. There's a lot of standing water up here and it's been cold enough overnight to freeze some of it.
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Looking back to Oxenhope Stoop Hill with the windfarm on Ovenden Moor in the distance
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Heading for Round Hill and the Pennine Way
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A boundary stone
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Wadsworth Moor and Widdop Moor to the west
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Winter sunshine brightens up the moors
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At last I reach the Pennine Way. Looking southwest across Wadsworth Moor and Heptonstall Moor.
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I'm going in the other direction though, and the view of the moors of Bronte Country soon opens up
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On the Pennine Way to Top Withins..
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A colourful moorland view
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The ruins of Top Withins
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I leave Top Withins for a path to the Stanbury Moor trig point
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Looking across Stanbury Moor to Oakworth Moor, with Barden Fell, Beamsley Beacon and Ilkley Moor in the distance
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Approaching the trig point on Stanbury Moor
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Boulsworth Hill above the Alcomden Stones
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Boulsworth Hill in the distance as I reach the Alcomden Stones
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Boulsworth Hill above the top of Walshaw Dean from the Alcomden Stones
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Looking across Middle Moor to Oakworth Moor, with Barden Fell, Beamsley Beacon and Ilkley Moor in the distance
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A pool in the gritstone provides a foreground
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Looking down Walshaw Dean towards Heptonstall Moor. I can make out a little bit of Gorple Lower Reservoir.
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Boulsworth Hill and Crow Hill
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Back at the trig point on Stanbury Moor
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Crow Hill and Wolf Stones. I can make out Ingleborough and Penyghent in the Yorkshire Dales through the gap between them.
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Boulsworth Hill and Crow Hill
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Great views across the moorland of Bronte Country to the moors above Airedale..
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Back at Top Withins
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Looking across to Harbour Hill
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Looking back to Top Withins..
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..as I follow the Pennine Way
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The signpost ahead is where I leave the Pennine Way for the Bronte Way down to Bronte Bridge
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South Dean Beck below Bronte Bridge
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Bronte Bridge
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Looking across the valley of South Dean Beck to Oldfield
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and to Stanbury
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Not far to go now with Penistone Hill in sight

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© Alan Kilduff 2016-2023                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
  • HOME
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  • Walking Diaries
    • Walking Diary 2022
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    • Walking Diary 2019
    • Walking Diary 2018
    • Walking Diary 2017
    • Walking Diary 2016
    • Walking Diary 2015
    • Walking Diary 2014
    • Walking Diary 2013
    • Walking Diary 2012
    • Walking Diary 2011
    • Walking Diary 2010
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    • Walking Diary 2008
  • Lake District Walks
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  • Forest of Bowland, Pendle & West Pennine Moors Walks
  • South Pennines Walks
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