22nd December 2019 - Wolf Stones
Walk Details
Distance walked: 9.5 miles
Total ascent: 1351 ft
OS map used: OL21 - South Pennines
Time taken: 5 hrs
Route description: Stanbury-Lumb Foot-Street Lane-Oldfield Lane-Harehills Lane-Turnshaw Road-Tewitt Hall Farm-Broad Head Lane-Roms Greave Hill-Millennium Way-Keighley Moor Reservoir-Pennine Way-Wolf Stones-Pennine Way-Cragg Bottom Road-Pennine Way-Ponden Reservoir-Pennine Way-Back Lane-Stanbury
Another weekend of less than ideal weather for hill walking has seen me staying local for my fix of fresh air and exercise. On this occasion I've made the short drive across to the Worth Valley for a walk on the Bronte moors. I decided to start from Stanbury and make my way to the trig point on Wolf Stones, which makes it my third visit to it this year, but by using paths that I haven't walked along as much as I could. It's one of my favourite South Pennine tops, with its good views and edge of gritstone boulders. I wasn't expecting much in the way of sunshine on what was forecast to be a rather grey winter's day, but the sun did put in an appearance every now and then to brighten up the moorland. It makes a lot of difference at this time of year.
After parking in the layby on the east side of Stanbury I walked down the road towards Haworth then took the footpath on the left down to Lumb Foot. I then crossed the footbridge over the River Worth, followed the footpath up the hillside and along Street Lane to Oldfield Lane, and took the footpath opposite up to Harehills Lane. Here I turned left and walked along the road to The Grouse pub and took the bridleway of Turnshaw Road, which I followed east until I reached a bridleway on the left which took me north past Tewitt Hall Farm to Broad Head Lane. I then walked west along the byway of Broad Head Lane to its end and took the footpath southwest across the moor to the trail of the Millennium Way on Oakworth Moor, which I followed to Keighley Moor Reservoir. A path west then took me up to the Pennine Way, which I followed north towards Wolf Stones, before leaving it to head for the trig point. After taking in the view I returned to the Pennine Way and followed it down into the Worth Valley to Cragg Bottom Road, and then down to and around Ponden Reservoir, and up past Buckley Farm where I took a lane on the left down to Back Lane. I then walked down Back Lane and back into Stanbury.
Total ascent: 1351 ft
OS map used: OL21 - South Pennines
Time taken: 5 hrs
Route description: Stanbury-Lumb Foot-Street Lane-Oldfield Lane-Harehills Lane-Turnshaw Road-Tewitt Hall Farm-Broad Head Lane-Roms Greave Hill-Millennium Way-Keighley Moor Reservoir-Pennine Way-Wolf Stones-Pennine Way-Cragg Bottom Road-Pennine Way-Ponden Reservoir-Pennine Way-Back Lane-Stanbury
Another weekend of less than ideal weather for hill walking has seen me staying local for my fix of fresh air and exercise. On this occasion I've made the short drive across to the Worth Valley for a walk on the Bronte moors. I decided to start from Stanbury and make my way to the trig point on Wolf Stones, which makes it my third visit to it this year, but by using paths that I haven't walked along as much as I could. It's one of my favourite South Pennine tops, with its good views and edge of gritstone boulders. I wasn't expecting much in the way of sunshine on what was forecast to be a rather grey winter's day, but the sun did put in an appearance every now and then to brighten up the moorland. It makes a lot of difference at this time of year.
After parking in the layby on the east side of Stanbury I walked down the road towards Haworth then took the footpath on the left down to Lumb Foot. I then crossed the footbridge over the River Worth, followed the footpath up the hillside and along Street Lane to Oldfield Lane, and took the footpath opposite up to Harehills Lane. Here I turned left and walked along the road to The Grouse pub and took the bridleway of Turnshaw Road, which I followed east until I reached a bridleway on the left which took me north past Tewitt Hall Farm to Broad Head Lane. I then walked west along the byway of Broad Head Lane to its end and took the footpath southwest across the moor to the trail of the Millennium Way on Oakworth Moor, which I followed to Keighley Moor Reservoir. A path west then took me up to the Pennine Way, which I followed north towards Wolf Stones, before leaving it to head for the trig point. After taking in the view I returned to the Pennine Way and followed it down into the Worth Valley to Cragg Bottom Road, and then down to and around Ponden Reservoir, and up past Buckley Farm where I took a lane on the left down to Back Lane. I then walked down Back Lane and back into Stanbury.
Route map
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Penistone Hill as I leave the Stanbury to Haworth road
Heading down to Lumb Foot to cross the River Worth
The footbridge over the River Worth below Lumb Foot
A beck tumbles down the hillside beside the path
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and then I take the path of Street Lane up to Oldfield Lane
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Looking across the Worth Valley to Penistone Hill from Oldfield Lane
and across to Haworth Moor and Stanbury
Looking back to The Grouse pub on Harehills Lane from the bridleway of Turnshaw Road
Heading east along Turnshaw Road...
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Looking across the Worth Valley to Haworth Moor, with Oxenhope Stoop Hill and Stanbury Moor in the distance
I've left Turnshaw Road for the bridleway that heads north past Tewitt Hall Farm. This part of it has been laid with artificial turf..
Onto the byway of Broad Head Lane, which will take me west to Oakworth Moor
A bit of sunshine brightens up the moorland around Moorcock Farm
The byway ends here and continues as a track to Clough Hey
A great range of moorland colours. Steeton Moor in sunshine with the moorland on the other side of Airedale in the distance.
Sunshine on Keighley Moor
Heading across Oakworth Moor
Keighley Moor Reservoir
Looking back with the moorland around Airedale in the distance, from the path up to the Pennine Way
On the Pennine Way to Wolf Stones
The Pennine Way bypasses the trig point, so there's a thin trod up through the tussocks to reach it
The trig point above as I reach the gritstone edge of Wolf Stones
Watersheddles Reservoir and Boulsworth Hill
Definitely my favourite view from here. Looking west to Pendle Hill.
Looking east across Oakworth Moor from the trig point
Boulsworth Hill and Pendle Hill
Barden Moor in the distance to the north
Looking back to Wolf Stones as I return to the Pennine Way..
A big view to the east across Bronte country
The stone of "Old Bess", which is marked on the map
Following the Pennine Way down into the Worth Valley
Ponden Reservoir from Cragg Bottom Road
The slopes of Crow Hill on the other side of the valley
Great reflections in this part of Ponden Reservoir..
On the Pennine Way around Ponden Reservoir, and the rest of it isn't so calm..
Back in Stanbury