28th January 2024 - Oxenhope Stoop Hill and Stanbury Moor
Walk Details
Distance walked: 9.0 miles
Total ascent: 1424 ft
OS map used: OL21 - South Pennines
Time taken: 6 hrs
Route description: Penistone Hill Country Park-Moor Side Lane-Drop Farm-Lee Lane-Bodkin Lane-Stairs Lane-Bond Clough Hill-Oxenhope Stoop Hill-Dick Delf Hill-Pennine Way-Top Withins-Stanbury Moor-Alcomden Stones-Middle Moor Clough-Ponden Kirk-Ponden Slack-Pennine Way-Ponden Reservoir-Pennine Way-The Height-Bronte Way-Bronte Bridge-Bronte Way-Millennium Way-Penistone Hill Country Park
I stayed local for my walk this weekend as I made the short drive across the moors to Bronte Country. Starting from Penistone Hill Country Park I worked out a route that took in Oxenhope Stoop Hill and Stanbury Moor, most of it familiar territory using footpaths and bridleways that I've followed many times before. The one bit that was new was the section of path by the catchwater drain from Stairs Lane to Bond Clough Hill. I'd thought about using it in the past but dismissed it as I didn't want to risk finding nowhere to go when I reached its end on Bond Clough Hill. There was no problem at all as it joined up with the public footpath up to Oxenhope Stoop Hill. I had a pleasant enough winter's day for this walk with high cloud and some hazy sunshine during the morning, although with thickening cloud during the afternoon it became quite dull and overcast.
From the car park at Penistone Hill Country Park I made my way out to Moor Side Lane and took the footpath along the track to Drop Farm. Just after passing Drop Farm I took the footpath on the left and followed it down past Westfield Farm to Lee Lane where I turned right and walked along the lane past Leeshaw Reservoir, then up the bridleway of Bodkin Lane and Stairs Lane until I reached the catchwater drain that crosses it. I went through a gate on the right, and followed a path north by the drain to the public footpath on Bond Clough Hill, which I took to reach the top of 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 (with a lunch stop on a bench by a wall) to the ruins of Top Withins. From Top Withins I made my way to the trig point on Stanbury Moor and then the Alcomden Stones, before taking a path down Middle Moor Clough to Ponden Kirk, and a public footpath round the northern side of Ponden Clough and down to the Pennine Way. The Pennine Way was followed round Ponden Reservoir, and up onto the moorland of The Height, before leaving it for the Bronte Way down to Bronte Bridge and east towards Moor Side Lane. I left the Bronte Way for a footpath on the right up to the top of Moor Side Lane and Penistone Hill Country Park.
Total ascent: 1424 ft
OS map used: OL21 - South Pennines
Time taken: 6 hrs
Route description: Penistone Hill Country Park-Moor Side Lane-Drop Farm-Lee Lane-Bodkin Lane-Stairs Lane-Bond Clough Hill-Oxenhope Stoop Hill-Dick Delf Hill-Pennine Way-Top Withins-Stanbury Moor-Alcomden Stones-Middle Moor Clough-Ponden Kirk-Ponden Slack-Pennine Way-Ponden Reservoir-Pennine Way-The Height-Bronte Way-Bronte Bridge-Bronte Way-Millennium Way-Penistone Hill Country Park
I stayed local for my walk this weekend as I made the short drive across the moors to Bronte Country. Starting from Penistone Hill Country Park I worked out a route that took in Oxenhope Stoop Hill and Stanbury Moor, most of it familiar territory using footpaths and bridleways that I've followed many times before. The one bit that was new was the section of path by the catchwater drain from Stairs Lane to Bond Clough Hill. I'd thought about using it in the past but dismissed it as I didn't want to risk finding nowhere to go when I reached its end on Bond Clough Hill. There was no problem at all as it joined up with the public footpath up to Oxenhope Stoop Hill. I had a pleasant enough winter's day for this walk with high cloud and some hazy sunshine during the morning, although with thickening cloud during the afternoon it became quite dull and overcast.
From the car park at Penistone Hill Country Park I made my way out to Moor Side Lane and took the footpath along the track to Drop Farm. Just after passing Drop Farm I took the footpath on the left and followed it down past Westfield Farm to Lee Lane where I turned right and walked along the lane past Leeshaw Reservoir, then up the bridleway of Bodkin Lane and Stairs Lane until I reached the catchwater drain that crosses it. I went through a gate on the right, and followed a path north by the drain to the public footpath on Bond Clough Hill, which I took to reach the top of 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 (with a lunch stop on a bench by a wall) to the ruins of Top Withins. From Top Withins I made my way to the trig point on Stanbury Moor and then the Alcomden Stones, before taking a path down Middle Moor Clough to Ponden Kirk, and a public footpath round the northern side of Ponden Clough and down to the Pennine Way. The Pennine Way was followed round Ponden Reservoir, and up onto the moorland of The Height, before leaving it for the Bronte Way down to Bronte Bridge and east towards Moor Side Lane. I left the Bronte Way for a footpath on the right up to the top of Moor Side Lane and Penistone Hill Country Park.
Route map
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Having crossed Moor Side Lane, I walk along the track to Drop Farm
Leeshaw Reservoir below as I follow the footpath down to Lee Lane
Penistone Hill and Leeshaw Reservoir below from Bodkin Lane
Heading up the track of Stairs Lane..
Looking back down Stairs Lane to Penistone Hill and the moorland around Oxenhope
I leave Stairs Lane to follow a path north and west by a catchwater drain on the side of Stairs Hill
To my right, Haworth Moor, Penistone Hill, and Oxenhope
Following the drain northwest towards Bond Clough Hill
Looking north across Haworth Moor to Oakworth Moor and Oldfield
and northeast across Haworth Moor and Penistone Hill to Oakworth
Looking back to Haworth Moor and Leeshaw Reservoir as I follow the footpath up onto Oxenhope Stoop Hill
On Oxenhope Stoop Hill. This path heads across the moorland of The Waste to the top of Stairs Lane. In the distance is the windfarm on Ovenden Moor.
The stoop on Oxenhope Stoop Hill, with the moors around Calderdale to the south
Looking west to Dick Delf Hill and Withins Height. That's the path I'll follow to reach the Pennine Way.
The moors around Calderdale to the south as I reach the Pennine Way
On the Pennine Way to Top Withins..
The moors of Bronte Country to my right
Arriving at Top Withins
Above Top Withins as I leave it behind to head for the trig point on Stanbury Moor
Looking east across Stanbury Moor
At the trig point on Stanbury Moor. Boulsworth Hill and Crow Hill in the distance to the west and northwest.
Looking northeast across Oakworth Moor to the moors around Airedale in the distance..
At the Alcomden Stones. Looking northeast across Middle Moor to Oakworth Moor.
The crest of Boulsworth Hill to the west beyond the top of Walshaw Dean
Looking down Walshaw Dean towards Heptonstall Moor
Following the path down Middle Moor Clough
On Ponden Kirk with a view down Ponden Clough to Ponden Reservoir
Making my way down the hillside of Ponden Slack
Above Ponden Reservoir as I join the Pennine Way
Ponden Reservoir from its dam
Looking back to Ponden Reservoir and Oakworth Moor as I follow the Pennine Way up onto the moorland of The Height
and west to Stanbury Moor
Stanbury and Lower Laithe Reservoir from The Height
Following the Bronte Way down to Bronte Bridge..
Looking down the valley of South Dean Beck to Stanbury from above Bronte Bridge
Looking back up the valley of South Dean Beck
Following the Bronte Way east towards Moor Side Lane
and then the Millennium Way back to Penistone Hill Country Park