2nd April 2015 - Nab Hill

Walk Details

Distance walked: 8.1 miles

Total ascent: 1274 ft

OS map used: OL21 - South Pennines

Time taken: 6.5 hrs

Route description: Harry Lane, Oxenhope-Dark Lane-Yate Lane-Lowertown-Jew Lane-Back Leeming-Leeming Reservoir-Bronte Way-Hambleton Lane-Nab Hill-Nab Water Lane-Intake Lane-Hard Naze Lane-Stones-Shaw Lane-Marsh Lane-Bronte Way-Harry Lane, Oxenhope

I was glad that I decided to do this walk today. It was a beautiful spring day and it would have been easy to go somewhere else that's better known for its scenic qualities. That would have done the views from Nab Hill an injustice. It was lovely up there with the blue skies, sunshine, light winds and great visibility. The Stanza Stone of "Mist" is located there, that's two of the six I've now seen.

I started the walk from the overflow car park of the Oxenhope station of the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. I made my way up Harry Lane, across the A6033, up Dark Lane and then right down Yate Lane into Oxenhope. I crossed Station Road onto Lowertown, I then turned left at its end to follow a footpath to Jew Lane in Back Leeming. At the end of Jew Lane I continued uphill on the Bronte Way past Leeming Reservoir to reach the track of Hambleton Lane. I was on this briefly before going through a gate on the right to make my way along a path across the hillside to Nab Hill. A detour to the nearby trig point was done. From Nab Hill I made my way down to Nab Water Lane, a couple of footpaths helped me avoid walking along it for a while until I had to follow it round to take a path to Intake Lane. This took me to the A6033 and across and onto Hard Naze Lane to reach the heather moorland of Stones. I made my way down to Shaw Lane, a footpath down to, across Rag Clough Beck and up to Marsh Lane was followed. After walking along Marsh Lane for a while I reached the Bronte Way, this took me down to the railway line and back to the car park.

Route map

It's a lovely morning in Oxenhope and a lot brighter than when I was here a couple of weeks ago

A host of golden daffodils in Back Leeming

Looking back to Back Leeming as I reach Leeming Reservoir

Across Leeming Reservoir to Leeming

Heading uphill on the Bronte Way

I can't help turning round to see the improving views as I gain height..

Onto the track of Hambleton Lane

Thornton Moor Reservoir

I soon left Hambleton Lane to go through a gate and onto a path that heads across the hillside to Nab Hill

I had to pay the trig point a visit while I was up here. The views from the northern edge of the hill are much better though so I'll head back and take it in.

There are a lot of disused quarries or delphs on Nab Hill

If you follow the path up from Nab Water Lane these marker posts will guide you to the Stanza Stone

There are a few well built cairns on the northern edge of Nab Hill and there's a fantastic view from all of them...

This one has the Stanza Stone below it

"Mist" by Simon Armitage. The second of the Stanza Stones I've seen after visiting "Rain" in March. There are another four and I plan to see them all in due course.

Very good visibility today and I could see beyond the nearby moors of Bronte Country to the Yorkshire Dales. Ingleborough and Penyghent..

..plus Buckden Pike and Great Whernside behind the heathery Barden Moor

Looking across Nab Water Lane to Oxenhope Moor

Warley Moor Reservoir

This old gatepost caught my eye. The opposite one had round sockets to take one end of a pole while this one has grooves to take the other end to make a rough and ready gate.