5th May 2024 - Earl Crag and Wolf Stones
Walk Details
Distance walked: 14.2 miles
Toal ascent: 2283 ft
OS map used: OL21 - South Pennines
Time taken: 8 hrs
Route description: Ickornshaw-Pennine Way-Close Lane-Piper Lane-Hallan Hill Farm-Wainman's Pinnacle-Buck Stone Lane-Hitching Stone-Shooting Box-Slippery Ford Lane-Slitheroford Farm-Millennium Way-Bottoms Farm-Todley Hall Road-Newsholme Dean-Carr Laithe-True Well Hall Farm-Gill Lane-Newsholme-Broad Head Lane-Nook Allotment-Millennium Way-Keighley Moor Reservoir-Pennine Way-Wolf Stones-Pennine Way-Ickornshaw
For my walk this weekend I've made the short drive across to Ickornshaw to do a route taking in Earl Crag and the moorland of Wolf Stones. I was already familiar with most of the countryside I was walking through and the paths I was using, but I did manage to explore some new territory. Last year I discovered that a trod that I could follow east by the wall from the Hitching Stone to pick up a public footpath to the shooting house on Keighley Moor would save me quite a bit of time and distance, compared to the alternatives I'd been using, so I decided to explore a bit further down Newsholme Dean than I had before. I made it down to the hamlet of Holme House before turning back. It was pretty dull and overcast when I set off from Ickornshaw, but the cloud broke up through the rest of the morning to give some spells of warm spring sunshine for the afternoon, although it did tend to cloud over again as I was heading back to Ickornshaw on the Pennine Way.
From where I parked on the lane of Nan Scar in Ickornshaw I got onto the trail of the Pennine Way and followed it south across the A6068, up to and past Lower Summer House Farm and the end of Lumb Lane, before taking the byway of Close Lane on the left down to and across Dean Hole Clough and up to Piper Lane. I then walked up Piper Lane to take the second public footpath on the left. I briefly followed this north across a beck, then took a public footpath on the right up to Hallan Hill Farm and onto access land to make my way up to Wainman's Pinnacle on Earl Crag. Once I'd taken in the view I walked out to Buck Stone Lane, crossed it, and took the path opposite across the moor up to the Hitching Stone, then followed a trod east by the wall until I reached a public footpath that took me south to the shooting house on Keighley Moor. From here I then walked down the track to Slippery Ford Lane, which I walked south along down to Slitheroford Farm. I left the road here for a public footpath through Slitheroford Farm, down to and across Dean Beck, then up to Bottoms Farm and Todley Hall Road. After a brief walk east along the road I took the bridleway down into Newsholme Dean (with a stop for lunch next to it), then a footpath down to a footbridge over Dean Beck, up to Carr Laithe, and along a track to True Well Hall Farm. Just before I reached Holme House Lane I took a footpath on the right up through fields to a track, which took me west to Gill Lane for a walk up to the hamlet of Newsholme. I then followed the bridleway north out of Newsholme, turning left onto a bridleway to reach Broad Head Lane, which I walked up to the west. At the end of Broad Head Lane I took a bridleway on the left south across Nook Allotment, then a footpath south and west across fields to reach the Millennium Way. I then followed the Millennium Way west across Oakworth Moor to Keighley Moor Reservoir, then the path from there up to the Pennine Way. I followed the Pennine Way to the northwest, then left it to visit the trig point on Wolf Stones. After taking in the view I returned to the Pennine Way and followed it north, across Ickornshaw Moor, down to and around the valley of Dean Brow Beck, past Lower Summer House Farm, and back to Ickornshaw and where I was parked.
Toal ascent: 2283 ft
OS map used: OL21 - South Pennines
Time taken: 8 hrs
Route description: Ickornshaw-Pennine Way-Close Lane-Piper Lane-Hallan Hill Farm-Wainman's Pinnacle-Buck Stone Lane-Hitching Stone-Shooting Box-Slippery Ford Lane-Slitheroford Farm-Millennium Way-Bottoms Farm-Todley Hall Road-Newsholme Dean-Carr Laithe-True Well Hall Farm-Gill Lane-Newsholme-Broad Head Lane-Nook Allotment-Millennium Way-Keighley Moor Reservoir-Pennine Way-Wolf Stones-Pennine Way-Ickornshaw
For my walk this weekend I've made the short drive across to Ickornshaw to do a route taking in Earl Crag and the moorland of Wolf Stones. I was already familiar with most of the countryside I was walking through and the paths I was using, but I did manage to explore some new territory. Last year I discovered that a trod that I could follow east by the wall from the Hitching Stone to pick up a public footpath to the shooting house on Keighley Moor would save me quite a bit of time and distance, compared to the alternatives I'd been using, so I decided to explore a bit further down Newsholme Dean than I had before. I made it down to the hamlet of Holme House before turning back. It was pretty dull and overcast when I set off from Ickornshaw, but the cloud broke up through the rest of the morning to give some spells of warm spring sunshine for the afternoon, although it did tend to cloud over again as I was heading back to Ickornshaw on the Pennine Way.
From where I parked on the lane of Nan Scar in Ickornshaw I got onto the trail of the Pennine Way and followed it south across the A6068, up to and past Lower Summer House Farm and the end of Lumb Lane, before taking the byway of Close Lane on the left down to and across Dean Hole Clough and up to Piper Lane. I then walked up Piper Lane to take the second public footpath on the left. I briefly followed this north across a beck, then took a public footpath on the right up to Hallan Hill Farm and onto access land to make my way up to Wainman's Pinnacle on Earl Crag. Once I'd taken in the view I walked out to Buck Stone Lane, crossed it, and took the path opposite across the moor up to the Hitching Stone, then followed a trod east by the wall until I reached a public footpath that took me south to the shooting house on Keighley Moor. From here I then walked down the track to Slippery Ford Lane, which I walked south along down to Slitheroford Farm. I left the road here for a public footpath through Slitheroford Farm, down to and across Dean Beck, then up to Bottoms Farm and Todley Hall Road. After a brief walk east along the road I took the bridleway down into Newsholme Dean (with a stop for lunch next to it), then a footpath down to a footbridge over Dean Beck, up to Carr Laithe, and along a track to True Well Hall Farm. Just before I reached Holme House Lane I took a footpath on the right up through fields to a track, which took me west to Gill Lane for a walk up to the hamlet of Newsholme. I then followed the bridleway north out of Newsholme, turning left onto a bridleway to reach Broad Head Lane, which I walked up to the west. At the end of Broad Head Lane I took a bridleway on the left south across Nook Allotment, then a footpath south and west across fields to reach the Millennium Way. I then followed the Millennium Way west across Oakworth Moor to Keighley Moor Reservoir, then the path from there up to the Pennine Way. I followed the Pennine Way to the northwest, then left it to visit the trig point on Wolf Stones. After taking in the view I returned to the Pennine Way and followed it north, across Ickornshaw Moor, down to and around the valley of Dean Brow Beck, past Lower Summer House Farm, and back to Ickornshaw and where I was parked.
Route map
© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. License number PU 100034184.
Above Ickornshaw as I leave it behind on the Pennine Way..
Looking back north along the Pennine Way
and south before I leave it for a byway on the left
Leaving the Pennine Way I take the byway east to the track of Close Lane, and to Piper Lane
Leaving Piper Lane I take a footpath north towards Fold Farm
The village of Cowling below
On the footpath up to Hallan Hill Farm
Making my way along the edge of Earl Crag to Wainman's Pinnacle
Pendle Hill in the distance, and Cowling below
At Wainman's Pinnacle
Wainman's Pinnacle, with Cowling in the valley below
Looking across to the moorland around Lothersdale
The view to the north across the moorland around Airedale to the Yorkshire Dales
Looking east along Earl Crag to Lund's Tower
From Earl Crag I make my way to Buck Stone Lane, cross it, and take a path up the moor to the Hitching Stone
Looking back north to Wainman's Pinnacle
At the Hitching Stone. According to folklore this boulder was flung to its present location by a witch who lived on nearby Ilkley Moor. She was so annoyed at having her view spoilt by it that she "hitched" it up with her broomstick and threw it across the valley. The hole remains to show where the broomstick had been inserted..
Looking north past the top of Earl Crag to the moorland around Airedale and Wharfedale in the distance
Leaving the Hitching Stone I follow a clear trod east next to this wall. A broken wall, and the moorland colours of the area between Hitching Stone Hill and Kid Stone Hill provide some interest for a photo.
At the end of the wall I pick up the public footpath to the "Shooting Box"..
From the shooting box I take a track towards Slippery Ford Lane..
Walking along Slippery Ford Lane to Slitheroford Farm, where I'll take a public footpath on the left
Crossing the ford on Dean Beck
Looking back to Slitheroford Farm and Middle Slippery Ford Barn, with Keighley Moor in the distance..
..and down Newsholme Dean, as I traverse the hillside below Grey Stones Farm
I reach Todley Hall Road along the footpath up the track from Bottoms Farm
From Todley Hall Road I take the bridleway down into Newsholme Dean
Looking down Newsholme Dean from my lunch stop. I can see my route down and across the valley from here.
Heading down to cross the footbridge over Dean Beck
Bluebells in flower in the woodland around the beck
After crossing Dean Beck I follow the footpath up to Carr Laithe
Looking up Newsholme Dean, and back to Carr Laithe..
..as I follow the track to True Well Hall Farm
The hamlet of Holme House
The outskirts of Keighley in the distance from above Holme House
Heading west along the lane to the hamlet of Newsholme
I leave Newsholme via the bridleway to Newsholme Dean, and then just ahead I'll turn left onto another bridleway
Looking back along the bridleway to Airedale in the distance, and Branshaw Moor on the right
Making my way west along Broad Head Lane
Heading south along the bridleway across Nook Allotment
Looking north across the moorland of Park Allotment
Following the path west across Oakworth Moor
Haworth Moor and Stanbury Moor to the south
Keighley Moor ahead
At Keighley Moor Reservoir
Heading up Oakworth Moor to join the Pennine Way
As I follow the Pennine Way to the northwest Wolf Stones comes into view
Watersheddles Reservoir and Boulsworth Hill from the trig point on Wolf Stones
From the trig point I've made my way down to the gritstone edge of Wolf Stones. Watersheddles Reservoir and Boulsworth Hill to the southwest.
Pendle Hill in the distance beyond Combe Hill
Looking across the Worth Valley to Nab Hill in the distance
The trig point above
Back up at the trig point. Oakworth Moor to the east.
A final shot from the summit. Looking north to the moorland around Wharfedale in the distance.
Back onto the Pennine Way and heading north across Ickornshaw Moor
As I follow the Pennine Way I have great views to Pendle Hill, the moors around Lothersdale, and to Barden Moor and Skipton Moor....
Lower down and I pass a number of shooting huts on the edge of access land..
The Pennine Way heads down to and around the valley of Dean Brow Beck, which looks great on a beautiful spring afternoon...
Heading down to Lower Summer House Farm
The final descent back to Ickornshaw on the Pennine Way