8th August 2025 - Worth Valley to Hebden Dale and back
Walk Details
Distance walked: 14.5 miles
Total ascent: 2145 ft
OS map used: OL21 - South Pennines
Time taken: 6.5 hrs
Route description: Penistone Hill Country Park-Drop Farm-Lee Lane-Bodkin Lane-Stairs Lane-Lane Head-Old Road-Grain Water Bridge-Nook-Abel Cross-Abel Cote Farm-Shackleton-Walshaw-Black Dean-Holme Ends-Pennine Way-Top Withins-Harbour Hill-Harbour Lodge-Haworth Moor-Penistone Hill Country Park
It's my Friday off work and I've stayed close to home for today's walk, making the short drive across to the Worth Valley for a long walk across my local South Pennines moors. This was the sixth time (fifth year in a row) that I've done a version of this particular route, and it involves crossing the Worth Valley to Calderdale and back, making use of bridleways for one crossing of the moors, and the trail of the Pennine Way for the other. A change from last year was that the route that I took returned to the one that I followed in May 2023, except for leaving out visiting the Alcomden Stones and Stanbury Moor trig point. It was quite late in the afternoon when I arrived at Top Withins, and I was not up to adding to the mileage that I'd already done. The forecast was for a quite cloudy but mostly fine summer's day, and that was more or less how it turned out. Apart from a brief and fairly light shower that passed through while I was at Shackleton, the rest of the day was dry with some sunny spells, especially while I was crossing the moors on the Pennine Way in the afternoon.
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 to cross the moor over to Calderdale. I followed the bridleway across the moor to Lane Head (the end of the road at the top of Crimsworth Dean), walked down the road to Grain Water Bridge, and then walked south along the bridleway on the western side of Crimsworth Dean past the ruined farm of Nook, until I reached a public footpath on the right. I followed this up the track to Abel Cote Farm, then took a footpath south across fields to the hillside hamlet of Shackleton, where I turned right and followed the track up Hebden Dale through Walshaw until I reached New Laithe Farm, where I took a footpath on the left down into Black Dean, where I stopped for lunch. After this break I followed the path west up Black Dean, crossed a footbridge over Alcomden Water, then followed a track and footpath north above Alcomden Water to Holme Ends, where I turned left and followed a track north to join the trail of the Pennine Way. I then followed the Pennine Way up Walshaw Dean, past the lower and middle reservoirs, before heading up Withins Height End to cross over the moor back to the Worth Valley, where I soon reached the ruins of Top Withins. From there I took the path down into the valley of South Dean Beck, across a couple of footbridges and around the back of Harbour Hill to Harbour Lodge. I followed the track east from here across Haworth Moor to Moor Side Lane. I was then left with a short walk back to the car park at Penistone Hill Country Park.
Total ascent: 2145 ft
OS map used: OL21 - South Pennines
Time taken: 6.5 hrs
Route description: Penistone Hill Country Park-Drop Farm-Lee Lane-Bodkin Lane-Stairs Lane-Lane Head-Old Road-Grain Water Bridge-Nook-Abel Cross-Abel Cote Farm-Shackleton-Walshaw-Black Dean-Holme Ends-Pennine Way-Top Withins-Harbour Hill-Harbour Lodge-Haworth Moor-Penistone Hill Country Park
It's my Friday off work and I've stayed close to home for today's walk, making the short drive across to the Worth Valley for a long walk across my local South Pennines moors. This was the sixth time (fifth year in a row) that I've done a version of this particular route, and it involves crossing the Worth Valley to Calderdale and back, making use of bridleways for one crossing of the moors, and the trail of the Pennine Way for the other. A change from last year was that the route that I took returned to the one that I followed in May 2023, except for leaving out visiting the Alcomden Stones and Stanbury Moor trig point. It was quite late in the afternoon when I arrived at Top Withins, and I was not up to adding to the mileage that I'd already done. The forecast was for a quite cloudy but mostly fine summer's day, and that was more or less how it turned out. Apart from a brief and fairly light shower that passed through while I was at Shackleton, the rest of the day was dry with some sunny spells, especially while I was crossing the moors on the Pennine Way in the afternoon.
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 to cross the moor over to Calderdale. I followed the bridleway across the moor to Lane Head (the end of the road at the top of Crimsworth Dean), walked down the road to Grain Water Bridge, and then walked south along the bridleway on the western side of Crimsworth Dean past the ruined farm of Nook, until I reached a public footpath on the right. I followed this up the track to Abel Cote Farm, then took a footpath south across fields to the hillside hamlet of Shackleton, where I turned right and followed the track up Hebden Dale through Walshaw until I reached New Laithe Farm, where I took a footpath on the left down into Black Dean, where I stopped for lunch. After this break I followed the path west up Black Dean, crossed a footbridge over Alcomden Water, then followed a track and footpath north above Alcomden Water to Holme Ends, where I turned left and followed a track north to join the trail of the Pennine Way. I then followed the Pennine Way up Walshaw Dean, past the lower and middle reservoirs, before heading up Withins Height End to cross over the moor back to the Worth Valley, where I soon reached the ruins of Top Withins. From there I took the path down into the valley of South Dean Beck, across a couple of footbridges and around the back of Harbour Hill to Harbour Lodge. I followed the track east from here across Haworth Moor to Moor Side Lane. I was then left with a short walk back to the car park at Penistone Hill Country Park.
Route map
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Having crossed Moor Side Lane, I walk along the track to Drop Farm
A noticeably low 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 over the moors of Bronte Country as I reach the top of Stairs Lane
The moors of Calderdale ahead as I follow Stairs Lane down into Crimsworth Dean
Following the track of Stairs Lane and then Old Road down into Crimsworth Dean..
Views of Crimsworth Dean as I follow the bridleway south from Grain Water Bridge.....
Following the bridleway past the ruin of Nook..
Leaving the bridleway I take a footpath up the track to Abel Cote Farm, passing Abel Cross
Looking back to Abel Cote Farm I take a footpath south through fields to Shackleton..
and across Middle Dean to the slopes that rise to High Brown Knoll
I reach the hillside hamlet of Shackleton
Views of Hebden Dale as I follow the bridleway from Shackleton up to Walshaw....
The hamlet of Walshaw
Looking up Hebden Dale from Walshaw
Following the bridleway up Hebden Dale to New Laithe Farm
Looking back down Hebden Dale
After a stop for lunch, I follow the footpath up Black Dean, and down to cross Alcomden Water..
On the track, then footpath above Alcomden Water to Holme Ends..
Joining the Pennine Way, which I follow up to a low Walshaw Dean Lower Reservoir..
I follow the Pennine Way north up Walshaw Dean
Walshaw Dean Middle Reservoir
The Pennine Way runs beside Walshaw Dean Middle Reservoir before heading up onto Withins Height End
Walshaw Dean Lower and Middle Reservoirs..
Following the Pennine Way up onto Withins Height End
As I gain height Gorple Lower Reservoir comes into view in the distance
At the top of the Pennine Way. Broad South Pennines moors around Calderdale to the south.
It's a fine summer's afternoon on the South Pennines moors
The moors of Bronte Country come into view
Following the Pennine Way to Top Withins
A stop for a break on a bench next to a wall gives me a view across to Top Withins..
..and down to Haworth Moor
The moorland of The Height and Haworth Moor below
Approaching Top Withins
The ruins of Top Withins
From Top Withins I follow the path down to and across South Dean Beck..
Looking back to Top Withins and Stanbury Moor
Threading the gap between Harbour Hill and Oxenhope Edge
Heading down to Harbour Lodge
From Harbour Lodge I take the track east across Haworth Moor to Moor Side Lane
Looking back to Oxenhope Stoop Hill and Harbour Lodge
On the track across Haworth Moor to Moor Side Lane
The moors around Oxenhope and Leeshaw Reservoir to my right
Penistone Hill is back in sight at the end of a very enjoyable walk