Trawden, Watersheddles Res, Crow Hill, Boulsworth Hill, Lancs.
[ 17.4 km] Wed  19 Aug 2009

Picked Eric Bell up and his son Eric (jnr) at 6:30am and drove to the De Tabley Arms Bridge, Ribchester. Dropped them off for them to start a day stage on the Ribble Way walk. Then drove on to Trawden, near Colne, to start my walk. I drove to the Hollin Hall area but couldn’t find any official car park so left my car at the roadside near the end of the adopted road.
SD 9150 3806. I walked up the road in a SE direction to Lodge Hill where the tarmac ends and a farm track takes over. Before the buildings of Beaver the path crosses fields to reach the Pendle Way which also coincides with the Bronte Way. I turned left and followed it towards Brink End. Its mostly level with a paved surface over most of its length.

The weather was dry but slightly hazy in the distance but as the day continued it became clearer. At Smithy Clough the track runs through an area of humps and bumps and I couldn’t tell it they were natural or old quarry workings. I reached the road to Haworth and had a difficult time walking to Watersheddles Reservoir due to the volume of traffic and no path by the road. The map shows a path over the fence but I couldn’t see it. At the reservoir I crossed the embankment and it was so nice to walk in the quiet again. Ahead I could see Crow Hill, which is where I was heading but there was no path. I followed a line of old boundary stones but the thick heather made it difficult going. Those stones I saw were inscribed ‘KC 1902’. I’m guessing Keighley Corporation. At the top I came to a large lump of rock inscribed Lad or Scarr on Crow Hill.

Watersheddles Reservoir Valve House

Overflow spillway at Watersheddles reservoir.

Interesting stone on Crow Hill reads
Lad or Scarr on Crow Hill

The same view 103 years ago

The wind was quite strong now but I managed to get some shelter behind an old stone building to have my butties. I then headed for Boulsworth Hill across featureless moor with no footpath. At first there was a faint path but it soon vanished. The rest of the moor was difficult going until I got near the Fox Stones. The views were now very impressive with Pendle Hill in the distance and the huge stone outcrops in the foreground. Over Boulsworth Hill and Lad Law the going was easy due to a well trodden path. I enjoyed myself taking pictures of the stones before taking a good path down to the Pendle Way. I took a minor path across Alder Hurst Head and down a farm access track back to the car. Just as I got back Eric rang on the mobile phone to say they’d almost completed their day’s walk and they were about to leave Grindleton to walk towards Sawley. I set off and met them about half a mile from Sawley. I drove them back to Eric’s home, where I was to pick them up in the morning to drop them off for the next stage to Settle.

On Boulsworth Moor

On Boulsworth Moor

On Boulsworth Moor. Pendle Hill can be seen on the left horizon.