About 80mm of snow fell during the night and I had to hit the tent from the inside to dislodge it from the outside. By morning it was just raining a bit but last night’s cloud was still around. The wind had dropped but it was difficult walking when I set off as the new snow had covered the path and the snow was now knee deep and soft. I came to a stone post (Greenwood Stone) similar to that I saw yesterday but not as tall. The only marking on it that I could see was the date 1775 incised near the top. I ploughed on through the snow and thick cloud. My planned route for the day would need re-thinking. Not only is deep snow very difficult to get through it can be dangerous as it isn’t possible to see what’s under it. I was crossing an area called Dimmin Dale heading roughly towards a feature on the map called Blacks.

The Greenwood Stone Midgley Moor

Aqueduct vent shaft.

A mound loomed out of the mist with what looked like a gun emplacement on the top. As I got nearer I saw that it was a circular stone cap to a shaft which is marked on the map. High up the wall were ventilation grills and the sound of falling water. The stone structure was well made but gave no clue to its purpose. I continued along the path and came to another almost identical stone structure, though the stone on this seemed to have a sandier colour. One of the high grills had some of the bars missing so I lobbed a stone in. I heard it bounce off the shaft wall then after a long delay the muffled sound of a splash came from the depths. Later research showed that the shafts were vents on an aqueduct under the fell feeding water from Widdop to Halifax.

As I continued through the mist towards Deer Stones Edge I decided that it would be foolish to try and continue on my original route so reluctantly went for plan B. Turning right along the edge of the moor I began to look for a suitable spot to camp. Although it was only mid morning I reckoned a safe pitch and a walk off the moor tomorrow would be the safest option. I hadn’t far to go before I came to a small delph which had a flat patch with some shelter from the wind and plenty of drift snow to gather for water. I pitched the tent and spent most of the time reading. At 4 in the afternoon the cloud lifted briefly to reveal a pale sun but it soon vanished again for the rest of the day.

Camp 2 and brief sunshine on Deer Stones Edge.