-
A snowy dawn walk to Top Withins
After much slipping and sliding, I arrived at Top Withins in the dark, about 40 minutes before sunrise. the sky was clear, there was snow on the ground and everything looked set for a spectacular sunrise. And, as so often happens up there, the mist descended… The site of Hays Laithe, a long-since demolished barn,…
-
A walk from Oakworth to Haworth with a sprinkling of snow
The weather forecast was pretty bad so I took a half-day snow-day from work and came home at lunchtime. I headed straight across to Haworth and started snapping, although it wasn’t quite a fairytale winter wonderland like it was last March, The dusting of snow was beautiful. Murgatroyd Wood, between Oakworth and Haworth Ebor Mill…
-
A 5 mile circular walk from Oakworth to Goose Eye
Starting from Holden Park in the centre of Oakworth, there are plenty of points of interest and beautiful Pennine scenery on the way to the picturesque hamlet of Goose Eye just to the north of the village. Holden Park is the site of the long-demolished Oakworth House, home of Victorian businessman, inventor and politician, Sir…
-
A winter walk in Wycoller
Wycoller is a tiny hamlet set in the deep wooded valley of Wycoller Beck in Lancashire and was a place well known to the Brontë sisters, in fact Charlotte used Wycoller Hall as the model for Ferndean Manor in her novel, Jane Eyre. A short section of vaccary wall, dating back to the Middle Ages…
-
A New Year’s Eve walk from Oakworth to Haworth
Station Road, Oakworth A passing train at Oakworth Station Vale Mill, Oakworth Footpath through Murgatroyd Wood, alongside Bridgehouse Beck Ebor Mill, Haworth Main Street, Haworth Still a few Christmas items for sale A pretty unique Christmas display The Cabinet of Curiosities, formerly the Apothecary. Probably the best-known shop in Haworth. The recently refurbished Old Post…
-
A frosty December dawn over Oxenhope and Leeming
I’d originally planned to photograph the sunrise in Haworth but having had a wander round in the dark there, I had a feeling I needed to be somewhere with a better view of the sky, so I headed over to one of my favourite spots on the dam of Leeming Reservoir near Oxenhope. What I…
-
An autumnal amble in the woods at Hardcastle Crags
The Hardcastle Crags estate is owned by the National Trust and mainly occupies the steep-sided wooded valley of Hebden Dale, north of Hebden Bridge. It includes the secluded and extremely photogenic 18th century Gibson Mill, which, unfortunately at the time of this walk was covered with scaffolding. Never mind, the autumn colours were still vibrant,…
-
A foggy dawn over Heptonstall and Hell Hole
Heptonstall is a lovely, characterful hilltop village overlooking the Calderdale town of Hebden Bridge. It has a number of claims to fame, having connections to the Brontës, poets Ted Hughes and his wife Sylvia Plath, and the notorious gang of forgers, the Crag Vale Coiners. The steep sided valleys that surround it often create a…
-
A 5 mile Wharfedale wander – Buckden, Cray & Hubberholme
Buckden Heading up Buckden Rake. It looks quite daunting but it’s not as bad as it looks. A couple of stragglers The view across Wharfedale towards Hubberholme and on up Langstrothdale Looking back to Buckden Nearly at the top! A lovely bit of Dales craftsmanship Autumn has definitely come to Cray Simon & Howard set…