Category: Uncategorized
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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High Sunderland Hall – The Real Wuthering Heights?
High Sunderland Hall was a gothic mansion, dating back to the Middle Ages, which stood in a secluded location on the hills above Halifax and is believed to have been one of the buildings to have inspired the descriptions of the eponymous home of Heathcliff in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. Having visited Top Withens and…
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Dawn walk from Stanbury to Ponden Kirk
For a long time now, I’ve been wanting to get up to Ponden Kirk, a rocky outcrop protruding high up on Stanbury Moor with spectacular views down the Worth Valley, to get some photos of the sunrise. The forecast looked promising on Saturday so, at 4:00am, I drove the couple of miles and parked at…
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A circular walk from Masham
As part of a weekend away in Masham to celebrate my wife, Gaynor’s big birthday, a group of us set off on a 7 mile walk following the River Ure and returning through woodland, fields and through the village of Swinton, past the magnificent Swinton Park. Our base for the weekend was The White Bear,…
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Pecket Well and Wadsworth War Memorial
Pecket Well is a pretty hill-top village situated on the moorland road from Hebden Bridge to Oxenhope. It has spectacular views down the steep-sided valley of Crimsworth Dean towards Hebden Bridge and boasts quite a few attractive historic buildings. In a commanding position atop Smeekin Hill nearby stands Wadsworth War Memorial, a striking obelisk, its…
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A Short Walk Around Wycoller in Late Spring
Just over the Lancashire border, a few miles from Haworth, is the beautiful little hamlet of Wycoller, now a country park, which was often visited by the Brontë sisters. The now ruined Wycoller Hall is believed to have been Charlotte’s inspiration for Ferndean Manor in her masterpiece, Jane Eyre. SPOILER ALERT: In the book, Mr…
Bronte Country Landscapes 