Bleaklow Hill, Peak District

Its my birthday, well actually it was a few days ago. But I used it as an excuse to go walking early on a Sunday. This time we all headed up to the northern area of the peak district to clime up Bleaklow Hill (633m). The group today consisting of (Helen P, Paul, Helen E, Marta, Jon, Edd and Daisy) met at Torside Reservoir car park off the B6105.

We set off by walking westwards, down the old railway line which used to join Manchester to Sheffield. The valley was also at one point going to have a motorway ploughed through it. Thankfully they didn’t and its quite a peaceful part of the countryside, with the exception of the odd off-road bike whizzing past. We followed the reservoir until we hit the Pennine Way. We then followed the national trail up towards Clough Edge. At this point my directions were being questioned as it did look like we were walking through someone’s front garden! The weather was holding out and the Sun was peering through the clouds!

We clambered up the hill until Sykes moor. The weather getting deciding dicey although not exactly raining it was very overcast! We walked near a bronze age fortification called Torside Castle, although it was not much more than a mound of Earth! I don’t know when ever I see castle written on a map, I always think massive ramparts, towers etc, not a mound of Earth. We decided to stay south of the stream and follow it around as it turned eastwards towards Wain Stones. We had a break here and clambered around on the stones for a while, some of us catching a early afternoon nap, before handing out eastwards along the Bleaklow plateau.

Trying to make sure that we did not end up on the wrong path, I managed to get to Black Clough, which had a small path which would take us all the way through Shining Clough Moss and through the Bleaklow Meadows. The scenery here looked quite colourful with moss as the Sun came back out. But I tell you this place would look miserable in the rain! Look at the name it does not lie!

The path moved in a north eastward direction started to descend and we walked passed a wood where we dipped down into the valley near the River Etherow. Stopping next to a one of its tributaries for a few moments (a lot of rubbish here for some reason) we walked back towards the disused railway line that we were on earlier. I noticed up on the hill there were several kids running around with fake replica guns and army outfits and wondered why parents would give such things to their kids.

We turned back onto the railway line (Longdendale Trail), with the old tunnel behind us – this one wasn’t square either (a reference to a remark in a previous blog). We wandered passed Woodhead/Torside Reservoir, passed the dam and back through the memorial gardens to the cars.  We were lucky with the weather today!! I think I even got a little bit sunburnt!

Thanks guys for sharing my birthday walk :)