HRP ... and beyond: Hebden Bridge and Edale June 2019

No posts for a while! .. to be honest, it has taken me time to get over the accident mentioned in my previous post. Not just the injuries but also the ignominy of doing such a careless thing in the first place. Anyway I am recovered now, more or less, and looking to do some more walking in 2019. This year, it is five years since I last walked the Pennine Way, and so I plan to do it again - for the third time - in September. Next week!

As preparation, I have twice visited "oop North." In June, I spent a few days in Edale and a few days in Hebden Bridge. And in August, I spent another week in Edale. This post is about the June visit. Wonderful places and surroundings, both.. forgive me, if it says more about both places than you want to read. It is for my own records and perhaps if folk are heading that way, they will get an idea or two for an interesting walk.

The itinerary was a bit complicated:

22 June: (Saturday) drive to Edale; walk, then stay in Waterside campsite
23 June: drive to Hebden, walk then stay Thorncliffe
24 June: walk, stay Thorncliffe
25 June: walk then camp in tent
26 June: walk then Thorncliffe
27 June: drive back to Edale, walk then Waterside campsite
28 June: Waterside
29 June: Waterside
Sunday 30 June: drive home to Kent

.. a little unconventional, but it worked OK for me!

On day one I set off early and drove up from Kent to Edale and found the Waterside campsite, about lunchtime. I was directed to the far corner of the campsite, which suited me fine. I wanted to get a walk in that day and had a route sorted out which went along the south of the Edale valley, over Mam Tor, Back Tor and Lose Hill, which looked promising. About 9 miles and a respectable 600m of climb. And a lovely walk it turned out to be, too:

Fine weather and far views. This is a lovely part of England. Yes it gets busy at peak times, but apart from Mam Tor itself there it never felt like that. It's a classic walk that everyone will like.

After a very pleasant meal at the Rambler's Inn in Edale village, I set off fairly early the next day for Hebden Bridge, only an hour or two away. Then a walk up to Heptonstall and back was plenty for the day. Hebden Bridge must be the hilliest town in England ..

Next morning, a walk from Widdop reservoir up to the summit of Lad Law, the highest point in the area and together with the Dove Stones, the Raven Stones and Great Edge Flat, altogether a fine walk although this time it didn't go quite the way it could have .. it got really wet and windy. I got up Lad Law and round to the Dove Stones but by then I had had enough so ploughed down through the heather to the shooters' track that goes back to the road. Once on the road turn left and along, then via the Widdop reservoir back to the car. All I will say is that in reasonable weather there is a wonderful day's walking here, wild, airy but not remote, and people-free; just look over the map and pick your own route. It's a lovely area, all access land and highly recommended.

Next day, I wanted to walk over to the Old Silent Inn, in Stanbury, stay the night there, or in the area and then return the next day to Hebden Bridge. Unfortunately it all turned out a bit wrong .. again, the weather was poor, very wet, and then I found I had arrived at Stanbury by lunchtime, owing to an excess of energy and nowhere to stop .. and then I discovered that although I had my tent with me, I had left all the tentpegs in the car. In the end I decided to walk back (by a different route) to Hebden Bridge, which I duly did.

This left me with a fully functioning tent, but nowhere to stay because the B&B was fully booked. So I went and had a really nice meal in the only Greek restaurant in Hebden, called the Aya Sophia. Run by a Turk, it transpires, a lovely man called Ozzy. And excellent food. Poking around on the Internet whilst eating, I found a campsite called the Old Chamber, up on the far side of the valley. Booked in, and drove up there afterwards.

This is a very fine place to put up a tent. The campsite has perfectly OK facilities .. showers, loos, all that .. but what it especially has is a great view, high up the Calder Valley overlooking Hebden and Heptonstall, Mytholmroyd and Todmorden. I had a pleasant night there.

Next day I set off on a walk to Stoodley Pike, Withens Clough reservoir and Cragg Vale. Stoodley Pike is one of the most impressive monuments around .. huge, you can climb up inside it, great views, and it is visible for many miles around. It is rather unclear what it commemorates (the people who built it?) and why it was built, but impressive it certainly is.
Lunch at the Hinchcliffe Arms, a very good meal and pub.
Then back to the Old Chamber to collect the car, and return to the Thorncliffe B&B.

Next day, back to the Waterside campsite for two nights. I spent the rest of my time there walking up to, and around, the Kinder Plateau. This is just a magical place .. it is a strenuous climb from Edale up to the plateau. Almost all the footpaths go around the edge of the plateau; and if you should venture into the middle, you will be completely on your own and probably, up to your knees in peat bog. It is a different world, and I suppose not to everyone's taste, but I loved it. So far away, from everything but nature.. I will upload some photos but they will not really do it justice, I think.

In August I returned to Edale for a week, staying at Ollerbrook Barn and at the Edale YHA. Both are good places to stay .. I am running out of energy to describe the week, but suffice it to say that it is a lovely area with fine hills and fine walking in absolutely every direction... I daresay I will go back some time. Some photos might begin to explain: