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Cowling to Keighley
Reservoir (via Hitching
Stone)
Submitted To Cowlingweb
By: Greywolf |
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Difficulty
rating: |
Moderate, though
the last few
miles are a bit
of a balancing
act at times!!
Such climbs as
there are, are
very gentle. |
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Distance: |
9 miles |
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Description: |
A quick walk to
blow the cobwebs
away. |
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Accessible by
public
transport:
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An hourly bus
between Keighley
& Colne,
alighting at
Post Office,
Cowling (5 min
walk to start of
route). |
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Start Point / Parking: |
The village Post
Office (SD 973
431). Park with
consideration in
one of the side
streets. |
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Walk map: |
Walk Map
( Res: 654x707
) |
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1) |
Walk up the main
road for about
half a mile to
the former Black
Bull PH, now a
furniture shop. |
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2) |
Cross the road
and go through
the gate, then
climb steeply
but briefly up
the slope to
another rusty
kissing gate. |
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3) |
Cross the next
field at 1 o/c
to the gap in
the wall. Then
climb to the
squeeze stile
and gate in the
corner just
above the house. |
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4) |
Cross the lane
and take the
stile. Follow
the l/h wall via
a kissing gate
to a step /
squeeze stile
and turn left
along the lane. |
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5) |
Bear right at
the T-junction (SD
965 422). You
are now on the
Pennine Way.
When you arrive
at a gate, go
through it and
climb the track
that runs
alongside a
small ravine
with a charming
waterfall at its
head. The track
hairpins back on
itself – (SD 965
419). |
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6) |
Follow the track
downhill, past a
signpost and
through a gate.
(SD 965 418).
Down some stone
steps, over the
single slab
bridge and
continue along
the path at 11
o/c over some
rather boggy
ground. |
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7) |
At the fence go
downhill,
keeping to the
right; cross the
footbridge and
climb the steps
on the other
side. (SD 970
417). |
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8) |
Continue up
hill. You pass a
deserted
farmhouse on
your left. Go
through the gap
in the wall and
climb a very
steep few yards.
Follow the r/h
wall till you
reach a (usually
flooded!) step
stile at SD 972
417. Cross this. |
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9) |
The path is now
very boggy, but
you follow it,
making for a
cabin with a
chimney, and a
Pennine Way
signpost to the
side of it. You
then cross a
beck and make
for a shooting
cabin with
benches outside
to sit and
admire the
moorland views.
(SD 969 415). |
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10) |
Cross the beck
and follow the
fairly distinct
path running
roughly parallel
with the wall.
Then you arrive
at a signpost by
a new metal gate
(SD 969 412).
You have now
done just over
2.5 miles. |
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11) |
Head up hill
towards a second
substantial
shooting cabin (SD
969 411). |
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12) |
Follow the path
uphill, passing
a shooting cabin
on your right,
and then
descending past
the right of yet
another cabin
made of stone.
The path is now
slabbed and
provides an easy
ascent up the
gentle moorland
slope. |
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13) |
Eventually
the slabs come
to an end. The
path carries on
at 1 o/c and
reaches the area SD 972 402 where
the slabs start
once more and
then stop again,
as though
someone really
couldn’t be
bothered with
all this. The
path is still
pretty clear, if
boggy, and at SD
974 395 it
becomes slabbed
again. |
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14) |
Finally you
arrive at the
end of a wall (SD
979 389) with a
marker post
saying
“Millennium
Walk”. (You’ve
done about 4.25
miles). Turn
left and follow
clear the track
and waymarker
posts all the
way down to
little Keighley
Reservoir (SD
989 392), 5
miles from your
start point.
Cross the dam,
following the
Millennium Way
now (path 10)
and turn right
along the
tarmacked access
road. |
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15) |
Follow this for
a mile all the
way down to
Morkin Bridge
car park via a
gate at Higher
Intake Farm. (SD
002 403). Turn
left, crossing
the bridge and
walk up the hill
to Middle
Slippery Ford
Farm, where you
take the
footpath on the
left which
doubles back in
the direction
you’ve just come
from. |
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16) |
The track is
very clear, with
walls on either
side. Go through
the gate at SD
999 407. The
track follows
the r/h wall.
Pass through a
gate, over a
bridge by a
waterfall, then
over the stile
(or through the
gate) and pass
across the front
of the deserted
farmhouse. |
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17) |
The path ahead
is very
tempting, but do
not take it. (I
did – and
discovered the
“pleasures” of
floundering in
peat bogs!)
Instead go
right, along the
side of the
house and follow
the wall for
about a mile
until you arrive
at the Hitching
Stone (SD 986
417). Initially
there is no sign
of a path, but
it eventually
appears and
remains clear. |
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18) |
From the stone
(at which point
you have done
around 7.5
miles) continue
on the same line
downhill,
keeping the wall
and fencing on
your right. The
path here is
reinforced – by
a blind man, it
seems. Play
hopscotch with
the little
irregular slabs.
Go through the
gate and carry
on uphill on
rather drier
ground to the
gate in the
corner. Maintain
this line until
you reach the
road. |
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19) |
Turn left, then
go through the
car park on your
right (SD 985
466), and follow
the path heading
straight for
Wainman’s
Pinnacle. |
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20) |
Pause here and
admire the
spectacular
views across,
from the left,
Cowling,
Glusburn and
Cross Hills.
Suddenly the
slogging of the
past hour seems
worth it! |
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21) |
Turn left and
follow the path
along the crest
of Earl’s Crag.
After about ¼
mile there is a
clear path
zigzagging down
the hill. Follow
this all the way
to the road at
the foot. Turn
left here, and
follow the road. |
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22) |
Where the road
bends right,
take the
footpath on the
left into the
farmyard and
immediately
cross the stile
and gate on the
right. The path
goes down the
l/h side of the
field, then to
the right of the
big Ash tree and
to the corner of
the field. |
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23) |
Pass through the
gate, cross the
small close of
council housing
to the main
road, turn left
and walk back to
the Post Office. |
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