From the car park below Errwood Hall up to the hall then on up to Foxlow Edge. I recently wondered if Grin Low might be the easiest Ethel. It is not I realised as I descended to the parking place on the Street about two minutes walk from the top of Foxlow Edge. Then the delightful and familiar circuit: Cat's Tor, Shining Tor and home.
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Another day collecting obscure North Pennine hills. There is a car park in Murton and a track leading up round to the east of Murton Fell. About a kilometre after passing Murton Fell I left the track for the pathless boggy plateau to find the top of Murton Pike. The well signposted edge of MoD land and a ltiny lake just by this are useful landmarks to find the top of this if, as today it was misty up here. The summit is an unprepossessing spot in this weather so I didn't linger but headed on down and up Murton Fell, a far shapelier hill. From a bit to the west of the summit I found a path leading fairly directly down, sometimes over very steep ground. it was May Bank holiday. It was also a non-firing public access day at the Warcop Training Area. So when better to go go these two obscure hills promoted to Nuttalls in 2016? There is a car park in Hilton at the start to the track up Scordale. Off I went on a beautiful May day. After half an hour a dog surprised me running round my legs and turning I saw the woman walking him. I waited for her to overtake but she never did and when I looked again she was gone. When I came to the bridge I took a path that goes off right up Swindale Edge, up onto high ground and down to cross Christy Bank Syke. by this point the right of way is marked by regular posts but there is nothing on the ground you would call a path. Not a problem as the terrain is pleasant and grassy making or easy walking. I left the track at the highest point and easily bagged my two Nuttals. The map showed a landrover track zigzagging down hill from here so I went to check that out and followed it down. I met the farmer on the way down patrolling his sheep on a motorbike. He was friendly and stopped for a chat. Sharing your sheep farm with the MoD sounded a complicated affair. On this beautiful bank holiday Saturday he and the vanishing dogwalking woman were the only human souls I met. The North Pennines are not so popular. Following an easy path back to my car I wondered what Ambleside or Keswick might be like today. The car park to the side of the Plough Inn is just for customers but the lay by in front is public parking. So I parked there and walked up the river bank as far as the stepping stones. Here a right of way leads gently up grassy slopes to Offerton Hall. And from here a track contours round the northern edge of Offerton Moor. When this meets a road there is a path to the left following a wall onto the plateau where there is a path on the ground leading all the way to the top of Shatton Edge. The river valley had been busy but I had the high plateau all to myself. I retraced my steps to the Hall but took the higher way back down to Callow Farm and through Callow Wood.Would I like to rewrite this with AI, I am asked. And they offer me this: "The car park adjacent to the Plough Inn is reserved for customers, while the lay-by in front offers public parking. I opted for the latter and proceeded to walk along the riverbank up to the stepping stones. A designated right of way ascends through grassy slopes to Offerton Hall. Beyond this point, a trail skirts the northern boundary of Offerton Moor. Upon intersecting with a road, a leftward path runs alongside a wall, leading onto a plateau. Here, a distinct trail emerges, guiding one to the summit of Shatton Edge. While the river valley was bustling, the solitude of the high plateau was mine alone. On my return, I revisited the Hall but chose a loftier route that descended to Callow Farm and meandered through Callow Wood." Thanks but I think I will manage by myself, There is parking space at the top of the minor road over Dane Head from where it is a very short easy walk to the top of Cheeks Hill. A very short walk downhill from there leads to the corner of a wall that is the county summit of Staffordshire. Good paths over the moors lead from there to Axe Edge End then minor roads lead through Hill Top to Oxenstich Farm. From here I set off heading more or less straight or the summit of Oliver Hill. The terrain was pathless and horrible. From the top I went NW to meet up with the path going south from Oxenstich. THis was much easier and I would have had a much easier life going up this same way. From there up the road to Orchard Common - passing Readyleech Green a lot of unfriendly dogs barked furiously at me but were safely enclosed - and so back to the start. |
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