The Aughton Park Two

Aughton Park is my local railway station and from either the cutting where the tracks run, or the road bridge above at “ground” height, two hills can be seen.  To the south-west, the prominent summit in view is Moel Famau.  To the north-east, the rounded hill is Totridge, which rises above the village of Dunsop Bridge in the Forest of Bowland.

For some time, I thought that it would be an unusual day out to climb both of these.

From Bwlch Pen Barras, the amount of ascent required to reach Moel Famau is less than any other start point, with it being at an altitude of just over 350 metres.  The way up is obvious and on this summer’s day no navigational skills were required, with the summit tower being in sight for most of the way and the route was very popular with walkers of all ages, from babies being carried in slings or pushed in prams to the more senior in age.

Moel Famau trig point

towards Bwlch Pen Barras

After a couple of rests I reached the trig point, painted in Welsh colours, and then climbed one of the sets of steps to the tower top to take in the fullest view.  I left the summit to the masses and even taking with a leisurely walk up and a reasonable amount of time at the summit I managed the round trip in well under 2 hours.

Moel Famau tower

Moel Famau

The drive northwards, once off the M6, was through some wonderful countryside through Clitheroe, Newton and Dunsop Bridge to a car park just before Hareden, significantly less popular than the morning’s Welsh equivalent.

I walked through the farm and turned on to the bridleway leading over Riggs Plantation and up towards Mellor Knoll.  There wasn’t much of a clear path but the ground was well-shorn pasture and quite easy going under the sunny sky.  I followed the permissive path marked on the Ordnance Survey Explorer map which led to open access land and the steepening slope towards the summit.

There was a path, not always clear, that zig-zagged to the summit plateau before making its way through dry peat hags to the trig point.  I also made sure to stand on the highest hag marking the true summit of Totridge, just a few metres away.

Totridge summit

Totridge trig point

From the top, the Yorkshire Three Peaks could be seen and the view towards Pendle Hill was probably the most impressive.

Pendle Hill from Totridge

Totridge slopes

the final slope up to Totridge

Neither of the day’s summits were on my ticklist resulting in an alternative day out.  The objectives, combined for a single day, were esoteric and would not make much logical sense to the vast majority of walkers, but because of my own sense of the unusual, I managed to find an enjoyable and rewarding day out.

Two Dales Outliers

Looking at my map of summits to tick, there were only three left in the southern Yorkshire Dales.  Two of them were Birks Fell and Dodd Fell Hill.  I had the opportunity to tick them on previous walks but I had opted to shorten those days – one only a fortnight ago – and leave them for another time.  I decided that time was now!

Starting from Buckden a short walk to Redmire led to the bridleway which takes a diagonal line to the plateau.  I cut across to trig point on Firth Fell, serial number S5499, which is just one less than the last trig that I had visited on Yockenthwaite Moor (S5500).

Firth Fell trig point

The drystone wall past Birks Tarn led to a ruined hut that is only faintly marked on the OS Explorer map.  From there it is only a short walk to the summit cairn which can be clearly seen on the skyline.  Pen-y-ghent was the most significant mountain in view from the top and Pendle Hill could also be seen in the distance.

Pen-y-ghent

I walked to Birks Tarn and dipped my feet in before strolling along the edge of the plateau, enjoying the views over Buckden to its namesake Pike.  The descent back to Buckden on the bridleway was a steady amble to end a very pleasant walk.

I drove to the junction of Cam High Road and Oughtershaw Road from where I started out for Dodd Fell Hill.  The ground was boggy in places but I made my way alongside the wall without incident.  Heading just about true north from the wall the terrain became a bit more challenging and at one point my right leg plunged knee-deep into the bog; luckily I was wearing gaiters.

At the trig point the views were expansive with the Yorkshire Three Peaks stretching across the skyline and the Lake District fells were clearly seen, particularly the Scafells and Great Gable.

Dodd Fell Hill trig point

Pen-y-ghent and Ingleborough

the Scafells and Great Gable

Those views made up for the return walk – plenty of peat hags and a long slog along over a mile of tarmac.

Ingleborough’s Minor Summits

The addition of the Moss and Wright summits to my ticklist meant returning to previously visited mountains in order to mop up the tops that I had never considered collecting.  Ingleborough had 4 of them.

The path from Clapham soon led to the cairn on top of Long Scar with impressive views north.  I followed the Dales High Way towards Nick Pot before stopping for lunch at the derelict shooting hut below the slopes of Simon Fell.  That it is an obvious point for rest was reinforced by the amount of litter discarded, probably by many walkers accepting the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge who succumb to fatigue on the final leg to Horton-in-Ribblesdale.

Pen-y-ghent

My first target of the day, Simon Fell South-East Top, was easily found but the next one – Simon Fell East Top – was a challenge despite the excellent visibility.  It could have been any of a number of peat hags, but I'm sure that I found the highest one.  Poor visibility would have made ticking the summit a significant task with the risk of missing the top altogether.  It's got to be said that this "summit" is not very worthwhile.

Simon Fell North Top was easier to be sure about but which side of the wall the highpoint resides is open to debate.  This was another summit that makes you think whether such minor summits are worth the effort; do Mosses and Wrights deserve my attention?  And although Ingleborough East Top is a reasonable point to enjoy the view, it is ultimately just a tiny point on the north slope of its parent mountain.

Pendle Hill

I sauntered on to the top of Ingleborough which I had been up a couple of times before.  A few people were enjoying the summit plateau and I took the time to appreciate the view south towards Pendle Hill.  I made my way down to Little Ingleborough from where Gaping Gill was clearly in view.  At the famous cave I walked around the depression, marvelling at the fact that such a small entrance that swallows the stream can lead to a cavern of cathedral-sized proportions.

Ingleborough summit - shelter, cairn & trig point

The path now led through Trow Gill and past Ingleborough Cave for an easy finish into Clapham.

Listening to the radio on the way home, reporters were announcing that the day was the hottest February day ever recorded, indeed it was the hottest winter day ever recorded.  So good was the current spell of weather that the record only lasted one day!

Pendle Hill

It's not always the highest hill in a county that becomes its touchstone.  Gragareth is the highest point in the post-1974 Lancashire and many Lancastrians don't even know the fact, let alone visit the summit.  Before the county boundary was redrawn the highest in Lancashire was The Old Man of Coniston which is far more popular and a more fitting mountain to have such status.  But possibly more famous than either is Pendle Hill, which in the public consciousness is obviously Lancastrian.  Wreathed in mystery and legend it is, probably more than any other, Lancashire's hill.

A popular day out, Pendle Hill is within easy reach of the M65 corridor from Preston to Colne Burnley as well as the cities of Liverpool, Manchester, Lancaster and even Bradford.  It is prominent but has a modest height, just 173 feet short of "mountain" status.

I stopped at Newchurch in Pendle at "Witches Galore", a shop making the most of the local history, however gruesome.  I didn't succumb to the themed miscellanea but I did buy a large scale map of Pendle Hill which was shortly to be put to good use.

I parked the car in the parish council car park in Barley and started on the Witches Trail up to and past Lower Ogden Reservoir.  The path is quiet as it is the "back way" onto Pendle Hill and a good view of the lower reservoir can be gained from Upper Ogden Reservoir.  At Boar Clough the path turns and heads steadfastly uphill on an eroded sandy path to the summit plateau.

Upper Ogden Reservoir dam

the big sky at Pendle Hill summit

The trig point stands in the middle of a cobbled circle and the summit's isolation from other high ground ensures good views.  I walked north to a stone shelter – it looked like a fairly recent construction – before heading south on the pitched path that cuts diagonally across the escarpment towards Pendle House, before following the Pendle Way back to a full car park in Barley.

On my descent I passed a lot of people heading uphill on what was the most obvious route to the summit, enjoying the sunny half-term afternoon.  Most were not what you would call hillwalkers with assorted families and groups of friends heading skywards.  In one group of teenagers a girl in goth makeup was slowly making her way up in shoes with 4-inch thick soles.  One young boy was powering his way up the path bemoaning the incline with the comment of "man, I'm diabetic!"  Obviously a hill for the people, it was good to see all ages and ethnicities enjoying the outdoors.