CrowdenArnfieldChewDovestoneBirchinChewLaddowCrowden 20 th June 2008 Views and Reservoirs |
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Parking: Park at Crowden – its free if a little secluded and there's a toilet The Walk From the back of the car park take the path through the wood that leads to the campsite and toilets. Cross the wall that marks the boundary of the wood and turn right up a good metalled path that has the wood on the rhs and the camp site on the left. At the top of the path pass round a bar gate and turn left on a track, (FP Pennine Way). Pass through a 5 bar gate and continue on the track over Crowden Brook. This part of the route is pretty with the trees, a stream and wildflowers. After the bridge the track climbs and passes through another 5 bar gate. In 200m turn left on the Pennine Way (FP Pennine Way). This is the start of the ascent of Laddow Rocks and further onto Black Hill. The path initially follows the line of a fence (on your left) passing through two 5 bar gates. At the second gate the path crosses a field to a pedestrian gate at the junction of a wall and a fence by some trees. This marks the boundary of open country. Through the gate turn immediately left; this marks the start of a climb up to the top of the edge. Initially the gradient is quite steep but as you climb it eases. The path climbs up to the line of an old wall then as it turns right it leaves it and continues to climb, crossing a wall before following the line of another to the top of the moor with Highstone Rocks on your left. Once the top is reached the path follows the line of a grough along the line of an old wall. Eventually the wall turns off left and the path bends right (North West )and heads over the moor to Hollins Clough. The distinctive features of Millstone Rocks are ahead. After crossing Hollins Brook at Lads Leap the path tracks the edge above Millstone Rocks before descending Black Gutter. It's a little messy here but turn left and track down the stream – Rawlins Brook – to a fence and stile. At the fence turn right and track it heading slightly south of east along the edge overlooking the Etherow Valley above the reservoirs. The path follows the rhs of the fence along the southern edge of Robinson Moss & Tintwistle Knarr. The edge marks the boundary between the peat moors and the grassy slopes of the valley side. As you walk along roots of old forests are exposed in the peat. It's the remains of another world. Eventually the path tracks contours round to the western side and begins to descend. At the remains of a wall the path hits a track coming off Tintwistle Knarr. Turn left and descend on the track across the eastern end of Tintwistle Low Moor, past the remains of an old pipe line from a reservoir and then descend the southern side of Arnfield Brook Valley. It's a very pleasant valley. Towards the bottom of the valley the track splits, take the right hand track and descend to a wood. The track cuts through the wood and then continues down the valley until it hits a metalled road that runs from Tintwistle to Arnfield. Turn right and drop down on the road to the bridge that crosses the Brook. The road then climbs and in 50m turn right onto a broad track (FP) that climbs up the northern side of Arnfield Brook. In 500m cross a wall through a 5 bar gate and keep ascending on the track. In 150m the track splits. Keep left and follow the track with a wall on your left. The track crosses the bottom of Arnfield Low Moor to Ogden Clough where it turns right and descends to a bridge that is used to cross the Clough. Take the path that climbs straight up the northern side of the valley and in 100m it joins a track (post). Turn left and continue to climb up the track to the south east corner of Boar Flat at the top of the Ogden Clough. At a post turn right at a post on a track ( on the lhs is a FP marking a footpath). In 50m turn right on a path which tracks the western edge of Ogden Clough. In 1km the path crosses Ogden Brook and ascends up Ormes Moor on to the flat top of the peat groughs of the Wilderness. And it is a Wilderness. A morass of wet peat. Even in a dry spell it is wet and worse than Black Hill. Eventually at a wooden post the path hits the edge of the valley containing Chew Brook just to the right of Chew Hurdles. The views across and down the valley are well worth the effort of getting there. If it wasn't for the metalled road and crash barrier that runs up the valley to the reservoir this would be a wonderful valley. Here turn right and follow the edge of the valley to the south east corner of Chew reservoir – supposedly the highest reservoir in the England. It's certainly bleak. As you near the reservoir, the path becomes less distinct because of the peat groughs. Don't lose height and aim for the right hand side of the dam wall. At the dam, turn left and descend on the road down the valley. As you descend the true beauty of the valley begins to open up. Before the reservoirs were built this must have been one of the best valleys in the Peak District. The valley sides get steeper as you descend. Soon the metalled track turns into a track of hard core – much better; it's very inconsiderate of the water board to macadam and crash barrier the top section. Eventually Dovestone Reservoir opens up before you with a backdrop of Dick Hill. This is the first of three reservoirs – Dovestone, Thomas Hey and Greenfield – that fills the bottom of another spectacular valley spoilt by man and his quest for water; but we need water and shouldn't complain too much. Near the bottom you can see a bridge and track leading from it on the eastern side of the reservoir. However, some 0.5km before this a track goes off right and contours round the side of Chew Hill, crossing a water course before joining the reservoir track. Good progress can be made on the track that tracks the eastern side of Dovestone Reservoir. At the northern end as the main track bends right to traverse the dam wall of Thomas Hey reservoir, take a path off to the right that tracks the eastern bank of Thomas Hey Reservoir. It's an easy path to follow. Eventually at the end of the reservoir it drops down to the brook in the valley bottom just before the dam wall of Greenfield reservoir. Cross a fence and water course and climb up to the top left hand side of the dam. Here you meet a track that takes you to the top of the reservoir. The view up the valley is magnificent as you at the bottom of a steep sided valley with Saddleworth Moor to your left and Raven Stones above you on the right. All you need is an eagle floating on thermals! Continue up the track leaving the reservoir behind. Above you of the right is Raven Stones and two great pillars of rock that look like 2 fingers telling you to f… off. In 0.5km you hit the junction of Greenfield Brook and Birchin Clough. The route in a couple of guides tells you to climb up the valley side to the eastern corner of Raven Stones. But its steep so plan B is a better choice. The track comes out at a stone wall that dams Birchin Clough. Ignore the gate to your left and turn right and go to the far corner of the wall where you pick up a path that takes you initially up the right hand side – western – side of Birchin Clough. This is the start of an enjoyable 15mins rock scramble up first the right hand side then the left hand side of the Clough. Some way up is a water fall – the path is to the left of the fall and requires a bit of a Lakeland style scramble. Once you are above the waterfall the gradient eases and you can think about crossing to the right hand bank and scrambling up the western side of the valley. Soon you hit a path, where you turn right and take a good path to the eastern edge of Raven Stones. The views from here across Saddleworth Moor – covered in cotton grass is great and worth the climb. Now begins a wonderful couple of hours as you track round the edge of Greenfield Brook and Chew Brook valleys back to Chew reservoir. The views across the valleys and moors and past towards Oldham are excellent. In 0.75km the path divides. The right hand path goes towards Ashway Rocks. We gave them a miss and took the left hand path which eventually joins the edge to the south of Ashness Rocks. Again you have a choice of paths. We turned left and climbed up to the edge of the moor. The path carries on straight and and soon in front of you is a memorial to a local MP who was killed by 'the accidental discharge of a gun' in 1857.You can see the damage the weather has caused wearing away the concrete from which it was made; it is now held up by metal supports. Makes you wonder how much longer it can survive but it does show what kind of weather this area gets. From the cross a path takes you to Ashway Stone and a large unnamed clough that drains Ashway, Featherbed and Dove Stone Moss's. From here there is a choice – take a path over Featherbed Moss or follow the edge round to Chew. Take the latter because of the views and besides the route finding is easier. Although the map tells you there is no path don't believe it as there is one .In some places it is a little indistinct, but it's good enough to take you round Dove Stones, Bramley's Cot to Dish Stone Brow. The path largely follows the boundary of the peat moor and the grassy slopes of the valley side, occasionally cutting corners across the peat moors. It's a lovely walk even if you are tired. Eventually you pick a good track which brings you out at the dam wall three quarters from its southern end. Climb up to the dam wall and walk along it to the southern end. The walk back to Crowden is now quite straight forward. From the south east corner of the dam wall a good track skirts along the southern edge of Chew reservoir. Soon you leave the reservoir behind you and continue on a clear path up the bottom side (southern) of Chew Clough. After 300m the path turns southeast and runs up the line of one of the feeder streams of Chew Clough onto the top of Laddow Moss. After crossing a fence via a stile the path begins to descend down to the southern edge of Laddow rocks. The views suddenly open up when you hit the edge. The view down Crowden Great Brook and across to Bleaklow is one of the best in the Peak District. Once you hit the edge turn right and start the descent down the Pennine Way on a clear path to Crowden. After 200m of gentle descent the gradient steepens as you drop down and cross Oakenclough Brook on a path that is intermittently paved. Once the gradient eases the path gently drops down and in 1km you reach the wood at the far end of which is the boundary to open country and the path that you ascended to Highstone Rocks in the morning. Continue straight through 3 5 bar gates until you hit a metalled road (FP). Here turn left and descend down the road passing through a couple of 5 bar gates until Crowden camp site is reached don your right. At the far corner turn right down a path (FP) that runs down the eastern side of the campsite with a wood on your left. In 100m turn left (FP) and walk through the wood to the car park
Summary A lovely walk with good views around Chew/Greenfield and Crowden Great Brooks. A walk for a clear day so that you can appreciate the views. The highlight is the scramble up Birchin Clough. And if you go in June, then all the moors will be covered in cotton grass and that makes even the foreboding Saddleworth Moor and its hidden secrets look magnificent. Route finding is reasonably easy but it can be difficult over Ormes Moor and the Wilderness if the visibility is poor. However, this is a walk that should be down when visibility is good. There are reasonable paths most of the way except over the Wilderness and the path around the tops above Chew and Dovestone reservoirs is intermittent
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