Destination Stoodley

I arranged a walk with Joe to head up to Stoodley Pike up on the moors above Todmorden - I'd got approximately a third of the way to it on a previous outing, but the icy wind, snow and pea-soup of a mist kinda hampered things, so this time I was determined to get all the way there.

After leaving the car at the small car park off Halifax Rd on Blackstone Edge - most people attempt this walk from Hebden Bridge on the far side of the moor, unlike Joe and I - we set off up the road to the edge of Blackstone Edge reservoir and the start of the Pennine Way. After the fun of a squeeze gate with a stuffed rucksac (involved a fair amount of ducking down for me, seeing as I'm so tall and it was easier than faffing about taking the rucksac off and putting it back on again) we began the walk on a pathway set slightly lower than the level of the reservoir.
This path initially takes you along Cow Head Drain and Cow Head itself with good views over to the Windmill farms above Bury, the sun glinting on the blades as they whoomp their way round.

After about a mile the first of the huge reservoirs up here comes into view - Light Hazzles reservoir with White Holme attached by a narrow inlet-type section. Warland reservoir begins close to 2 miles into the walk. When we reached the little bridge over the overflow drain, we decided now would be a good time to shelter from the tailwind and have a snack and a brew while admiring the view over the valley to Walsden on Rochdale Rd (leads to Todmorden). After a 15 minute breather, we set off again. this time the route became a little harder as the path (which then became a track by the side of Warland reservoir) becomes narrower, curves round the end of the reservoir and becomes rather boggy as it entered the heather and peat bog moorland top and followed the side of the drain as it began to snake its way over to Withins Clough reservoir.

Usually this part of the walk is a boot-sucking squelch of a section; this time it wasn't too bad - maybe it had something to do with us wearing gaitors and a little bit of sod's law? Once the squelching is over (about 3.5 miles) we can see Stoodley Pike in the distance.

Now the walk becomes a little drier as the path has been protected with huge slabs of limestone having been laid to prevent any more erosion on the protected moors and the route takes us north towards Mytholm. After crossing the Calderdale Way (another long distance walking route) the route gets a little harder again, only this time it becomes undulating and scree covered (when the route isn't sandy). After scrambling down the first of the undulations the first of the cairns is seen. Once up the other side the remaining cairns are seen lining the pathway like markers. Maybe they are there to prevent people from straying of the path and falling over the edge? Not much is known about them.


Soon we were on the bluff leading out to the Pike with the wind buffeting us all over. Once at the Pike the inscription on the stone above the doorway is barely legible -

STOODLEY PIKE. A BEACON MONUMENT ERECTED BY PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION. COMMENCED IN 1814 TO COMMEMORATE THE SURRENDER OF PARIS TO THE ALLIES AND FINISHED AFTER THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO WHEN PEACE WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1815. BY A STRANGE COINCIDENCE THE PIKE FELL ON THE DAY THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR LEFT LONDON BEFORE THE DECLARATION OF WAR WITH RUSSIA IN 1854. WAS REBUILT WHEN PEACE WAS RESTORED IN 1856 RESTORED AND LIGHTNING CONDUCTOR FIXED 1889.

Knowing it was possible to climb up the tower and knowing how dark it is inside (39 steps and no light entering through windows as there aren't any), headtorches were donned and the precarius spiral staircase was climbed. Boy was I glad we did - the views all around were simply amazing: the wilds of the heather covered moors!



Another breather was called for after descending the stairs again. The breather was certainly needed as the wind on the way back became much stronger and a headwind - always fun when you're feeling a little tired! The return journey was made more fun by trying to avoid the sheep that had wandered over to this part of the moor, and who were rather curious of these strange 2-legged creatures wandering along but not eating any heather. We even joked that we'd kidnap the next one that walked close to us and call him Mint Sauce!

Eventually we were back on the main path along Warland reservoir and Light Hazzles before the long walk back alongside Cow Head Drain. This part of the walk always feels horrendously long, most likely due to the view not really changing much and there's not really anything to aim for that gives the impression of travelling anywhere.


Alongside Light Hazzles the wind dropped enough to get a few shots in of the reservoir and the moors behind it which lead over to where we'd been hours before.


All in all it was a walk of 10.55 miles.
The route can be seen on mapmyfitness.
See Live Search view of the locale.