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| Up 'n' Atom
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Date : 26th April 2009
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Leader : Pauline & Dave Hughes |
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Report by : Phil Bedson |
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Photos © : Phil Bedson |
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| CLICK HERE FOR ROUTE DETAILS |
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| The Atom | |
A bright but breezy morning was on the cards when 12 members set out from Trawden for an advertised 11mile walk. Starting off up the old tramway it wasn’t long before we were out of the village and a small gate led us into a field. Going downhill to cross a footbridge, we paused briefly to watch a mother duck with her half dozen young before ascending the other side. Our route took us past the beautiful white farmhouse at Far Wanless and on via a field path and track to Alderbarrow, whose lane took us back down to join the road.
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left:
Bridge near Trawden |
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right: Far Wanless Farm |
Turning down the road towards the large mill, currently being converted, we took our next left turn to start ascending up past Bottoms Farm and, following this track for another half mile, we soon arrived at Gifford Clough. We edged round these buildings to find ourselves descending a tree-lined valley and after fording a shallow stream, a short steep climb took us back up the other side to a field where our leader declared a drink stop. The mass of Boulsworth Hill was before us and there were rumblings within the group over climbing it.
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left:
Crossing the ford |
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right: The bulk of Boulsworth |
After everyone was suitably refreshed we resumed our journey and shortly joined the prominent track that forms part of both the Pendle and Bronte Way walks. Our leader then issued a declaration that if anyone wanted to climb Boulsworth she was willing to lead them up, whilst those who didn’t would be led more serenely along the track by her co-leader husband. A meet up point was duly arranged and nine hardy souls began to ascend. The going was slow due to the long grass and soft ground, the latter proven beyond doubt when one of our party had to be unceremoniously hauled out of one quagmire after getting stuck nearly knee deep! However, we soon arrived at the top and the views afore us were extremely good. We could see the three peaks of Yorkshire to the North, Pendle Hill was just off to the West and Stoodley Pike, next weeks destination, to the South.
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left:
Near the top.... |
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right: ....and at the top! |
After a brief pause for the Group photo we began the descent back down to the track which would lead us to rejoin the rest of our party and, more importantly, lunch.
Upon reaching the track we soon got up a good pace and our mood was buoyant. We could hear a tractor in the distance and kept looking back along the track to see if it was coming our way. Imagine our surprise then when not just one but a whole line of tractors came into view! Snaking their way along the track there were a variety of colours and sizes and, of course, the ubiquitous grey Ferguson. What a spectacle they turned out to be and indeed were well worth us being delayed a few minutes. It was but 10mins later we arrived to rejoin our Group and settle down for our food.
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| A line of tractors | |
It wasn’t long before the walk was resumed and we continued along the Pendle/Bronte Way route until we arrived at Parson Lee. We then took a small bridge and gate into a field where we began a steady ascent up towards Foster’s Leap Farm and it‘s beautiful landscaped garden. It is situated immediately below the rocky outcrop of Foster’s Leap itself, so called in the 17th century after Foster Cunliffe, a relative of the owners of Wycoller Hall, who, in one mighty bound, cleared the 6ft gap separating them for a bet. From here a pleasant hillside path then took us directly to The Atom, the panopticon for Pendle.
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left:
Pendle Hill |
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right: A view of the Atom |
We paused briefly to look at the strangely intriguing monument before descending down to the village of Wycollar, itself a wonderful place to visit with the ruins of the aforementioned Wycollar Hall. After a quick refreshment stop we were soon on our way again. Crossing the river by way of the ancient clapper bridge, again pausing briefly to look at the packhorse bridge, we began a slow climb uphill out of the village. Field paths once again took us the last mile or so, past Germany Farm and Near Wanless Farm, before dropping back into Trawden to end our walk. A wonderfully bright sunny day ended, perhaps appropriately, in the Sun Inn.
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| Packhorse Bridge at Wycollar | |
| OS LEISURE 21 |
SOUTH PENNINES |
START POINT |
SD 912 387 |
| WALK LENGTH |
7.3 mls / 11.75 km |
TIME |
3 hrs |
| MAX HEIGHT |
328.0 mtrs |
MIN HEIGHT |
180.89 mtrs |
| HEIGHT ASCENDED |
380.61 mtrs |
HEIGHT DESCENDED |
380.61 mtrs |
This map is for reference only and MUST NOT be used to do the walk.
Please use the correct OS map for all these walks.
DETAILS WITH EXTRA LOOP
| OS LEISURE 21 |
SOUTH PENNINES |
START POINT |
SD 912 387 |
| WALK LENGTH |
8.85 mls / 14.25 km |
TIME |
3 hrs 45 mins |
| MAX HEIGHT |
515.80 mtrs |
MIN HEIGHT |
180.89 mtrs |
| HEIGHT ASCENDED |
590.20 mtrs |
HEIGHT DESCENDED |
590.20 mtrs |
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