Day 3. Marsden to Jack Bridge. Reservoirs, reservoirs, moor, reservoirs.

We had some weather last night. The van was rocking in the wind and the rain was being blown in through the air vents in Gloria’s upper reaches and spraying us with the occasional fine mist. However, we slept soundly enough and Gloria stood her ground. This morning was misty but dry with little wind and the day improved as time passed.

I crossed from Greater Manchester into Lancashire and then into Yorkshire. If I was giving prizes, Manchester would win the king of the weather, Lancashire for the most frivolous border stone and Yorkshire for the least generous (mean even) suppliers of way markers.

Lancashire border stone. Just to let you know where you are...

 As soon as I entered Yorkshire just by the A672 I felt abandoned to find my own way across the bogs. At junctions of three or paths there would be a sign pointing in the direction I had come from but no indication of which direction I should go. Almost like Yorkshire wanted people to leave its territory by the way they had come and not trespass any further.

 

The early part of the walk was accompanied by a familiar sound that reminded me of home. The constant, distant shush of a motorway; this time it was the M62 rather than the M25.

Today’s route was relatively easy, with plenty of flat tracks following the contours around the many reservoirs in the area. Apparently I have now walked past 17 reservoirs since leaving Edale. They are everywhere and every bit of bog appears to be forced into giving up its water via concrete and stone canals, ditches and sluice gates. Many of them supply the towns and villages but several supply the canals with water.

The other dominant feature was Stoodley Pike Monument; dominant because, at 125 feet high it can be seen for miles in all directions. I suspect it will be haunting me tomorrow too. It is a monster of a stone edifice built in 1856 to commemorate the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.  At least this had been daubed with a PW sign, in the same white paint graffiti style as the “Man City” next to it. I assumed PW meant Pennine Way. Portsmouth Wanderers?

Stoodley Pike monument above the Calder Valley

Talking of Man City, graffiti extoling the virtues or otherwise of said team has been prominent on gates, signposts and the like. I did wonder why Man United were not equally well represented but then on reflection I realised that half of the graffiti was “Man City are shite”.

 

A friend e-mailed me yesterday and asked whether I had seen the steps she helped to lay on the PW back in the early 80s as part of a conservation project. I could not recall seeing them but replied that the way has moved over the years and it no longer agrees with the map at several points on each day so far. I suspect this down to management of erosion. I have been struck by how little erosion there is given the age and popularity of this route. I was expecting a very wide and rutted track for much of it. However, I have been very pleasantly surprised. The re-purpsoed mill fag stones help hugely but also it seems that the path has been deliberately moved here and there to allow sections to recover. Given the way the flag stones have vegetation up to their edges and between any gaps it would appear that the eroded stretches do recover quite quickly.  I have seen bags of materials deposited over the moors and wondered what they were until I saw an information board explaining that these were heather plants and sphagnum moss plugs for planting into degraded moors. So, the conservation work continues.

I eventually strolled down into the Calder Valley near Hebden Bridge and climbed a cobbled lane up the other side that I swear was a 45 degree slope. I have by passed the town in favour of a campsite just off the route on the other side of the valley. This is a shame because Hebden Bridge looks interesting judging by the sign selling its virtues to PW walkers. Our campsite is adjacent to the New Delight Inn which turned out to be a very friendly place serving a splendid pint of Lancaster Bomber.

Hebden Bridge is the place to be.

Catherine cycled up and around Hebden Bridge and met fellow cyclists on Blackstone Edge. One cyclist proclaimed that Kent was not hilly which Catherine took him to task on whilst conceding that it was not as hilly as around here.  No tea and cake today, standards are slipping.

 

Garmin says: 18.4 miles; 5.6mph max; 3.3mph moving average; 2.6mph overall average; 6hrs 55mins with 1hr 22 stoppages.

White Holme, Light Hazzles and Warland reservoirs

A beautiful stone seat memorial. Perfect spot for lunch. Thanks Cyril.

Stodley Pike again, framed by the stone stile. Note that there is a P and a W on the stile's pillars, an early 1960s way marker, but again in the wrong direction if travelling south to north.