Sunday January 18th

 Tintwistle and The Chew Reservoir

A walk for David on his own today. It was quite misty and with a little drizzle in the air. I wanted a slightly longer walk but didn't fancy driving too far, so Tintwistle seemed a suitable place to park. I set off to Arnfield and, rather than take the  rather rocky Pennine Bridleway, I took the footpath across the fields behind Arnfield Farm- a far more pleasant walk. It's good that, after having come this way for a few years now, to have found a more solid (nominally!) path across Ormes Moor and Wilderness.

I usually expect an extensive new view when I reach Chew Hurdles, but today it was far more moody in the mist.

Today's view from Chew Hurdles

Again, now that I'm familiar with the way, the walk from Chew Hurdles to the Chew Reservoir is much quicker and significantly less muddy- even after all the recent rain. However the view at the reservoir wasn't any more extensive but still as moody.

Chew Reservoir dam

NOTE: The Chew Reservoir road will be closed to pedestrians for some months- nominally nine from May 2025, but today was the first time that I've actually seen a closure notice.

This time, rather than return to Tintwistle via the trig on Featherbed Moss, I continued on to Laddow (via a conveniently placed block of rock to perch on for lunch). Dropping below the mist, I had a more extensive and seasonally coloured view.

View down to Crowden from Laddow

From Crowden, it was a walk beside the Torside, Rhodeswood and Valehouse reservoirs and back through Tintwistle.

A walk of 11.3 miles with 600m ascent.



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