Saturday February 7th

Marsden, March Haigh and the Pack Horse Road

A misty and moist day as it has been for a couple of weeks, but we set off for Marsden to do a familiar walk up March Hill. After stopping at the Standedge Tunnel café for a quick brew, we walked up to Hey Green House and then alongside the row of rail posts, dated 1847. We headed next for the track beyond White Hall Farm which marks the start of the moorland and the steep sides of Haigh Clough- not that you could really see anything in the mist. At March Haigh Reservoir we stopped for some food and surveyed the extensive works that are taking place in the reservoir. We made our way up March Hill where normally one can see views back to Marsden.

Nearing the top of March Haigh

According to the Marsden Walkers leaflet, this is a view that Mesolithic people would have seen which is quite thrilling to imagine how wild it must have been in those times. We continued on the rather muddy path until the Pack Horse Road (marked by a clear PH road stone marker), and then descended the moor back to Marsden. There is a lovely 18th century pack-horse bridge at the bottom, at Easter Gate or Close Gate, built to transport wool between Rochdale and Huddersfield. Then it is a matter of re-tracing one's steps to Marsden station. 

A walk of 8 miles with 320m ascent.



Popular posts from this blog

Monday January 12th

Image
Hartington and Three Dales It is a bit of a drive to get there but, as the weather continued to be unreliable, we made the trip to Hartington to repeat a walk we did twice last January . We were the only car in the car park when we set off along the muddy trail towards Beresford Dale. Starting along Beresford Dale Further along Beresford Dale As before, there were few people around; in fact, we encountered far more sheep than humans on our way round the walk.  Communing with the sheep! After entering Wolfscote Dale, with its high limestone walls, we dodged a few showers and continued along, past the very wet bits, stopping for lunch on some convenient stones. The going is very easy on this walk, but it has a nice rhythm to it and the Dales are an impressive sight, even on a dull day in January. On leaving the junction with Biggin Dale, we began our return to Hartington, eventually passing Hartington Hall Youth Hostel which looks an interesting place to stay. A short but therapeutic...
Read more

Saturday January 24th

Image
 Tideswell to Cressbrook After a week of windy weather, Sunday looked calmer and we opted to go to Tideswell to do a new walk. The first section seemed to be a little complicated, but we made our way to the head of Tideswell Dale. Stoical sheep on the way to Tideswell Dale From there the route heads towards the Field Study Centre and after negotiating some cottages, emerges at Litton Mill, notorious in the 19th century for its use of pauper child labour. The mill is in an isolated spot and was never very profitable in comparison with other textile mills nearby. Entering Miller's Dale, the route passes through the Cramside Wood Nature Reserve,  with a pleasant meander along the river Wye. We decided to stop for lunch here, next to a small, derelict water wheel. The remains of a water wheel with a good perch for lunch This lunch break was good preparation as it turned out for the flooded sections of the trail which followed. It was passable, but very wet and muddy, especially to...
Read more

Monday January 26th

Image
 Cave Dale and Mam Tor We had managed to do this walk in the middle of November 2025, when a clear day had provided the right conditions to do the complete route. Monday was a less hospitable day, with low clouds and temperatures. Nonetheless, we started from Castleton and walked up the gorge of Cave Dale, always an impressive sight with Peveril Castle one of the first Norman stone castles in England. Peveril Castle and daring sheep Daring sheep! We ascended to the Limestone Way and then across the fields (with many stiles), towards Windy Knoll. The view towards Mam Nick was somewhat obscured by the mist which was a shame as it is fantastic. Mam Nick making a fleeting appearance Mam Tor being a bit coy We made use of a stone bench at Mam Nick to have our lunch (excellent breadsticks from the weekend) before tackling the walk up to Mam Tor. It was probably the first time that we had been at the top of Mam Tor on our own, which was a reflection of the rather icy conditions at the top...
Read more