England - Peak District - Source Of The Don
England - Peak District - Source Of The Don
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Walk Summary
Walk Summary
A high level walk with very little ascent. Crosses high moors (some of which is trackless) with views across to Bleaklow, Ramsden Clough and Black Hill. Descends via Upper Snailsden Reservoir and the interesting Harden Clough.
Date: 30/01/2022
Length: 7.92 miles
Height Gain: 171 m
Terrain: Very boggy paths, trackless moor, stone paths, lightly used roads
Navagation: High featureless moor. Requires map and compass.
Start: Winscar Reservoir Car Park
Route: Winscar Reservoir Car Park, Dead Edge End, Snailsden Pike End, Upper Snailsden Reservoir, Harden Clough
Map: OL1 Dark Peak Area
Weather: Icy and sunny.
Walkers: Nun
Gallery
Gallery
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Wniscar Reservoir
Captain's Log
Captain's Log
Duck Zombie Apocalypse
Duck Zombie Apocalypse
The ducks were getting quite vocal as I put on my walking boots at Winscar Reservoir. There must have been a few dozen, and there were plenty of seagulls and geese too. They were all waddling towards me like some sort of Duck Zombie Apocalypse. I have to confess I was a little unnerved. I was saved by a youngster who started throwing some food to them further up the car park. They turned their back on me and waddled towards her. I breathed a sigh of relief.
The sun was just rising over the horizon in the east making the hills surrounding Winscar, glow red. Apart from the duck terror, the day had the makings of a good one.
Boggy
Boggy
Even though the morning was icy, the path on the other side of the reservoir was very boggy. At best it was extremely damp. At one point my foot disappeared down into the mire above my boot top and I was glad that I'd chosen to wear gaiters.
I'd never walked on this side of the reservoir. At least that is what I initially told myself. At some spots I got that familiar sense of deja-vu, so maybe I had.
The path was sketchy in places. I guess most people stick to the tarmac side of the reservoir and avoid this boggy side.
The path eventually ended up at a landrover track. There were plenty of grouse butts about and I guess the tweed trouser brigade didn't fancy the walk out to them. It was a gradual incline on to the moors as I followed the track.
Winscar Reservoir
Winscar Reservoir
Great Grains Clough Bunkers
Artillery Bunkers
Artillery Bunkers
Just beyond the end of the track I came across a line of sunken artillery bunkers used by the tweed trouser brigade. They were well made, although I was surprised none of them escalators to make it easier for the punters to enter and exit.
I eventually reached the wide col at the top of the moors, and it was then a quick ascent up to the trig on Dead Edge End. It was a good view, although a little hazy. I could see the line of reservoirs on the western side of the Woodhead Pass. Last year I saw a heron near this trig. I'm not sure how many fish it was expecting to catch, 499 metres up on the top of the moor. I looked across to Snailsden Pike End and could just see the trig on its broad top. That was my next destination.
Snailsden Pike End
Source Of The Don
Source Of The Don
A wire fence ran roughly northwards, and I followed that until I reached a slight depression that was the head of some grains draining eastwards. This was in fact the source of the River Don; a mighty river that flows 70 miles eastwards to join the River Ouse, then the Humber, and then the sea. I contemplated this as I made use of the seclusion of the depression to have a pee. I wondered how long it would take to drain out to sea. Quite a while I'd expect.
At a junction of fences I climbed over a stile and headed towards the broad back of Snailsden Pike End. There is no definitive path across this part of the moor, but I was able to make use of the occasional track left by the fellow who fills the grouse feed stations. There are a few grains that lead north and east, but these didn't present any problems to progress.
Snailsden Reservoir
Harden Clough
Snailsden
Snailsden
It was a short and easy climb up on to Snailsden and over to its trig point. A couple of mountain bikers appeared at the top of the track from Cook's Study Hill. They decided not to go across the boggy section to the trig, but follow the track that contours around the edge.
I headed towards them and then went down the path they had come up, to Snailsden Reservoir. I'd decided to explore the valley down from Snailsden Reservoir to Harden Reservoir. There was a vague path on the south side of the reservoir. The north side path is more popular. At the dam I took out the map to check that the downstream valley wouldn't present problems. As I was doing this, a couple and their dog walked past me and started heading down there themselves. I bowed to their local knowledge and followed them. The valley was actually quite pretty and fairly narrow in places. The sketchy path eventually disappeared, and so did my guides. I climbed out of the ravine and on to the well defined path at Harden Clough. I walked past Harden Reservoir and a short road walk brought me back to Winscar Reservoir. There were plenty of people out at this time of day and much to my relief, the ducks had been distracted, and there was no danger of another Duck Zombie Apocalypse.
Despite the boggy sections, the walk had been cracking, made better by a persistent sun.
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