League Of Gentlemen

The Wessenden Valley runs out at the dam of Butterley Reservoir and our path contoured eastwards following the Deer Hill Conduit. One of my favourite comedy shows is the League Of Gentlemen; a BBC comedy show that started way back in 1999. It is full of bizarre, eccentric characters. Two of these characters are Edwards and Tubbs who were vendors in a 'Local Shop' on the moors. Back in 1999, I spent many days on the moors trying to find the film location of this shop. It is much easier these days and you can Google the answer within seconds. The actual location was on the path that goes down into Marsden across Holme Moor Flat. We wandered down the track and tried to picture scenes from the show with the location. It brought back happy memories.

Gunfire At Deer Hill.

It was such a nice day we decided to take the path to the top of the impressive crags that bound Deer Hill Moos. We reached a sign that said we shouldn't proceed further if they were firing in the nearby rifle range. The red flags were out and we'd heard shots going off since leaving the Wessenden Valley and so we turned back to the Deer Hill Conduit path.

As we walked past the club house of the Rifle Range a fellow came out and asked us whether we were the three people that had turned back at the sign. We confirmed this and he thanked us for turning back. He said that a lot of people don't. Given that it is indicated a Danger Area on the map, and they were shooting, I was a bit surprised at this. He said that if we wanted to go to the top of the crags, then he advised taking a different path to the top via West End. This would have meant retracing our steps and so we decided to carry on along the path to Deer Hill Reservoir.

There are impressive views from the walk around the reservoir with three sides of it being built embankment. Looking across it reminded me of a very large 'Infinity' pool.

Ted

We followed paths to Red Lane and then branched off on a path alongside the Catchwater Drain. As we walked along a sheepdog puppy bounded up to me with immense excitement. He was so cute I would have put him in my rucksack and taken him home if his owner hadn't called 'Ted' back. 'Looks like you've made a friend there', she commented.

The path along Catchwater Drain has many stone stiles and it is quite a workout for the legs. At the point where the drain meets Brow Grains Dike, the path gets quite exciting as you have to descend a small ladder. Eventually the wall hurdling and drain runs out, near Royd Edge.

Cock Crowing Stone

The path followed Royd Edge with with a gradual ascent to the road at Meltham Moor. A hundred yards up the road we past the Cock Crowing Stones. We know this because it has Cock Crowing Stone painted in large letters on it. After a few drinks and if I was in a creative mood, I think I might interpret the shape of the stone as a crowing cock. Another reason for its name is that a Cock used to crow on it.

Just after the stone, a track leads uphill to the trig point on West Nab. This is the most northerly Ethel. The top is quite impressive with large boulders scattered over the whole edge. We took the path over to Raven Rocks and then a faint track back to Leyzing Clough and the Wessenden Valley. For the second time in the day we passed Wessenden Head Reservoir and back to the car park.

The sun was still shining as we dumped out gear in the car. It had been a brilliant day.