Tuesday March 8th

 David was out on his own today, and decided to do a favourite from Mike Dale's "Adventures in the Northern Peak, Volume 1", from Crowden to the Chew Reservoir and back. From the Crowden car park, the route follows what we presume to be the old Woodhead Road, joining the Pennine Way and crossing the current road just south of the quaintly named "Quiet Shepherd Farm". The route crosses from the north to south side of the reservoirs over the Rhodeswood dam.

Rhodeswood Reservoir, looking towards Torside and Woodhead
The Longdendale valley is dominated by the pylons which utilise the Woodhead Tunnel at the east end. The pylons are very precisely aligned until the cables cross the Bottoms Reservoir south of Tintwistle.
The Longdendale Pylons
I crossed back to the north side of the reservoirs over the Valehouse dam, and back over the Woodhead Road and up to Tintwistle via Ebeneezer Brow. Once through the village, the route passes the farm at Arnfield and plods up to Arnfield Low Moor, where there's a view of the route to come, above Ogden Clough. Unfortunately, there's a descent to Ogden Brook before rising back up to the path between Boar Flat and the clough.
Path down to Ogden Brook with Boar Flat and Ogden Clough in the distance
We first did this walk back in October 2018, just after the widespread moorland fires. It's fantastic how the moors have recovered, but the fenceposts still show the scars of the fires.
Fencepost scorched by the moorland fires of 2018
On the way over to the Chew Reservoir, I passed the tiny remains of a Tiger Moth that crashed on a training flight in 1945. Although we've done this walk several times, we'd never noticed this memorial.
Remains of Tiger Moth that crashed in 1945
On reaching the reservoir, I stopped for a late-ish lunch. The reservoir was at capacity and our usual lunch spot was well below the surface!
The Chew Reservoir at capacity: our usual lunch spot underwater.
The return from Chew took about an hour and three quarters, and the descent from Laddow Rocks gave a great view over to Crowden Great Quarry, Crowden itself and Bleaklow in the background.
Crowden Great Quarry, Crowden and Bleaklow in the background
A satisfying walk in lovely weather- 11¾ miles in all.




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