Sunday November 6th

 Dove Stone, Chew Reservoir and Wimberry Moss

We drove out to Wessenden and had a cup of tea at Carol's trusty tea waggon. While we drank our teas, we surveyed the rain hammering down, so we drove back to Dove Stone Reservoir to see if it was any better. As the rain had died down a bit, we walked up the access road (rather uninspiring but effective in getting you up high) and made a decision about what to do at the top- overlooking Chew Reservoir.

Decision time at Chew Reservoir

Low water level at the reservoir
We decided to go back to Dove Stone over the top and, despite the weather, this proved to be a great choice.
On our way from Chew Reservoir
We took the permissive path which stays high above the Chew Brook Valley and above the Dove Stone Reservoir itself.
Looking down over the access road and to Dove Stone Reservoir
The views north were spectacular, and well worth seeing.
Looking north and back towards the Chew Reservoir
We made our way through the mild drizzle around towards Alphin Pike.
On our way to Alphin Pike
At Alphin Pike we stopped at the shelter and trig point, and as the mist was gathering, David took a compass bearing based on his memory of the instructions in the guide book. We took the most obvious path that approximated to the bearing, dropping down gradually until eventually there was the familiar sight of the row of cottages at Hey Top. From there, it was a very quick walk back to the car park. Overall, a great walk of about 6.8 miles with 620m ascent and excellent views and dramatic scenery more or less throughout, despite drizzle (we got a little wet!) and occasional mist.


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