Issue Edge RFM Blue Line Walking with Peter

Issue Edge 

RFM Blue Line 

Walking with Peter

05/09/25

 Its been a few weeks since we did a Friday walk and this one was a beaut. We met at the car park near the Digley Res and were on the route by 8.00.

We started along the hillside with Digley Res to our right. I  hope you like the artistic photo, actually I just had it on the monochrome setting by mistake. This very large tup was enjoying his breakfast.

Through the trees the res was clearly at a very low water level.

This is a wonderful part of the world for atmospheric light variations as the local artist Ashley Jackson has recorded for many years. This was to be a day of tremendous light variations.

We start with a little hill as we slowly climb towards Holme.

Even at this low level the weather was threatening, but beautiful.

The hills opposite with the great name of Twizzle Head Moss feature in a walking with Lacey blog. It absolutely threw it down that day and blew a gail.

The small village of Holme is a seldom visited perfect example of this type of West Riding village, love it.


We went down the steep grassy path to Gill Hey Bridge and crossed over the stream and through the grove and up the other side.

Even at this low level the view was exceptional.

Clouds on the hills and blue skies over the fields, its going to be one of those days.

Black Galloways always cheer me up but they were a couple of fields away.

This property for sale was a doerupper but would be worth a fortune fully modernised.

Next to the house the path suddenly started a serious ascent up to the moor.

As we climbed higher and higher the views just got better and better, but it was tough going. I like these steep hills as you get to the moor quickly. 

We decided it was coat and back-pack protection time so we stopped and sorted it. The rain was definitely coming. At this level we call it atmosphere and it is so cool to look at it. Clouds engulfing the moor, very Wuthering Heights.

We reached Hart Hill and started around the Edge towards Wrigley's  cabin, I wonder what that is, its on the map. More atmosphere but it didn't detract from the walk, if anything it adds to it.

Not a classic Derbyshire type rocky edge but just look at those views. Looking back down the hill towards the east Huddersfield and Holmfirth and visible in the distance.

The rain was blowing over us without wetting us and we considered taking off our coats but the wind was chilly so we thankfully left them on. I loved the waterfall on Issue Clough, this also is marked on the OS map. We were now clearly on Issue Edge and considered that the old farmer telling the OS surveyor what they called the edge must have muttered something about being sued because we have no idea what Issue means in this landscape name.

We got to Wrigley's Cabin, another doerupper, and the heavens opened so Peter immediately but his waterproofs on, he does feel the cold bless him.

A couple of weeks ago I saw my first Wheatear and would you believe it there were 2 here as well.

Somewhere in one of these pictures is Holme Moss TV mast and the trig point a the top of Blackhill. Its only a short distance but as we have been there several times we decided to forgo the peak and head down along an old friend that is the Pennine Way.

I just love it up here on the moors, everything feels better on a moor. We had overpeaked the walk and were on the long downhill back to the res.

If you leave the path holes like this can give you a bad day so be careful and stay safe. It reminded me of the holes climbing up the Dublin Mountains.

We decided it was coffee time as  we had passed halfway but there was nowhere to sit so we ploughed on along the flags.

We finally found a perch on the path at the bottom of Dean Clough. The weather was definitely picking up.

The views were great as we crossed the rough pasture on the Kirklees Way above Reap Hill Clough.

As we descended down the valley at Bradshaw we met plenty of hikers either doing our walk in reverse or other unspecified routes. We had thought we were alone but we were not.

This is where those bright coloured ballons sold on the high streets end up. No wonder farmers hate them.

Remember this is Kirklees not Derbyshire. Its just inspiring.

Now here is something you don't see every day a charm of hundreds of Goldfinches feeding on the thistles. How lucky were we to see this. All those smudges are Goldfinches not insects.

Looking back over the route the atmosphere (light) has changed again and we removed our coats etc as the day warmed and dried out.

Aberdeen Angus cows enjoying the pasture.

At the entrance to this quarry we had a chat with a very overweight lady with hiking sticks resting on a bench. I'm not being rude as we both agreed as we walked away that she deserved great admiration as her mile or two would be far harder to accomplish than our 9 miles for us. Well done for getting out there and starting the journey I wish you the greatest of luck.

Our final destination Digley Res is perilously empty a result of this years dry weather. It'll take a long time to fill.

This was Peters first real walk for a while and he covered the ground well. Mind you he is made or iron.

A walk of nearly 9 miles with a really tough ascent in mixed weather is a tough old walk so the figures above are pretty good.

Link to OS maps
https://explore.osmaps.com/route/28610905/issue-edge-rfm-blue-line?lat=53.55487&lon=-1.87773&zoom=12.9919&style=Leisure&type=3d