Yeoman Hey RFM Blue Line Walking with Peter

 

Yeoman Hey 

RFM Blue Line 

Walking with Peter

27/03/26


We have been a little unlucky in this area with weather and today was no exception, warm, wet and windy at low levels and same but much colder higher up. Still everyone likes a bit of atmosphere.


We arrived at the car park separately at about 7.45. Dick Hill was only just visible through the mist. The view down to the res through the forest fire break was misty and the hill tops were gone, in the cloud.





This is Yeoman Hey res after which the walk is named. Dull wet and breezy, well it is Oldham.
This water course at Ashway Gap is far fuller than last summer when this area was in drought. You'd never have believed that today. We would cross this again at a higher level. 


The first section of the walk along the south east bank of Dove Stones Res was relatively flat. We chatted to a couple of women, walking dogs in jumpers. Apparently it wasn't for the dogs comfort but to save cleaning them after the walk. Dual purpose I would say.
Peter spotted a dead mole. We see plenty of mole hills but not many moles.



The path on the left leads up to Chew res and we have done that one. This path turned left and onto a very steep grassy slope. 



We had struggled up to the bottom of Sunny Brow but then the route plunged us halfway back down the hill to the woods below Dove Stones. Then it was back up again towards what looked like a quarry but may be natural just below Great Dove Stone Rocks. Its hard work all this up and down on steep slopes.



The views were still obscured but the weirs at  Ashway Gap were unmistakeable.



There was a lot of water coming down the weirs and it was noisy.





We pushed on up the next steep grassy slope until we reached Ashway Rocks where we paused for a coffee. We sheltered behind the rocks as there was no view anyway and it was cold, wet, foggy and windy.

Somewhere up here I had an almighty fall as my feet flew forward away from me on the slippy ground. Miraculously I landed on muddy vegetation and none of the rocks abundant in the area. Phew. in fact double phew. I was fine no injury at all but I was very muddy. 







We rock hopped around the edge watching our feet most of the time and only stopping to see the view when the mist cleared. It is high, very steep (vertical in places) and lousy underfoot and the path is very close to the edge. Real and present danger for any slip.




Finally we reached the Trinnacle totally unaccessable in this weather and for me in any weather.

We could see the water course in the distance and wondered if it was our way down.


It was our route to the valley floor and believe me it was a treacherous descent. Just crossing the stream was an ordeal as the water was charging over the stepping stones normally available.









Serously this is a very very tough descent even in good weather but in foul weather it is almost foolhardy. The noise of the waterfalls was deafening. This is a real scramble almost climbing in places.




We were extremely happy to avoid injury on that descent. The photos don't capture the fear and trepidation of a scramble of this intensity in this weather but it was bad....very bad. 



The walk down the path above Greenfield Brook to Greenfield Res was a pleasant stroll in comparison. We met an American girl walking alone heading for the waterfalls. We warned her of the difficulty but it did not put her off. As she left Peter pointed out her fashion not walking boots hardly up to the task. It takes allsorts I am sure she would be ok young foolish and agile.


The next res was Yeoman Hey res again.




Peter pointed out a small bird and we were glad to see a pair of dippers in the wall of the spillway. I managed to photograph one at full range before they were gone. 



The weather which had looked to be brightening deteriorated again. Curiously when we got back to the cars the car park was full of very similar small white vans. How odd. 


What looked like a straight forward up and down a hill walk turned into a very difficult mornings endeavour. Luckily we got back to the cars uninjured but muscles had been used which will test anyone. I loved the challenge and the way we jointly solved the problems on the walk. I was wet covered in mud and knackered at the end but happy and content. 

As a final word when I have reviewed other hikers reviews of the waterfall climb the consensus is to do the walk clockwise so you climb up the waterfalls as climbing down is not recommended. We went anti-clockwise.

OS Map
https://explore.osmaps.com/route/31186645/yeoman-hey-rfm-blue-line?lat=53.53825&lon=-1.96523&zoom=14.261&overlays=os-obstacles-layer&style=TopoAuto&type=2d




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