Berry Mill Scammonden Water RFM Blue Line Walking with Peter.
RFM Blue Line
Walking with Peter.
17/07/26
From the car park we headed up the hill to Camp Hill then down towards Spring Royd farm where we held up by an old lady who was encouraging the heavily milk laden cows into the milking parlour. She and the cows looked physically challenged, her hips were not good and the cows were not much better. We had a chat and she was lovely, enquiring of our route and generally being really friendly. That was an excellent start to the day. Leaving the farmyard the little goats scampered on the wall and a friendly white goat saw us to the gate. These were, of course, pets.
Then we were into the unknown, the darkest most hidden part of Yorkshire the Todmorden to Ripponden area also known as the Upper Calder and Ryburn Valley, north of the M62.
This is one of those areas where there are plenty of lanes but not many paths. The lanes were tree shrouded and dark. Good on such a bright, hot day but probably a bit depressing in the drizzle.
We did see a few locals on this walk mainly women and they all exchanged friendly greetings, so it seems the natives are friendly, which is good.
We had been lucky so far following the hill down all the way to the bottom of Penny Hill but then our luck ran out and we had to go up a really steep hill. The cobbles in the middle of the road survivors of a different era.
This was tough going, really tough so we had plenty of stops for views and to get our puff back.
We left the road through someone's garden and headed up towards Firth House. The partly erected gazebo was a godsend for the chucks. Reaching Firth House the path circumnavigated the property over neglected, over hung with bushes, stiles and rough paths. It did also seem to go through their garden which is always uncomfortable. I managed to catch my arm on something so a plaster was deployed.
Good views of the Scammonden dam, the valley, the motorway, a Swallow and a farmer working the land accompanied us to the top of the hill which after the rough start was achieved without too much discomfort.
The iron age settlement at Meg Dike is a nice reminder of the longevity of occupation of this rather strange part of Yorkshire.
Nearby, a tractor graveyard and another view of the M62 made for an interesting sight.
We were expecting a bridge over the motorway but found a corrugated iron tunnel instead. It was a weird sensation walking through this tunnel, it kind of played with your mind. I am convinced there must be a spiritual boundary between the Yorkshire we love and the dark forbidding Upper Calder Valley we were leaving. As well as that, it did give you a strange feeling going through the tunnel, kind of like you were wobbling when you weren't. You have to go there to try it for yourself. Its just weird.
Leaving the tunnel we met and chatted with an old guy and his dog. He wanted to talk and give us some advice on the walk around Scammonden so we let him. Its always good to chat. The route after the tunnel was pretty boring as it was a long way from the res and the trees and slope were uninspiring. We did however overshoot our turn off so had to back track to get to the church.
The old guy was connected to the church and said they had spent £300k on repairs for a congregation of about 20. Phew expensive per person for a very isolated church.
The graveyard was spectacular and would be well worth a thorough exploration. We sat on the benches at the gate a had breakfast with views of the hills as the res was out of sight. It was a very nice place to stop.
The path out of the graveyard started through a wood with this pond surrounded by thick black mud. Luckily the path was solid. The next few miles was all abnout the dodgy path and bracken.
We toiled along this uneven overgrown path trying to avoid the brambles and breaking our ankles, limboing under overhangs and backing through too small gaps. Great fun but hard work.
We were expecting a bridge over the motorway but found a corrugated iron tunnel instead. It was a weird sensation walking through this tunnel, it kind of played with your mind. I am convinced there must be a spiritual boundary between the Yorkshire we love and the dark forbidding Upper Calder Valley we were leaving. As well as that, it did give you a strange feeling going through the tunnel, kind of like you were wobbling when you weren't. You have to go there to try it for yourself. Its just weird.
Leaving the tunnel we met and chatted with an old guy and his dog. He wanted to talk and give us some advice on the walk around Scammonden so we let him. Its always good to chat. The route after the tunnel was pretty boring as it was a long way from the res and the trees and slope were uninspiring. We did however overshoot our turn off so had to back track to get to the church.
The old guy was connected to the church and said they had spent £300k on repairs for a congregation of about 20. Phew expensive per person for a very isolated church.
The graveyard was spectacular and would be well worth a thorough exploration. We sat on the benches at the gate a had breakfast with views of the hills as the res was out of sight. It was a very nice place to stop.
The path out of the graveyard started through a wood with this pond surrounded by thick black mud. Luckily the path was solid. The next few miles was all abnout the dodgy path and bracken.
The bracken contained millions of midges who covered us as we passed but did not bite, Yorkshire midges are obviously more friendly than Scots.
We eventually reached the reservoir road and were glad of it.
Dean Head Reservoir was a picture. Its a pity there is no path around it as it is so picturesque but the hills did look unfriendly for paths so maybe that is why there aren't any. Dean Head is an isolated unvisited not farmed (as far as we could see) area. I wonder what wild life is there. Sometimes an area is better without a blue line across it.
This walk feels a long one as we look back towards Scammonden and reflect on the fact that the walk extends far beyond the dam.
Walking back on the south side of the valley our way takes us down to the waters edge but it is really low so we can walk on the foreshore. The fish out of water was a fun addition to the reservoir, and I love it. There are plenty of other walkers around, mainly dog walkers, and as always, they’re friendly.
As we walk along we get a glimpse of the Church we have just visited high on the north side. Looking back the amount of water left in the res looks pathetic.
We were enjoying our selves so much on the beach we overshot our exit and had to retrace our steps back to the relevant jetty. It was a steep climb to the road where Max and I had been on Monday and then a trot along the lane back to the cars.
This walk of about 9 miles with a total ascent of 1600 feet is becoming typical for our walks and is a challenge. This one also included crossing the border (M62) into the mystical world of the Upper Calder, not a feat to be underestimated. We returned alive as this blog is proof of. The exploration will continue...watch this space.
OS Map
https://explore.osmaps.com/route/32933205/berry-mill-scammonden-water-rfm-blue-line?lat=53.64937&lon=-1.9475&zoom=12.5086&style=TopoAuto&type=2d
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