Pennine Way - Hebden Bridge to Gargrave

The Pennine Way is one of the more well known of the National Trails - but prior to this walk I had only walked two short stretches - one short section at Hawes, and another where the Pennine Way joins up with Hadrian's Wall above Haltwhistle.

Now felt like the time to correct my lack of acquaintance with this trail, and so today I was heading out to complete a stretch from Hebden Bridge to Gargrave - planning tomorrow to follow up with the section to Horton-in-Ribblesdale.

Although I am doing these walks over two days, you can equally get on and off the trail at Gargrave - and so these walks could be done as solitary walking days. On this particular day, the walk from Hebden Bridge up to Gargrave is quite a long way, and so it is probably best to do it in two days. For me, the best option for this would be to stay near Ponden Reservoir. You could also use the bus to reach the train network at Keighley from there.

As it is, upon my reaching Hebden Bridge, what I find is an old Yorkshire town with a lot of industrial revolution vibes. This is an old weaving town with plenty of mills that were powered by the flow of water off the steep hills - and, as you head through Hebden Bridge, you will find plenty of water - both in the streams and canals, and under foot as it heads down off the steep valley sides!

I head out of the station into light rain, and head out over the bridge, and then left through a park to join up with the cycle route that heads out, along Rochdale Canal.

This is a pretty stretch of canal, which includes a number of old barges, with many signs of the old industrial heritage.

Heading out along the canal

There is a roughly 1 mile stretch along this canal until I meet up with the Pennine Way, as it crosses over the canal on its way past Hebden Bridge.

Overall, the Rochdale Canal can be walked between Manchester and Sowerby Bridge (where it joins with the River Calder). It is hard to get much of a feel for how good a walk this might be - this section is certainly enjoyable - but from what I can see I imagine the best section is from Sowerby Bridge round to Littleborough, and this I may look to come back and do one day.

But staying on the Pennine Way - and turning off to leave behind the Rochdale Canal - from here there is quite a hefty climb to get through, to get up onto the moors above Hebden Bridge, and as you head up you start to get good views out, over the valley below.

Looking back across the valley

Here the path runs up through some smaller villages and through clusters of houses, on its way up to Heptonstall Moor. However - if I'm honest this section wasn't entirely the most enjoyable of sections - mostly because the path was not that well looked after and quite overgrown. Moreover, after the early rain (now thankfully done for the day), I'm brushing up against wet overgrowth - and getting my leges and feet pretty wet in the process.

If this does put you off, I would probably suggest diverting off this particular section and using the Pennine Bridleway, which is running in parallel quite close by - and presumably avoiding these issues, since a horse certainly couldn't be walking this path.

Putting these issues behind as I reach Hepstonstall Moor, the path does improve, and this begins a long (and quiet) section heading north across the moors (I don't meet anyone again until Walshaw Dean Reservoirs).

Just past Colden heading onto Heptonstall Moor

Here you are crossing marshland, but there are large flagstones providing a dry route across. Up ahead I spot two groups of cows resting on the path - and with it being marshy on either side, I certainly don't want to go round - so I hope they are the chilled sorts of cows that won't mind me coming up close as I head past.

As it is - and although there are some calves having a lie down on the path - none of the cows in the groups are all that fussed about my passing by, even as I pass close to the resting calves. Instead they all just lazily watch me pass by.

Continuing on, and after walking a good stretch heading north west, Gorple Lower Reservoir comes into view - and here the path turns to the north, as the reservoir-ed section of the route begins.

The Pennine Bridleway does split off to follow along the edge of the reservoir here - and it is very tempting to head that way and along the edge of the water - but the main route is definitely the way to go - and soon I'm heading alongside Graining Water, in a bit of a pretty little cut through the rock.

Following the path of Graining Water

With this being a peaceful spot, and with the accompanying sound of the running water - I take the opportunity to stop, and have my first proper rest of the day, sat on a rock watching the water flow by.

But after having a little rest, it is time to get back on with the business in hand - and as I continue on, the path eventually pulls up off the path of the stream, to join up with a very minor road - and then cuts east along a farm track, to join up with Walshaw Dean Lower Reservoir.

Crossing over the head of the reservoir, and then walking alongside it, I pass on to reach Walshaw Dean Middle Reservoir - although I'm sad to say that this path will never reach Walshaw Dean Upper Reservoir, and so you will not get the chance here to complete the full Walshaw Dean Reservoir set, without going off route.

Walshaw Dean Middle Reservoir

As you pass the reservoirs, you have to keep an eye on where you are stepping, as on the way past, there are streams coming down from the hills and when these cross the path, there is a little jump in the path that can be easy to miss where the grass is lying over the path. These require a step over a short gap, which has a reasonable drop down - and so you ideally don't want to step into these.

But having safely navigated past these dangers, the path heads up on a long climb, up above the reservoir, to then rise up nearly to the top of Withins Height.

It is here that you start seeing more people - and suddenly a load of signs talking about the Bronte sisters, who grew up in Thornton (near Bradford) - but later lived in Haworth (which lies just to the east of Ponden Reservoir up ahead).

The Bronte sisters seem to be the big tourist draw for the area, and the ruin ahead at Withins Height is bizarrely famous for "probably not" being the inspiration for Wuthering Heights. Indeed the sign says :

This farmhouse has been associated with "Wuthering Heights", the Earnshaw home in Emily Brontë's novel. The buildings, even when complete, bore no resemblance to the house she described, but the situation may have been in her mind when she wrote of the moorland setting of the Heights.

This doesn't exactly read as a glowing endorsement of the idea that this might be the inspiration for Wuthering Heights, but other parts of the internet proclaim this to be the case - and the house seems to be getting plenty of visitors nevertheless.

As it is, this is a pretty spot and although it is open moorland, it isn't particularly wild  - indeed it is pretty delightful to walk through - and from here the path heads on, and begins to slowly descend down towards Ponden Reservoir.

Looking out towards Ponden Reservoir

Here the area has a very touristy and well-off feel, and as we drop down to the side of Ponden Reservoir, the miles of deserted moorland crossed in order to get here, become just a memory, as we pass numerous walkers walking around the reservoir.

It is here that I would probably recommend an overnight stay or end to the day if you are looking to do this route as two shorter days - as this area is busy and very pleasant to spend time in. 

Alternatively, if arriving here, you can extend the walk out to Haworth - where you will presumably see much more history of the Bronte sisters - but bear in mind that the station there is on a heritage line rather than on the national rail network. But it is a bigger town, and probably not a bad spot to spend a bit of time.

Staying on task today however, we head round the reservoir, and then start to climb up the reasonably steep slopes of the fields on the far side, heading up onto Oakworth Moor.

Leaving Behind Ponden Reservoir

Heading up through the fields

At the top of the slope, there is a bit of a wet cut to join up with a minor road, where I generally do well to avoid the mud, before sticking one foot deep into a very smelly puddle. But, having cleaned up my shoes on the grass, I join up with that road, head along, and then continue to gain height, following a path up on the far side.

Here I begin a long, and very quiet, section (indeed I make it round to Lothersdale before I meet another walker). 

The first part of this section, is a long stretch gaining further height, heading up Oakworth Moor to Bare Hill. Ahead you can see the Wolf Stones on the peak of the hill, but before these are reached the path pulls to the right, and takes you on through Ickornshaw Moor. 

Having finally crested the ridge, what follows is a long downward section, that takes you on a meandering downward descent into Cowling - where you take a few turns around the houses, and a few more round the fields, before once again heading up on a climb.

Looking back towards Cowling

Having made it through the fields - and past a number of inquisitive cows - the path joins up with a minor road, before turning off to head towards Lothersdale. Here a bench provides a welcome break, before the path heads down into the town.

Looking out over Lothersdale

This again would provide a nice place to stay - although it is quite late in this section from Hebden Bridge to Gargrave - but all the same, I didn't see anywhere to stay here. The previous village of Cowling is probably the better alternative if you want to break up this section further along from Ponden Reservoir.

Having once again dipped down and back up the other side (there are quite a lot of hills on the Pennine Way by the way!) I am now following a couple, who would appear to be out for an evening walk - and I can now use them to help guide me along the path, trusting that they should be going in the same direction as I plan to go.

Looking back from the other side of Lothersdale

This section is notable as the last major climb of the day (and a fairly hefty one at that), and once the path turns to the west, the path finally heads up to its high point on Elslack Moor.

Looking out from Elslack Moor

After reaching the high point, the path then dips down to a road, where things get busier, as here lies a car park, busy with cars waiting for their owners to get back from their walk.

Here the path follows a minor road, before turning off to the left, and starting a long descent down into Thornton-in-Craven.

At the start of the descent down into Thornton-in-Craven

From here the rest of the walk into Gargrave will be fairly flat (thankfully) - which is welcome because by this point it has definitely been a long day of walking. Indeed at this point we are about to pass through mile thirty - and that length of day will perhaps encourage the use of an extra overnight stop along the way.

After heading out along farm tracks, and then through the fields, the path joins up with the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

Leeds and Liverpool Canal

As an alternative to the Pennine Way, the Leeds and Liverpool Canal is certainly a lot flatter, but although it is certainly also shorter, it still runs for 126 miles. As I walk along it, I take some time to look the route up and while the stretch from here to Liverpool doesn't look super exciting, when I check it out, the stretch from here to Leeds (34 miles) looks a lot better - and is potentially worth coming back to walk.

After not too long, the path turns off to head through the fields, and in many ways it feels a slight shame to be leaving the canal behind as it has provided some contrast to the day - and the next section would take in the series of locks at Bank Newton. But instead, I begin a run through numerous fields, before arriving in Gargrave itself, to end a long, but enjoyable day.

Click on the link to see the writeup for the following day, walking from Gargrave to Horton-in-Ribblesdale.

Disclaimer: This writeup provides a narrative of what to expect rather than a route guide to follow. The route is covered by the 103 OS Landranger map - while there is also a Pennine Way guidebook which includes OS mapping (links redirect to Amazon). The route is in general well way-marked.