Widdop and Gorple

For various reasons it has been quite a while since we went walking, but we finally got the boots back on and I suggested we head to Widdop and the moors between Burnley and Hebden Bridge, an area I used to visit at lot when younger.

We started at the dam wall of Widdop Reservoir and having crossed the dam, we followed the track along the water past many rocks that are popular with climbers and then started to climb the hill that led onto the moorland. My friend was getting out of breathe as we climbed the hill but again the benefit of playing a lot of golf showed as I didnt have such problems. We were forunate with the weather an it was very pleasnt although quite windy on the top. We walked over the moor and soon we could soon see over towards  Lancashireon the far  side and the Upper Gorple reservoir came into view as well.
We now left the main path to head downhill on a narrow muddy path past a couple of rocky outcrops and we soon reached the service road to the reservoir.

I was hoping to see some birdlife but so far I had seen nothing, but we followed the road towards the Lower Reservoir and passed a small wood where finally I could hear birds I spent a little time watching and listening and was rewarded by seen several as yet unidentifed birds including 3 chicks sitting in a line and branch while the parents flew backwards and forwards bringing them food. I got some nice photos and will hopefully indentify them.

We started to look for somewhere to take a break and a snack and ecided to leave the road and scrambled down a back and over a stream. While we were sat, I finally spotted a red grouse followed by a couple of others, I was pleased they were the first I have seen this year, sadly they vanished before I could get a photo.

The route we were following, would have had us follow the service road back to the main road, but as we didnt fancy walking the last 3/4 of a mile on tarmac, we decided to follow a footbath me had seen on the map that lead back to the rocks about Widdop reservoir, so as we walked along the side of Lower Gorple reservoir, we branched off the route along this path. It was obvious that the path was little walked as the grasses came up to out waists in places. It led through a wood that had been affected by a fire in the past, we could see a lot of burnt tree trunks. We continued to walk this path back across the the moor, fortunately there were posts to indicate the route of the path as it couldnt be seen very well.

Eventually the path emerged at the top of the hill above Widdop Reservoir and we followed the path down the face of the hill until we reached the path around the reservoir which led back to the car.