November
8:00am start with 16:30 (4:30pm) return
A Walk – Return to Dick Delf Hill? Well, not quite with Dave Colbert
11 miles / 18 km with 1935 ft / 590 m Total Ascent
Just who is this Dick Delf that caused such controversy in Footprints past? Some say Dick Delf is a pseudonym for Bog Myrtle, an 11th century Yorkshire herbalist from Heckmondwike who wrote a seminal paper on the frustrations of searching for moorland flora and fauna in the West Riding under the title ‘Withering Lows’, or that he was a Yorkshire Dutchman, uncle to that bloke Heathcliffe. All we know is, well nothing, despite the exhaustive research of Professor Bewaldeth from the University of Snittlegarth.
We start from Pecket Well just north of Hebden Bridge and, shock horror, descend to Mill Bridge in Hebden Dale. It’s then through the woods to Hardcastle Crags and a long climb over Wadsworth Moor to Walshaw Dean Middle Reservoir, which we will walk round before joining the Pennine Way to chase the ‘B+’ Party over the moors all the way to Haworth. Our route is by way of said Dick Delf Hill (well not quite), Top Withins (strictly no Kate Bush impressions), The Height, Brontë Bridge, Haworth Moor and Penistone Hill.
B+ Walk – Out on the Wiley Windy Moors with Sue Banister
9.5 Miles / 15.3 km with 1300 ft / 396 m Total Ascent
We leave the coach after Pecket Well and head north to Lumb Hole Waterfall then join the Calder Aire Link west to Walshaw.
North again takes us up over Wadsworth Moor then down to Walshaw Dean Middle reservoir for a lunch stop.
We then join the Pennine Way over Dick Delph Hill to the ruins at Top Withins and on past Scar Hill. Shortly after Upper Heights we leave the Pennine Way and drop down to the Brontë waterfalls.
It’s then back to Haworth on the Brontë Way via Penistone Country Park.
B Walk – Brontë Waterfalls and Top Withens with Barbara & Alan Gilbert
8 miles / 12.87 km with 900 ft / 274.32 m Total Ascent
We leave coach park in Haworth and make our way towards Brontë waterfalls. From there we climb up to Top Withens (mentioned in the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë) where we will have lunch.
From there we retrace our steps, taking the signpost for Stanbury, walking along the main street before turning right into reservoir road; crossing the causeway and then turning left along the bridleway which leads up to the outward journey along cemetery road on meeting the main road and after a few yards we turn right through a gap in a wall leading across a field path to the rear of Brontë Parsonage and back into Haworth for refreshments.
C Walk – The Brontë Way with Dorothy Dobson and Chris Cook
6 miles / 9.7 km with 500 ft / 150 m Total Ascent
From the coach park we pass the Brontë Museum ( Toilets on car park. 30p ) to join the Brontë Way. There are good paths most of the way, but care should be taken when descending the steps to the waterfall. Here we hope to have lunch, before leaving the valley. We make our way across the fields and down to the village of Stanbury, then walk by Lower Laithe Reservoir and the last stretch uphill to Haworth. There may be time for refreshments before the coach leaves at 4.30pm.
