Day 45: Marsden to Hebden Bridge (16.1 miles)

Last night and this morning were very much planning logistics for the next week as I transition to 3 nights of B&Bs, meet Martin for a resupply at Malham for 2 nights of wild camping, and then do a final resupply at Keld to take me through to Fort William. And at that time make a final decision on whether to go on the Cape Wrath Trail which is worrying me if the weather is inclement. That’s a decision for a week’s time but I want to pencil out the route on my hardcopy OS maps to ensure it’s all clear in my head over the next few days.

We left Martin’s Mum at 9 and headed back to Standedge picking up packed lunch for me on the way. What I’ve liked about this commuting to and fro is that it has given me a better context of the Pennine Way - both of parts of the country I know but also parts I’d not been to or remembered before just as names I’d heard as a child while listening to my mother talk to her Mum, or to Dad….. Stalybridge, Marple, Whaley Bridge, Mottram

A pair of curlew greeted me as I donned my boots and set off at 10:20 to meet Martin at our B&B at Hebden Bridge later.

I was looking out for the turning off Oldham Way which I had missed before. No missing it now - the Pennine Way path has been upgraded with stone and the Oldham Way now seems less used and minor in comparison. I’ve noticed all along the route the addition of flagstones since I walked this section in 2020 and 2021 - old timers then had bemoaned them; I wonder what they would say now?

Yet again I thought I had missed the most easterly point of Lancashire. I assumed it was because I am always too busy looking at the bigger landscape and vegetation!

I crossed the A 640 Huddersfield Road at 11.20, an old Roman Road. I met a cyclist who was cursing the previous guy who had zoomed past me - he regards them as cheats and louts who throw litter everywhere and go around in large groups. A very clearly stated opinion! We chatted for awhile about different routes - he’s planning to do the northern part of the Pennine Way with a mate soon (Kirk Yelholm to Tan hill) but talked about a time they had done Hawes to Malham overnight and got soaking wet coming over Pen-y-Ghent and had never felt so cold as going over Fountains Fell.  

And after all I’d not missed the sign - it comes above the A260 and the Marsden Moor White Hassocks sign, by the gate! Mystery solved.

A skylark did its best to distract me so I suspected I was close to its nest - both flying close to me and then landing just ahead of me on the path before finally flying off and starting his classic song.

At 12:10 I stopped at Nicky’s cafe, just before the M62 crossing - 3rd time lucky! I went for teacake and coffee and juggled talking with Nicky and 4 people who had greeted me with “You must be the woman doing LEJOG!” My friend the cyclist was spreading my notoriety! They were doing a 3 and 4 day walk to Hebden Bridge and Haworth. One had face planted on Kinder plateau on the rocks, poor woman, and he face was badly bruised. She said it looked far worse than it felt, but I really felt for her. They were all were so encouraging and I was so pleased to have met Nicky at last - a legend of the Pennine Way. I finally left at 12:40.

I crossed a very busy M62 at 13:55,  meeting a number DoErs and was amused by their antics getting lorries to hoot at them - and plenty did! There was one poor lad who clearly was scared of heights and having great difficulty plucking up the courage to go over.

I had my first sight of Stoodley pike along with the white trig point of the low level boulder field of Blackstone Edge above Robin Hood’s Bed (an intriguing name!) at 13:35. I remembered this section for requiring concentration in similar vein to kinder plateau and with the thought of that poor lady’s face was particularly careful of my footing.

I saw a flash of a wheatear’s white rump as I approached the aiggin stone - a medieval guide stone for travellers some 600 years old, at 13:50. I recalled having lunch here below the stone in 2020, and how at the time I was staying distant from people as I was starting to go into shield mode due to CLL. How were any of us to know what the future held in the coming months? 

 I now descended the track of infamous “is it or is it not a Roman road” fame although it is marked as such on the OS map. Whatever it is, I felt it was beautifully engineered and I love how it has survived the years or the centuries how ever many they may be.  It has been one more overgrown than I recall and the cobbles and the curved stones acting as drainage channels occur much lower down and are now largely overgrown.

I stopped for lunch around 2pm and set off again at 14:35. I was certainly in slow mode today!

As I passed the White House pub I remembered walking along here on Mother’s Day in 2020 feeling lonely and missing my family. I was taken aback by the crowds socialising along the way, even though having been asked to be cautious. I recall weaving in and out to keep my distance but it was far more of a holiday atmosphere than I had expected which of course then led to the first lockdown 2 days later.

I hadn’t realised before that this was in the Southern Pennines “Twite triangle” so I looked it up on my Collins birds app. Rather remarkably, a  few minutes later a little bird landed in the ditch below me - allowing a very specific ID of …. A twite!

Further along the reservoirs were quiet until all together appeared… Wheatears, a pied wagtail, pair of Canada geese and mallard. And then a small wader flew down the reservoir bank catching my eye with flashes of white on its shoulder and arching back (not on its breast), olive brown plumage with pale red-orange legs and beak. One to check out later.

Crossing the Stoodley plateau is longer than I remembered, but I recalled the turning to Mankinholes and the quarry immediately after. I finally reached Stoodley Pike at 5pm - and determined to go up to see the view before setting off to Hebden Bridge.

As I approached the farm I heard a lapwing and then saw wheatears and stonechats together on the fence. And pied wagtail with another wheatear on the muckheap! Collared doves were mating on the telegraph wires and swallows swooped around the farm buildings - suddenly very busy!

I enjoyed a period of quiet reflection as I descended down through Ellis Wood and the walk along the canal and up to my B&B occurred quicker than I expected. Martin arrived soon after and we had an excellent meal at the Stubbing Wharf pub before walking back up the hill and turning in for the night.