I left the Old Silent Inn at 9:15 after chatting to landlord re the state of hospitality business and of grief. Also over breakfast I chatted with a couple using Brigantes to walk the Pennie Way - with some 20-22 miles which they are dreading and wished they had kept to 14-15 miles.
The day was already hot. I heard a Cuckoo and willow warblers singing as I walked around the reservoir and passed Ponden Hall at 9:45 which apparently inspired the Vicarage in Withering Heights. By 10:30 I was starting to head up Ickornshaw Moor meeting a couple of blokes doing pothole repair for Bradford Metropolitan Council. I thoroughly enjoyed chatting to them about the heat and their hot work and bless them, one donated to the charity.
As I climbed higher onto the moor it was lovely to hear curlews all around me building up to their bubbling cry. I’m sure Mum would have loved that - but perhaps not the heat and the climb! I know Dad would though! The thought of him offering to be my pack carrier along with his zimmer frame had me chuckling! But I’m sure that his marker will be loyally following me on his End to End map!
It was time to test my compass skills as the path became ambiguous, experimenting with my compass and phone app, knowing the phone disrupts the compass. It was very useful to see that happening, with the paper map along side. This will be important for navigating the Cape Wrath Trail.
There were more of those bright green butterflies beautifully camouflaged against the young grass shoots and bilberry leaves. I’ve now determined they are green hairstreaks. A red grouse exploded from under my feet and continued to examine me as it skulked beneath the heather.
I got to the watershed and anexpanse of long distance views from Ickornshaw Moor at 11:25, seeing over to Pendle Hill in the east where Martin’s father was brought up in Nelson, and Pinhaw to the north that I would be walking over to get to Earby. On a clearer day I would have been able to see over to Malham and Pen-y-Ghent but the haze was thick today and I could only make out the possibility of hills beyond Pinhaw.
It was certainly hot today so I was glad I had 2L of water with me - I had just finished the first 500ml. It was water I was craving today not food so I was having to watch I kept the calorie intake up. I stopped at the stone cottage I always dreamed of living in and sat gazing over at Pendle Hill while eating an Eccles cake - it felt appropriate! And listened to a skylark singing.
As I set off a wheatear flew in front of me and a wren called from one of the shooting huts that are scattered on the slope down to Cowling. A couple of ravens flew over and I occasionally heard a slight chirp from meadow pipits. But other wise there was absolute silence. Amazing. But you could almost feel the sizzling heat coming off the heather.
As I dropped lower there was a mix of curlew, cuckoo and pheasant calling. I came close to the cuckoo calling from a tree only just coming in to leaf- as with most here I’ve noticed - but didn’t catch sight of it - it shifted to another tree whilst I was busy looking where I was going! A lapwing called - a reminder that I was descending back to farmland which they seem to favour, especially fields with sheep it seems!
At 13:15 I reached Cowling and stopped for lunch at 13:25 just beyond a row of cottages off Gill Lane, where a lady in her garden had checked to see if I needed water. Attractive though the stone stiles are, I’ve learnt to check for the stone I use to leverage up - one nearly tipped off onto my legs!
A ewe had got one of her horns stuck in the wired fence while sheltering from the sun. It took a bit of persuasion for her to realise I was trying to help but with great relief I was able to get her to let me twist her neck round to release her. With a bit of a bleat, her lambs joined her and all looked fine.
I was up at Pinhaw Beacon before 5pm and soaked in the sun and the expansive view across from Skipton to Ingleborough - the line of my Dales Highway walk wild camping just after Mum died. The view today was tremendous - I could also see Malham Cove and Pen-y-Ghent where I would be walking over the next couple of days.
I found myself walking through clouds of green fly as I walked down to the hostel - I was having to keep my mouth firmly closed as I didn’t fancy them as a supplement to dinner! In the end I had to put on my glasses as protection from them flying in my eyes the clouds got so dense! At least they weren’t midges!
I was relieved to get to the hostel for a shower and to sort out dinner. I wanted to start promptly on the morning so needed to be well-organised!
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