Winter In The West Pennines (Day 1)

December 2022

The last blog I wrote was in 2015, it was about a walk I did along the The Cleveland Way, a long distance footpath in the North York Moors. In the meantime work and other commitments prevented me from posting other blogs. However having recently retired I have the time and the opportunity to resume blogging again.   

Retired - Yeah!!!

I wrote my first blog back in 2011and my first foray into blogging "Its Grim Up North" was based on an evening walk on Darwen Moor, so it seemed fitting to re-start blogging again in this corner of The West Pennine Moors, as it is where I live.


After a very mild Autumn, cold air from the Arctic pushed down over the UK and for about 10 days in December 'high pressure' meant that daytime temperatures struggled to rise above freezing and overnight temperatures dropped to lows of -10C. Of course now being retired the opportunity to go out and enjoy this fine weather, albeit very cold, was irresistible.

I started my walk in Sunnyhurst Woods and made my way up to the reservoir which was Sunnyhurst Hey.



A lot had changed since I took this photograph for my first blog, i.e. water.


Sunnyhurst Hey Reservoir constructed in 1875 but in recent years problems with the embankment due to poor construction were considered too expensive to repair, so the reservoir was drained and made into a wetland and moorland nature reserve.



I continued on my walk but didn't get far before I was distracted by the beautiful effects created by the cold weather and snow.

 Winter Images.

I pressed on climbing up above Stepback Brook, which is believed to have got it's name because in this place during the Civil War, Oliver Cromwell gave the command to his troops to "step back and go no further" during bad weather.

Continuing up and over Dragon Hill with great views over The Forest of Bowland.

Earnsdale Reservoir

Bleasdale bathed in winter sunshine

On Cartridge Hill the snow had stuck and frozen onto the barbed wire fence

but it was the distant views that caught my eye again

Great Hill

Winter Hill

Cloud was moving in and the light was fading so it was time to start making my way down off the moor.

Looking back at Stepback Plantation and the trees at the top of it's brook

Back at Sunnyhurst Hey (wetlands) I just managed to catch the afterglow as the sun set below the clouds, a great finish to a great winters walk on the moor.