Get Lost Mountaineering

Black Hill from the North

Start/Finish

On the A635 Holmfirth to Oldham road, near Wessenden Head, at SE 075 072 just to the west of the turning which goes north to Meltham Moor. There is a fair amount of parking on the gravel verge around here but it could soon fill up on a busy day.

Distance/Time

9 km      About 3 - 4 hours

Peaks

Black Hill, 582 m, SE 078 046. OS Outdoor Leisure 1: Dark Peak

Introduction

This is a fine but tough walk. The ascent to Black Hill uses the new Pennine Way and goes up a mainly slabbed path with navigation being very easy most of the way. There is a river crossing in Dean Clough which, surprisingly, has no bridge and may be tricky in wet or wintry conditions leading to a detour upstream. A tributary is crossed just before this which can also be tricky. The return uses the old Pennine Way and crosses some featureless and boggy terrain before a 2.5 km road walk leads back to the start. Gaiters are strongly recommended. Because of the featureless nature of the terrain, particularly on the return, it is strongly recommended that this walk only be attempted in clear visibility.

Route

(1) There are two footpaths which start quite close together. Choose the western one which is signed for the Pennine Way with a warning about the river crossing. Follow this well constructed path. It descends steeply to cross a tributary then soon reaches the river in Dean Clough. Neither has a bridge and may be difficult in wet or wintry conditions when one may have to detour upstream to cross. Continue on the slabbed path which becomes a gravel path when the angle eases then becomes a slabbed path further on and soon leads to the trig point which marks the summit of Black Hill, 582 m.

(2) Take a compass bearing for where the undefined Pennine Way, heading roughly NW, meets the A635. Keep checking you are roughly following this bearing all the way down to the road. There is a path going in roughly this direction from the summit but it is not obvious and goes through some very wet sections in its first 100 m. On 24/3/14, a small rock shaped lump of peat perched on a peat hag was visible. If you look very carefully, there is a cairn below to the right and not that obvious as it is in a small hollow. Walk to here, about 200 m from the trig point after which the route is more obvious with cairns and a fairly distinctive path. Follow this down off the plateau. The cairns soon run out but the path is still quite distinct and passes a very short wall at one point. Continue on the path which gets quite boggy with some awkward boggy shallow cloughs to cross. Keep checking with your compass that you are still heading in the correct direction. Be careful not to be tempted into taking a path over Dean Head Hill to the right of this path. The path passes on its W side. The going is particularly slow around here. Soon a fence and cairn are reached which means the road is close. About 100 m from the road, which is not obvious unless you see the traffic on it, cross the fence and walk out to the road at a gate. Turn right, E, and walk along the almost level road back to the start.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 24^th March, 2014.