Walking in the South Pennines

There are over 128 walks described in this guidebook to the South Pennines, the moorland areas between the Yorkshire Dales and the Peak District. An area of remarkably varied and contrasting landscapes of hills and mills. Covers Ilkley and Airedale, Pendle, Calderdale, Rossendale, Saddleworth and the area between Huddersfield and Holmfirth. For both experienced and novice walkers.

View Sample Route Map

Ogden Clough and Spence Moor: Walk No. 6.2

---

Time: About 3 hours
Category: B
Maps: Paths Around Pendle, or Pathfinder Series No. SD 63/73 and 83/93.
Start at: The car park in Barley.

---

This walk uses the same start as the ascent of Pendle from Barley but keeps straight on up the wild depths of Ogden Clough instead of climbing up Wild Boar Clough. The walk - but not the path - climbs out of the clough where it starts to bend to the right and cuts across untracked moor to pick up the rather wet track that runs the length of Spence Moor returning to the Ogden valley by Fell Wood. In addition the start can be used as an alternative approach to Pendle.

The route
Follow Walk No. 6.1 as far as the paths that lead up to Boar Clough. Leave these to their own devices and keep on the lowest one, crossing the clough easily. Now the path almost disappears in the green sward but becomes well trodden a little higher up, a delightful little track in green turf between stands of bracken. By degrees the clough diminishes and starts to curve to the right. When you come to a fine, conical cairn you are not far off the river crossing. This crossing is obvious and easy, even in high water, but there is no path on the other side. (If you are going up Pendle this way, just keep on the same side. The path deteriorates in places but eventually joins the track from the Nick (Walk No. 6.9)). Climb steeply up the green bank beyond, quite a distance, and keep going until you find the broad boggy track that runs from the Nick o’ Pendle to the top.

Turn left on it and walk for about ½mile until you just top the rise. Now leave the path and go left over the rough tussocky moor to the wall, only about 1/4 mile but quite enough if you are not used to that sort of stuff. Turn left at the wall and follow it on good grass for a few minutes until you come to a ladder stile. Cross and bear left a little to follow the well defined track that leads from the stile across Spence Moor. Almost all the way it is well marked and pretty boggy, but by way of compensation there are fine views of the towns of the Calder (Lancashire Calder) Valley which stretch their long arms of houses up into the green fields of the uplands. The track, which is waymarked by yellow-topped poles at quite long intervals, will bring you to the corner of Fell Wood in a good half-hour.

Cross the stile there and continue to the next one, marked with the Pendle Way symbol, and go left across it, following the side of the wood to reach the stile. There is a well marked, if wet, path into the wood which you now follow through the gloomy firs to reach the banks of the Lower Ogden Reservoir. Go straight across the little footbridge to the stile leading to the waterworks road, turn right and 15 minutes will see you back.