Saturday 3rd June 2006

Today was the first day this year that I walked in really hot weather and I was very grateful for the breeze that helped to keep me cool. Although I have visited Black Hill before I had always approached it from Crowden so today was a journey into the unknown as I had never walked this far north in the Peak District before. I was surprised at how bland the scenery was and began to understand why this section of the Pennine Way has been described as the least interesting part of the route although I thought the most interesting scenery of the day was to be found on the Pennine Way. One point to note is that this is not a walk I would attempt in winter as the peat bogs would make it an extremely unpleasant experience.

Start: Lay by off the A635 above Wessenden Head Reservoir (SE 077 076)

Route: Wessenden Head Reservoir - Black Hill (CT) - Dean Head Hill - Featherbed Moss - Black Moss Reservoir
            - Blakely Clough - Wessenden Lodge - Wessenden Head Reservoir

Distance: 9.75 miles     Ascent: 463 metres     Time Taken: 5 hours 30 minutes   

Weather: Blue sky, hot with a breeze.

Pub visited: The Huntsman Inn, Holmfirth        Ale Drunk: J.W. Lees Bitter

Wessenden Head Reservoir.

Looking up to Holme Moss Mast from Wessenden Head Moor.

Dean Clough.

Black Hill trig and another County and Unitary Authority top bagged. Without the flagstones this
 trig would be inaccessible for most of the year, I know I tried and failed to reach it more
 than once before they were there.

It is easy to see why this is called Black Hill. Only the fact that the peat is so dry
 at the moment made this section of the walk both easy and pleasant.

The cairns and stakes are the only real features on this section of the walk across Dean Head.

I think the feature in the background is called Bobus, in the foreground is Broadhead Moss.

Wessenden Lodge and reservoir from Blakely Clough. The track behind the
 reservoir was the route back to the car.

Blakeley Reservoir, the path had been diverted which meant climbing down
 to the bottom and then back up to the track above.

Looking up to Wessenden Head from Wessenden Reservoir.

One of the many rhododendrons that were coming into bloom around Wessenden Lodge.

Looking back at Wessenden Reservoir.