Peak District Walks
Dove Stones & Black Chew Head
Date: 7th November 2009
Distance: 9.6 miles
Ascent: 1678 feet
Time: 5 hours 20 mins
With: Matthew
Start Grid Ref: SE013034
Walk Summary:
This walk contrasted the bleak moorland of Black Chew Head with the exciting gritstone edges above Dovestone Reservoir.
Route Summary: Dovestone Reservoir - Ashway Cross - Dove Stones - Chew Reservoir - Black Chew Head - Chew Reservoir - Chew Road - Dovestone Reservoir
Pictures:
1. Ashway Rocks and Yeoman Hey Reservoir
2. Alderman's Hill
3.The Ashway Cross
4. Dovestones Reservoir from Ashway
5. Alderman's Hill from Dean Rocks
6. Ashway from Dean Rocks
7. Matt on Dean Rocks
8. On Dean Rocks
9. Matt on Dovestones with the sprawl of Greater Manchester on the horizon
10. Alphin Pike from Dove Stones
11. Bramley's Cot - a great shelter for lunch
12. Looking back down Black Chew Grain to Chew Reservoir
13. The Black Chew trig point
14. Chew Reservoir, once the highest reservoir in England
Walk Detail: The walk along the reservoir was pleasant enough while the climb to Ashway Cross was short but quite steep and showed up my relative lack of fitness. The views from Ashway Cross were spectacular though especially over to the shapely Alderman's Hill and Alphin Pike with Dovestones Reservoir nestling between them and Greater Manchester in the distance.
The walk along the edge was particularly good especially when we got to Dean Rocks and the Dove Stones and we both enjoyed scrambling around on the rocks taking pictures. After enjoying the gritstone edges and visitng the Cairn on Fox Stone we made for the remains of the building called Bramley's Cot to eat our lunch.
The walk following Chew Clough to the watershed at Laddow Moss was quite frustrating as the path had to cross the stream numerous times and in places path and watercourse had practically merged. From the watershed the walk up to the unremarkable top of Black Chew Head was surprisingly easy as was the walk to the trig point. All along this stretch we had views that encompassed Black Hill, Bleaklow, Kinder and further to the south west Axe Edge and Shutlingsloe. Having made a beeline from the trig to the reservoir we descended via Chew Road which was a nice easy way down especially as it was getting quite late in the day.
This was a walk of real contrasts both in terms of weather, views and scenery. The views on Dove Stones in particular were fantastic mixing man made reservoirs, moorland, gritstone edges and urban sprawl.
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