South Pennine Walks

Draughton Moor

Date: 25th October 2009
Distance: 7.5 miles
Ascent: 1100 feet
Time: 3 hours 20 mins
With: On my own
Start Grid Ref: SE038523

Walk Summary:
A wet and overall fairly disappointing walk from Draughton to Chelker Reservoir and then on to the modest height of Draughton Moor.

Route Summary: Draughton - Haw Pike Farm - Haw Pike - Chelker Reservoir - Heathness Gill - Addingham Low Moor - Draughton Moor - Draughton Height - Draughton

Pictures:

1. Draughton backed by Halton Height

2. Rainbow over the A59

3. Haw Pike

4. Beamsley Beacon from Haw Pike

5. Trig point on Haw Pike

6. Chelker Reservoir backed by Draughton Moor

7. Approaching Draughton Moor via Addingham Low Moor

8. Chelker Reservoir from Draughton Moor

Walk Detail: I'd initially planned to go out to the Howgills but after a very bad night's sleep I plumped for something a little nearer.

While it had rained quite hard on the drive out I was lulled into a false sense of security by some nice patches of sunshine just as I parked up in Draughton. Everything was going fairly well until I got close to the top of Haw Pike which stands at a modest 252m when from out of nowhere the wind whipped up and rain came lashing down. I could barely stand by the trig point, funnily enough this is the second time this has happened to me in the same place.

A wrong turn at Berwick East farm (which I'll blame on the downpour affecting my vision!) meant that instead of walking on the right of way to the north of Chelker Reservoir I spent some anxious minutes avoiding traffic on the busy and vergeless A6069. My mood was not improved by the numerous stiles en route which thanks to the rain all seemed to be covered in grease.

In truth there was little to commend this walk and even Draughton Moor itself was an anti-climax.

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