Yorkshire Dales Walks
Barden Reservoirs & Halton Height
Date: 13th May 2014
Distance: 5.8 miles
Ascent: 780 feet
Time: 2 hours 40 mins
With: On my own
Start Grid Ref: SE038555
Walk Summary:
A beautiful late spring evening walk to the two reservoirs on Barden Moor and finishing with a visit to the trig point on Halton Height.
Route Summary: Halton Moor - Lower Barden Reservoir - Upper Barden Reservoir - Lumb Gill Wham - Hutchen Gill Head - Halton Height - Halton Moor
Photos: Click on the photos below to enlarge.
Video:
Walk Detail: This was my second evening walk in the space of three days and this time I decided on a route that included the two reservoirs on Barden Moor and a visit to the trig point on Halton Height none of which I'd been back to since my first visit almost nine years ago. On that occasion it was quite a murky day and the views weren't particularly good. This time the promised showers failed to materialise and instead I was treated to an absolutely glorious evening.
Starting from the small parking area by the cattle grid on Halton Moor much of the walk was on a wide access track, first down to and alongside Lower Barden Reservoir before climbing up to the higher Upper Barden Reservoir. The views were first rate, especially across Wharfedale towards Simon's Seat and Carncliff Top, and it was wonderful to be striding out across the moor after a day at work.
From the upper Reservoir I followed a path signposted for Halton Height which led me to the main Halton - Rylstone track that runs across Barden Moor. I briefly turned east along the track before taking an offshoot to a shooting hut at Hutchen Gill Head. Here I planned to join the public footpath leading south towards Eastby Gate. However, the path wasn't as marked on the map (it was probably a bit further west) and so I took a pathless route across the moor until I reached a wall which I then followed east on to Halton Height.
As mentioned I'd previously been on Halton Height once before but I don't recall actually taking a look at the crags so I made sure that I at least looked at High Crag. It turned out to be a bit more substantial than I'd imagined and I'll have to go back again sometime earlier in the day when the sunlight is facing the rocks. Indeed the sun was beginning to get quite low by this time and the colours on the top of the moor when I reached the trig point were quite lovely. From the trig point it was a short walk back to the car and by the time I reached it the sun had already dipped below Cracoe Fell.
Over the last few years I've made a conscious effort to try and get out for some evening walks in the late spring and summer. Thanks to the lovely scenery and beautiful sunny evening I'd have to say that this was the best evening walk that I've so far managed.
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