Yorkshire Dales Walks
Hebden Beck & Mossy Moor
Date: 17th October 2015
Distance: 4.0 miles
Ascent: 720 feet
Time: 2 hours 20 mins
With: On my own
Start Grid Ref: SE026631
Walk Summary:
A nice little walk featuring Scar Haw Force, one of my favourite beck side paths and a moorland reservoir.
Route Summary: Hebden - Scale Haw Force - Hole Bottom - Bolton Gill - Mossy Moor Reservoir - Scar Top House - Hebden
Photos: Click on the photos below to enlarge.
Walk Detail: After recent visits to the likes of Aysgill Force, Cotter Force, Hardraw Force and Scaleber Force I was keen to go out and find some more waterfalls. Having only a short window of opportunity for a walk I scoured the map for somewhere fairly close to home. Spotting the presence of a Nanny Spout and a couple of other marked waterfalls on Hebden Beck I was intrigued as I couldn't recall any waterfalls from my previous walks in that area.
I arrived in Hebden at around lunchtime, just as the morning cloud was beginning to show signs of breaking up. Immediately I set off upstream on the minor road leading to Hole Bottom. Within minutes I arrived at the signpost pointing down to a footbridge which, according to the map, Nanny Spout should be located. The footbridge was present and correct but despite tramping up and down the side of the beck I couldn't find a waterfall.
Somewhat disappointed I continued on until I reached the next footpath sign pointing back down to the beck which I followed to go in search of the waterfall below Scale Haw. A steep scramble down a grassy bank and a careful walk upstream on some slippery rocks brought me to Scale Haw Force, a delightful waterfall which more than compensated for the missing Nanny Spout.
After taking numerous photos of the waterfall I scrambled back up the bank to continue heading upstream on the track. Shortly after Hole Bottom this crossed over the beck via a small bridge to continue on its way, this time below the gritstone outcrops of Care Scar, to reach the ruins of some old mine buildings.
Continuing on I turned off the main path to head up Bolton Gill to visit the spoil heaps and mining remains at the top of the gill. From there I next took the public footpath contouring below Bolton Haw Side on to Mossy Moor where I made the small diversion to visit Mossy Moor Reservoir. A former mining reservoir it is a lovely little stretch of water.
From Mossy Moor Reservoir I continued on until reaching the house at Bank Top from where I took the steep path descending back down past Care Scar to reach the footbridge I'd visited earlier during my search for Nanny Spout. Turning left here to follow a path on the east bank downstream it only took a few minutes to get back to Hebden.
This was a lovely little walk which was enhanced by the autumn colours on display. Scale Haw Force was a cracking little waterfall and is definitely one 'll go back to. As for Nanny Spout it seemed that my assumption that it would be a waterfall was wrong. Having looked into it further on the internet it seems that Nanny Spout is in fact a small spring that flows into the beck. I can't even recall seeing a spring and it is quite possible after a fairly dry autumn that the spring had in fact dried up.
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