The English Pennine Way - Day 3 — Long Walks, Organics & African Stuff

Globe Farm to Hebden Bridge

I started off very grumpy for some reason. Maybe just very tried. So I shot off leaving the rest behind, thinking I might be bad company. After about 13 km, I’d burnt it off and felt much better!

Away from Globe Farm, at Standedge, in good time, and it was lovely cool walking. The first bit was a slog though to get back on to the official route, but once on it, was relatively easy walking all the way to “Hebden Bridge”.

It was open country again, with extensive views to the West. There were plenty of cairns and stakes to mark the track, which meant very little references needed for the route. I managed to make very good time indeed, and left the others far behind.

I made my next stop at the “White House” pub just as it opened at 12.00 pm. It stood like a landmark, with panoramic views of the moors and Hollingworth Lake below. It’s an old coaching house, dating from 1671, originally called “The Coach and Horses”, where “the young bloods of Littleborough, having guarded the mail coach from highway men, would seek recompense for their labours with vigorous applications to strong liquors”!! There were no highwaymen around, so I satisfied myself with two pints of shandy, which went down really well!! The others caught up with me half an hour later, and we alI tucked into the packed lunch that the Globe Farm hosts provided. Nourishing ham and corned beef rolls, tasted like Ambrosia. I left the pub, about two or three minutes before the others, and shot off towards “Stoodley Pike”, some 10 km away.

**Roman Road across Blackstone Edge moors on the Pennine Way. © Duncan Smith**

An old Roman Road made a brief appearance across the moors.

Blisters are beginning to hurt now, probably because of very hot weather and the weight I’m carrying. Can't be helped, a long way to go yet. Stop wingeing!

I approached a small footbridge crossing the M62 motorway. It was a nerve-shattering experience, one I gladly miss if given the chance again. After the solitude of the moors and hills, with just the cry of curlews and the trill of skylarks for company, to be suddenly confronted by the noise and awfulness of heavy traffic screaming past below was a shock to the senses. Dreadful! The bridge was very narrow and stood 100 feet above the motorway. It had three lanes either way, and the traffic belted along underneath, very unnerving! Apparently the others had to restrain Stan from peeing over the side on to the traffic below! What a case he is!

I passed “Light Hazzles” and “Warland” reservoirs, before catching my first glimpse of Stoodley Pike. This is is a 400 m (1,310 ft) hill noted for the 37 m (120 ft) “Stoodley Pike Monument” perched on the edge of its summit. Commemorating the defeat of Napoleon and the surrender of Paris, it can be see from miles, dominating the moors as it does. It didn't seem to get any nearer as I walked towards it. Every time I got over a hill it seemed to get further away! Eventually I arrived at its foot, two and half hours later. Now, it was very hot indeed and my neck was sore from the sun. I had a good long break and waited for the others to catch up. Tony was the first, a good half an hour after me, and the others about 45 minutes later. We all had a brew under the welcome shadow of the monument, waiting a while for the sun to go down a little before continuing on our journey.

**Stoodley Pike in the distance, with the monument. © Duncan Smith**

The view from the Pike was fantastic, overlooking the town of “Todmorden”. It was a clear, beautiful, blue-sky day, with a good number of miles tucked away behind this. We carried on together towards Hebden Bridge, some two and a half miles away.

**View from Stoodley Pike towards Todmorden, © Duncan Smith**

**Our campsite at Callis Woods, near Hebden Bridge. © Duncan Smith**

We reached Callis Wood, just before Hebden Bridge, and camped there for the night. We found a suitable site and in no time at all four tents were erected. I cooked a quick meal and made some tea, of course! Afterwards I went down to the River Calder for lovely bath and the cool water. Magic!

Stan, John, Steve and I went to the local pub in Hebden Bridge about 3.5 km away and had a few jars of ale. Hebden is an old manufacturing town in the “Upper Calder Valley”, in West Yorkshire. It was ideal for the water-powered weaving mills in the 19th and 20th centuries, and was once called "Trouser Town", because of the large amount of clothing manufactured there. We staggered back to our campsite with a couple for Ian and Tony, as they had stayed behind to look after the tents.

A good, long days walking. Lights out of 10.30pm!!!

Walked 27.4 km in 9 hours

Back to Day 2 - https://duncangoeswalking.squarespace.com/blog-pages/the-english-pennine-way-day-2

Onwards to Day 4 - https://duncangoeswalking.squarespace.com/blog-pages/the-english-pennine-way-day-4