THE CAL-DER-WENT WALK - 30 MILES

THE WALK’S HISTORY

The first walk along the entire route took place on May 20th. 1978 with 15 walkers, from the St. John’s Methodist Church Walking Club, from Ossett. - see photo. The time taken was 11 hours 20 mins. Their backup party of nine cooks and drivers, met up with them frequently and ensured they had plenty of fuel inside to do the walk!

Since then the club walked the route often in the 1980’s and 1990's, and was for awhile marked on the Ordnance Survey maps, even though it wasn’t waymarked. With Geoffrey Carr’s guidebook out, many other groups and individuals completed the walk in the 1980’s and 1990's; one individual came from Essex to do the walk. The vast majority came from Yorkshire and the Midlands. The route was now established and recorded  and is gaining popularity each year. It still remains one of the finest routes through Yorkshire and the Dark Peak area of the Peak District to Ashopton Viaduct.

I have taken over promoting and issuing badges to succesful walkers from Geoffrey Carr, with his approval. I walked it serveral times and written a new guidebook ....... Enjoy this fine walk.

The story of my walk.

As many of you know, I live in a constant state of Grace. What I mean by this, is simply I plan nor expect anything, yet as I walk everything unfolds before me. People appear just at the right moment, as messengers, allowing me a peaceful and constant flow of the walk without any problems. In truth this is a higher state of consciousness where everything is available and has no limits.
It is something we are all born with to access but most are unaware that is there and available to all.

I caught the early train from London and arrived in Wakefield by 9.45 am. and walked to the Bus Station. At the information desk the assistant told me the next bus via Horbury Bridge left from Gate 9 in 8 mins time. Half an hour later I alighted before the bridge and at a seat got my maps, notebook and camera out. | photographed the River Calder, the Hebble and Calder Canal, the Bingley Arms and set off. i was soon following paths through woodland and past lakes and after a couple of miles felt I was off route. Moments later a woman appeared and confirmed I was walking the right way and at the next
track junction I should turn left for Stocksmoor Farm. I was exactly on route; we waved good-bye and later began descending into Bretton Park and its Sculpture Park. As I ascended out of it I stopped to eat a couple of chocolate bars while admiring the view back to Bretton Hall. Then onto the road and the steady ascent to High Hoyland. Views over the Yorkshire landscape unfolded with Elmley Moor TV mast and wind farms in the distance. Sheep were in the fields and hare bells growing in the verges.

Descending towards Cawthorne the route turned right before it, to pass through Cannon Hall Country Park, full of people enjoying the fine hot weather. But I soon lost them as I pressed on to Gadding Moor and Gunthwaite Bridge. A man appeared and told me Cat Hill road was on the right - “You'll get a sweat on going up there”. I was already sweating as I began the long steady ascent! Penistone lay ahead, the halfway point, and now late afternoon I resolved to find somewhere to eat. Just off the route was a Fish & Chips restaurant, and before I had barely sat down, a large plate of fish and chips,
mug of tea and slices of bread and butter were placed before me. A true Yorkshire feast. A had another mug of tea with a large chunk of chocolate cake. This basically would have to sustain me until tomorrow, for I carried just a sleeping bag, a can of juice and some breakfast bars.

Now 5. 30 pm I pressed on wanting to get to Langsett before dark, ready for the moorland crossing at first light tomorrow. The path led across the fields with views of Millhouse Green and its wind farm beyond, and the Trans Pennine Trail in the bottom. The path skirted around the upper slopes of Hartcliff Hill and I was sorely tempted to place my sleeping bag there amongst the flowering purple heather, and watch sun rise, but a voice in me told me to walk on. Later, as I neared Langsett I spotted a wall which would shield me from the
breeze and a place to bivouac. But, at that moment, just down the track was a farmer and his wife and I walked down to them. I asked if I could place my sleeping bag in their field. “Yes, of course”, but realising I had no tent and they had no facilities, they offered me their summer cabin to sleep in, on the floor. Perfect, and I settled down as the light faded. Half an hour later the owner came in and asked if I would like a flask of tea for the morning. He came back ten minutes later with it and wished me goodnight.

I slept well and was up just as the sun began to rise before 6 am. I drank my thermos of tea, juice and ate two breakfast bars before packing my sleeping bag and set off. I was soon on Brookhouse Bridge over the Little River Don (or River Porter) and the start of the crossing of Cut Gate to the Derwent, and into the Peak District National Park. The sun rose above the Langsett Reservoir, the sheep moved away as I passed and the startled cry of the Red Grouse disturbed the silence. No one was about and I had the whole remote
moorland to myself as I ascended the moors past Mickleden Edge and onto the moorland plateau to Howden Edge and the view down to the Derwent Valley. Passing the big cairns I began the descent half in shade and half in the sun. The northern slopes had been covered in purple heather but the southern slopes were bare. Approaching Bull Clough I met a lone mountain biker who was complaining about the rough terrain! I said once you get to the top it would be a lovely long descent to Langsett; he grudgingly walked on with his multi-geared bike, surrounded by a hoard of midges; somehow they ignored me!

The path was now basically level for the next six miles past Howden, Derwent and Ladybower Reservoirs. Apart from a few bikers and occasional runner or hiker, I had the valley to myself. The whole walk was like reliving my past I passed and saw places that I had explored for more than the last 50 years. As I approached the end of the walk at Ashopton Viaduct I spotted a woman ahead photographing her son. I asked if she could take one of me with my camera. She did, saying she was really like David Bailey as she took several shots of me from different angles. For once I had a photograph at the end of the walk! At the A57 road I wondered how to get to Sheffield, as my internet researches had drawn a blank. There was a bus stop but no timetable, so I walked on towards Bamford and found a bus stop with a timetable. Amazingly although there are only four bus’s a day, one was due in ten minutes!

A few minutes later I was on board eating a chocolate bar as the bus went past the Ladybower Inn and over the moors to the Rivelin Valley. I had never expected to go through here. There was Rivelin Rocks and Needle that I had climbed years ago and then entering Sheffield passing the gritstone rocks of Bell Hagg where at the age of 6 |/2 I first came to experience the countryside and know my life’s purpose. I got off the bus opposite Sheffield Station, stunned, but most grateful, telling the driver that I had just done a 30 mile in
24 hours and the bus ride had been a journey down memory lane. An hour later I was on the train back to London, leaving the city I was brought up in. A warm glow flowed through my body not only about completing the walk but seeing so many places that had played such an important part of life so far.

A5 walk guide, placed in a plastic wrap around cover and signed by John Merrill.

Embroidered cloth badge and signed certificate by John Merrill available to successful walkers.

All names added to my Walkers Roll of Honour page.