Hiking wild and exposed moorlands

Summary

Oxenhope Nab is a short but rewarding walk, with stunning views overlooking the village of Oxenhope in West Yorkshire. As the Nab is fairly close to my home, I was keen to explore further into the bleak wind-swept moorlands that lay behind it. I felt the walk/hike was uncomplete with not knowing what else was there to be discovered. I was excited, intrigued and more so, very fascinated with the landscape surrounding the area.

I was confident I wouldn’t be disappointed.

The Hike

The route began from the Dog and Gun Pub nestled in the midst of Bronte country, high above Oxenhope giving views of the modest village below. A quick hop skip and a jump to the other side of the road and off we went, the beginning of a long day out cut off from the world. It was a dull start to the morning as we ascended up the steep hill of Sawood, passing roaming donkeys that grazed peacefully. Gradually following the steep road, we arrived at the summit where the terrain quickly changed to a gravel path, before veering off left through a kissing gate. The conditions quickly changed again, navigating our way through boggy peat. This is the Nab!

Onward, as we followed the winding trail path, we could feel our souls begin to sing with happiness and excitement, gazing into the awe-inspiring views of Oxenhope and Leeming reservoir that lay below. Along the Nab, we were guided by various large cairns that were an interesting sight, landmarks of rock piles defining the route, and also acting as a shelter from the ever-changing weather conditions high up on the moors. Beyond the Nab, we emerged onto a long road of ‘Cold Edge’, but to our horror, the side of the road was filled with litter! Parts of burnt down beds, cans/bottles, crisps packets etc. This went on for a good mile or so until we eventually turned off. It was disgusting! I don’t understand why people litter, it’s a filthy habit and creates an even worse environment for wildlife. I am sure people wouldn’t like it if we dumped our rubbish in their homes without cleaning it up, leaving it to rot!  

It wasn’t too long that we stayed on the littered filled road, veering left through an open stile, which led us onto sparse moorlands. A refreshing sight. The long path went on for quite a while, providing a real sense of space as we roamed throughout. We were all alone on this rolling dramatic landscape, so we thought, until we bumped into a father and son who knew the area like the back of their hands. The amount of information he provided us with in such a short time was hard to take in, one thing I do remember is how upset he was about the litter in the road, as he said, “It breaks my heart” When he asked us where we were going, he mentioned there was going to be a steep climb to the trig point after descending into the valley; we had a long day ahead of us. As we said our goodbyes, and descended sharply into the valley, passing wild horses, we quickly realised he wasn’t wrong!

Thankfully, I had some Percy Pigs stashed away in my coat pocket, the sweet sugary taste was a great morale boost. The precipitous hill was guided by numerous amounts of wooden steps, making the climb a lot more difficult as we puffed our way to the top. Upon arrival as we followed the trail, the terrain fell away beneath us, rewarding us with view of Hebden Bridge as the sun created beams of sunshine over the valley below. Along the trail, dotted around were stone sculptures of water tanks, which were a godsend as this protected us from the biting winds, as we stopped for lunch admiring the tranquil surroundings.

Energised after a quick pit stop, it was now onto the summit of High Brown Knoll which was a short distance away from where we had stopped. As we approached the trig point, the sun began to shine over the valley, as we were suddenly greeted by views of distant windmills rotating softly. The path continued onwards, and we found ourselves following a narrow trail alongside a bed of water that seemed to be carved into the landscape. The gentle surface beneath us, which was powerful yet peaceful as we slowly made our back to Warley Moor Reservoir, taking in the views from all directions.

Approaching the final part of the hike, this led us back onto the bottom part of the Nab, as the sun shone high in the sky creating a backdrop of Yorkshire that was exquisite! We relished in the moment, following the gentle trail back towards the Dog & Gun pub.

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