Happy day of hiking in Hebden Bridge...

HALTON Ramblers travelled to Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire on a recent outing.

The market town of Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire was the latest venue for the Halton walking group.

The town is situated in the Upper Calder valley at the confluence of the River Calder and Hebden Water.

Steep hills with fast flowing streams and access to major wool markets meant Hebden Bridge was ideally placed for water powered weaving mills, the town developing in the 19th and 20th centuries.

At one time the town was known as ‘Trouser Town’ because of the large amount of clothing manufacturing.

During World War II the town was designated a ‘reception area’ and took evacuees from industrial cities, then during the 1960s and 70s there was an influx of artists, writers, musicians, photographers, teachers and New Age activists giving rise to a boom in tourism.

In April 2005 Hebden Bridge was named the fourth ‘quirkiest’ place in the world by High Life (the British Airways magazine) and was described as ‘modern and stylish in an unconventional and stylish way’.

It has been used as the setting to films and notably the BBC1 drama series Happy Valley, so with all this interest and a popular outdoor pursuits area the group were looking forward to their visit.

The first group to leave the coach was Ray McIntosh’s C party who started their walk just north of Littleborough.

The group crossed the Rochdale Canal and climbed to join the Pennine Way, heading north and passing the Warland and Gaddings reservoirs.

The group made their way to Stoodley Pike, a monument originally built to commemorate our victory after Waterloo.

However after 40 years it was hit by a lightning bolt and destroyed, it was again rebuilt after the Crimean War, and is now a great viewing point of the area.

It was all downhill from this point, walking over the heather-clad moors then through woodland into the town.

The longer of the four walks was led by Eric Fenney who guided his group out of Hebden Bridge and onto Heptonstall Moor to join the Pennine Way . Turning south they eventually joined the Calderd- ale Way, a circular route around the Calderdale valley of about 50 miles.

After passing a 17th century cottage, Pippins, they started their descent passing relics of old mill buildings before reaching the Rochdale Canal and an easy stroll back into Hebden Bridge.

A picturesque walk was led by Marj Halliday who led her B party through woodland and riverside paths until they came to Lumb Hole waterfall. The waterfall is a fine example of a Pennine waterfall created where alternate layers of sandstone and mudstone occur, and a great place for a summer dip.

Climbing to the moors, the group reached a point of descent into the wooded areas of Over Wood and Black Dean.

The final climb of the day was up Clough Head Hill and then down hill into Hebden Bridge.

Richard Cage led his group out of Hebden Bridge via the Rochdale canal towpath and on to Eves woods, which has many Victorian terraced paths leading up the valley to Heptonstall village.

This village was the original settlement, starting as a settlement where the Halifax to Burnley packhorse route dropped into the valley and crossed the River Hebden.

After a look around the village, the group continued to climb to the hamlet of New Bridge.

Joining paths along Hebden water the group headed back to the town.

It was a beautiful clear day: although cold the views where dramatic, and the walkers were treated to a quick look around the town and some welcome refreshment before their journey home.

The last walk of the programme was the Christ-