Marsden and Standedge
The weather forecast looked O.K. although the day was very misty in fact and, on the tops, dense enough to block out the view. We skipped our regular coffee in The Arcade but, instead, visited the delightful Wateredge Café for the first time. This is an eighteenth century lock keeper's house at the mouth of the Standedge Tunnel and largely untouched since this time.
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| Inside the Wateredge Café- lots of reading and historic photo of the cottage |
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| Standedge Tunnel decked out for halloween |
As usual, we made our way up to the March Haigh reservoir, admiring the changing colours of the foliages- not that we could see a great deal!
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| It's beginning to feel a lot like autumn |
There were few people about, save for a group of Chinese students who were having an adventure in the mist and having a break from their doctorial studies at Manchester University.
Up March Hill in the mist, with a lonely cow lurking in the background.
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| Company on the hill |
We stopped for lunch on Standedge. The countryside has changed so much since the summer, but it is still impressive with amazing colours of brown and dark green on display as the bracken breaks down for the winter. As we made our way down towards the Redbrook Reservoir the mist started to lift patchily. To use an overused description, it was atmospheric.
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| In and out of the clouds |
We took the usual route down but omitting Pule Hill and passing by Hades Farm. The footpath passed through Clark Hill Farm, where the ewes were corralled and a field of rams were waiting in anticipation.
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| Rams at the ready |
At the end of our walk, we stopped for a drink in the (very lively) Station Hotel (pub)- full of locals and a rather fetching Jack Russell who performed high fives in exchanged for pork scratchings.
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| Jack Russell hoping, in vain, for pork scratchings from us |
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| David enjoying his drink below the old map of Marsen |
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| Marsen Map 1892 |
A good walk, despite the lack of views and a rather surprising 10.2 miles with 380m ascent.
