~Black Scout & Thieveley Pike~
21st June 2013
Burnley to Todmorden Line
Scroll down for photos and a description of the walk....
Roadside Parking on A646
A bit of a gamble that this walk could lead to fine evening views across Burnley on the "longest day" of the year. Start time of 18:25hrs, with a sunset time of 21:42.
Country Home
Whatever the general perception of Burnley in the minds of the rest of the population, there are some beuatiful houses within our boundaries and this is one of them.
Wooded Path
Walking west from the parking spot, there is a foopath up to the right just after the fine house and neighbouring barn. The path follows the wall and then enters fields and continues directly uphill to country houses on a farm track.
The Cliviger Gorge
The Gorge is at its best at this time of year. Rich greenery and a line of uni-coloured Rhododendrons. I walked up beside the wall and will now head east (left, as seen) towards Black Scout.
Heading South-East
The route took me just above the farm building (partly hidden, right) and then behind the other farm and up to the line of the power cables, close to the windfarm.
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Pen-y-Ghent |
Pendle Hill |
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Black Scout
The path along Black Scout follows an old wall, crossing over to stay on the south side. Stoodley Pike is in view in the second photograph. I thought I could see a flock of geese, but it turned out to be something else...
The Red Arrows
En route to weekend air shows in Northern Ireland and Whitehaven (Sunday).
Turning Point
Black Scout has no summit marker. Soon enough, the walk turns and heads west for Portsmouth Fishing Lake and the full extent of the encroaching cloud cover can be seen.
Crossing the Railway
Approaching Train
I'm on the bridge and it's decision time. The plan had been to climb Thieveley Pike from here, but there is now only a very slim chance of seeing a summer solstice sunset.
Whitaker Naze
So, I chose to carry on with the full walk and here I'm looking down on the scene into West Yorkshire, with Whitaker Naze deep in shadow in the late evening gloom (above the pylon).
Pendle Hill and Ingleborough
All hopes of the sunset scenes have vanished and it's camera-away, iPod-in time for the flat walk along Thieveley Pike.
Thieveley Pike Summit
Burnley
The walk down and back to the car was pleasant enough and completes a walk with no interruptions to greet other walkers and also gives walkers a good view of the Millennium Woods, planted unsurprisingly in 2000 and doing very well.
The Gloom
Walkers: Just Me
Time taken: 2 hours 50 mins over a distance of about 6 miles.
Route: A646, up to Black Scout, down to Portsmouth Fishing Lake, up the Burnley Way to Thieveley Pike and then down, across the top of Holme Tunnel and back to the car.
Pennine Walker's walk of the same route, in a different season. At Whitehaven, The Red Arrows were grounded on Sunday 23rd due to poor weather.
Weather: Sunshine declining to gloom.
Greetings: Nil
All photos copyright Richard Ratcliffe 2013 ©
Take me back to the start ....