Spring 2019Take a walk in Bluebell Wood

Pauline Journeaux takes us on a walking tour of the Ogden, Kitcliffe and Piethorne Reservoirs, and Bluebell Wood.

This route follows public footpaths, and is a medium difficulty, medium length walk that took roughly one and half hours, but may take you a little longer depending on how often you stop to take in the stunning views.

Stout footwear is recommended.

The area is used for farming, recreation and nature conservation, dogs must be kept on a lead as there are farm animals and sheep wandering on the moors.

Bluebells are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is a criminal offence to pick or remove the bulbs of wild common bluebells.

Ogden is just outside Newhey off the A640, Huddersfield Road, there is a small car park on Ogden Lane, Springmill or if this is full parking is available on the road.

Start from the car park and walk up Ogden Lane, past all the cottages with Ogden Reservoir and Kitcliffe Farm on the left, and through the gate at Piethorne House.

Carry on up the hill past the water treatment plant, straight on to Piethorne Reservoir and past Knowsley Wood Plantation.

The path then carries on up the hill, but I turned left and followed the walk around the reservoir.

Go through the kissing gate and follow the path around Piethorne Reservoir.

The path meanders around the reservoir and finishes at another kissing gate and on to a lane.

Turn left and follow the lane past the end of the reservoir, this is the view from the end of Piethorne Reservoir looking back on to the path just walked around and Knowsley Wood Plantation.

Walk up the hill past The Limehouse, to the woods and the two gates.

Just before the gate, on the lane, there is a kissing gate on the left, go through into Bluebell Wood.

Although known locally as Bluebell Wood, its proper name is Old House Ground Plantation.

This mixed woodland provides a valuable habitat on the high moors, although how severe weather stunts the trees and sometimes blows them over can be seen. Beech, birch, rowan and sycamore are present with taller Scots and Corsican pine in some areas.

The path goes through the woods, and it is a real pleasure to take time wandering through.

At the end of the wood go through the kissing gate and on to the moors; dogs will need to be kept on a lead from here as there are sheep and lambs loose.

Follow the path over the moors keeping Piethorne Reservoir on your left and Kitcliffe Reservoir below and in front.

The path goes down towards Kitcliffe Reservoir and joins another path on the left. Join this path and carry on past Kitcliffe Reservoir and on towards Ogden Reservoir.

Follow this path, keep Ogden Reservoir on the left.

The path then comes on to Binns Ruin. Binns is an area of mixed ruins which date back to the 13th and 15th centuries. A very old inhabited site, records have shown that as early as 1610 Jeffraye Turnough, Yeoman, lived there.

Turn left and follow the path down the hill past the ruins; the main path continues on back up the hill and on to the Rochdale Way.

At the bottom of the hill cross the stream and continue on down with Ogden Reservoir on the left and a wood on the right. Through the kissing gate at the end and on past the wood.

There is a wall on the left and Ogden Reservoir below on the left and the wood to the right.

Find the gap in the wall and go down to the reservoir, take care, the gap is small and steep.

Carry on across the reservoir path and then down the other side back to the car park.