Walk Summary
Delightful walk around four reservoirs. Plenty of wildfowl and woodland birds to view. Visits Bailey Hill, a 12th century earthwork motte and bailed fortress.
Date: 15/03/2022
Length: 10.62 miles
Height Gain: 294 m
Terrain: Boggy paths, woodland paths, stone tracks, fields, lightly used roads,
Navagation: Signage mostly good, tricky points indicated on map
Start: Low Bradfield Car Park
Route: Low Bradfield Car Park, Damflask Reservoir, Dale Dike Reservoir, Strines Reservoir, Agden Reservoir, Bailey Hill, High Bradfield
Map: OL1 Dark Peak Area
Weather: Sunny, cold
Walkers: Nun
Gallery
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Damflask Reservoir
Captain's Log
Spring Is Here
Blue skies, sunny and a frosty ground. That's two days in a row now. Spring must be here. Low Bradfield bowling green had a glistening white carpet. I could see the church of High Bradfield up on the hillside. I would be visiting its churchyard later in the day, but for now I set off towards the Damflask Reservoir.
There is a very pretty trail that runs around the reservoir. Some early morning anglers were out chancing their luck, one of them improving the odds by having four rods. There was also a variety of wildfowl and woodland birds to keep me entertained.
A couple of racing sculls were out on the reservoir nearer the dam. These were from the Sheffield Viking Sailing Club. As I reached the club, groups of women were putting the boats away. I say women, they looked like teenagers.
Half an hour later, I saw a four man scull glide past majestically. They seemed to be going quite fast for very little apparent effort. Almost exactly opposite to my walking style, I thought.
Damflask Reservoir
Tumbling To Dale Dike
I took a bridleway out of Low Bradfield and the path turned into a wet, grassy slope. I didn't want to take a tumble and get muddy, so I thought I'd just reach a stile ahead of me and then get my trekking poles from my rucksack. Bang. I was slipping down the slope on my side. I seem to be making a habit of these slides. I brushed, or rather smeared, the mud down one side of my trousers and got my trekking poles out.
I took the higher path through Wragg House Wood and some fields rather than following the path alongside of the reservoir. The extra elevation gave me a good view of the opposite side of the valley. At the end of the reservoir I did a short out-and-back to the interestingly named Brogging. This gave me a limited view of the Strines Reservoir. It's a shame there's no public path around this reservoir since it is in a picturesque location. The tower of Boot's Folly loomed over the reservoir on the opposite hillside. I did think about going up to Boot's Folly, but there is an extremely boggy section on the approach and I wasn't wearing gaiters. After my slide, I'd had enough mud for today.
Damflask Residents
Dale Dike Reservoir
Dale Dike Dam Disaster Memorial
Dale Dike Reservoir
I walked back along the Dale Dike Reservoir to the dam. Due to the trees along the embankment you never really get a good view of the reservoir until you get to the dam itself. Near to the dam I found a dead crow on the path. It looked like it had just fallen out of the air. I wasn't sure whether this might be a sign of future bad luck.
Dale Dike Reservoir is the site of probably the worst UK man-made disaster. On the 11th of March 1864, the newly built dam failed and about 700 million gallons of water flowed down the valley, through Lower Bradfield and onwards towards Sheffield. About 240 people died and more than 600 houses were either damaged or destroyed. By 1875, the dam had been rebuilt, but to a smaller scale. I couldn't see any leaks today.
On the track from the reservoir a Yorkshire Water pickup past me on the way to the road. The driver had got out when I reached the road and he said that I looked like I was on a 'round Britain' trip with all the gear. I explained the rucksack was empty and was really just for my camera gear in case it rained. He looked towards the sun and must have though I was mad.
Agden Hurdles
I turned off the road and started climbing up through fields. I met an old couple who said they were from Clitheroe. The man questioned me about another signed path going across the fields; it did not appear on his gps map. I told him that this was the path I was just about to take. I showed him that it appeared as a path on the printed version but not highlighted as a public path. I'd used the path three times before and assured him he could use it. He warned me about a tree that had fallen across the path in Agden woods, my next destination.
As it happened, the fallen tree didn't present any problems. I could have probably hurdled it in my younger days, but I settled for an awkward shuffle across it today. The woodland path brought me to an area that has many bird feeders. There is a seat here and I've often spent a pleasant break watching the birds whilst having lunch. It's a popular spot though and an old fellow had commandeered the seat today. Another group was coming up the path too, and I'd be third in the queue and so I pressed on downwards to Agden Reservoir. The path runs right along the side of the reservoir giving good views across to the dam.
Agden Reservoir
Bailey Hill
Bailey Hill
From Agden Reservoir I headed uphill through Rocher Wood. This reaches another path which contours through woodland around the hillside. The drop at the side of the path gets steeper and steeper, until it is almost vertical. The path reaches an historic site called Bailey Hill and is worth the short diversion to view it.
The approaching path is a little bizarre with some ramshackle shelters built in an open area. I then reached Bailey Hill itself which looks like a giant ant hill with trees growing out of it. It is thought to be a 12th century earthwork motte and bailed fortress. Given the cliff I'd just witnessed on the approaching path it looked to be in a good defensive position; on that side at least. I'm not sure how long you'd be able to last out a siege on the hill though.
I walked through the churchyard at High Bradfield. There are fine views down into the valley and I could see the areas containing the four reservoirs I'd visited today. At the end of the churchyard a white rose Yorkshire flag fluttered in the breeze with an inscription of 'Yorkshire Born - And Proud Of It'. Fair enough.
It is a pleasant path down from High to Low Bradfield. There are some walks that you just wish would never end, and this was one of them. A great day.