906 Bus Walks #10: Around Widdop Reservoir

Main features of the walk
This is a short circular walk around Widdop Reservoir providing good views over the reservoir and surrounding upland moors.

Length and time
It’s about 4½ km (nearly 3 miles)and should take you about 1½ hours (+ stops)

Gradients – how strenuous
This walk is mainly on the flat with one fairly short steepish incline.

Terrain – how uneven
The walk is mainly on a good path and track, but it can be pretty wet with one part quite rough needing good walking boots.

Obstacles – stiles, steps etc.        
There are no stiles on the walk but there are two gates that open easily.

Facilities on the walk
There are no facilities on the route.

What to take
It can be windy at this height and there is very little shelter, so take warm/wind proof clothes even if it’s a sunny day. Walking boots are advised.

Deirections

This walk starts at Widdop Reservoir car park.

  1. From the car park you take a clear wide path towards the dam, passing through a gate, over a footbridge and up a few steps to the reservoir dam top.
  2. Turn left and walk across the dam to the other side where you turn right. Go through the gate (signposted Pennine Bridleway) by the pump house and walk ahead with the reservoir on your right.
  3. After 200 metres, ignore the footpath branching off uphill to the left and continue along the main track passing a conifer plantation to your left.
  4. At the end of the plantation, ignore the smaller track going off to the right heading for the water and continue the well made track up quite a steep incline for 1km (there are good views of the reservoir back over your right shoulder).
  5. The track rises and starts to zigzag and at the second bend you take a smaller path leading off to the right, signposted Widdop Dam
  6. This section of the path, which follows a wall, slowly descending towards the far end of the reservoir, is rough and can be wet. There are several patches with rough stones to get through the wettest sections.
  7. After about 1km, at a junction, turn right onto a path sign- posted Widdop Dam which descends to cross a footbridge.
  8. After 50 metres, turn right on a track heading towards the reservoir and after 200 metres, the path goes between a wall and a drainage channel. Cross over the channel on a footbridge and turn left.
  9. This is perhaps the most pleasant part of the walk. You have the drainage channel to the left and the reservoir to the right and even a few stunted trees trying to form an avenue.
  10. After 500 metres you reach a track where you turn right, heading towards a cluster of houses. Just after the houses the track bears left over the channel, heading to a gate in a wall.

Go through gate and turn right along the road for 250 metres back to the start.