Parkhouse Hill

With the promise of rain to arrive a little later in the day on Sunday, I was under pressure to get out much earlier than usual!  This was the view from the bathroom window when I got out of the shower at 8.15, a lovely start to the day.

I didn't manage to get out until 10am as I am often indecisive and couldn't decide where to walk. There's just too much choice here!  I left the house with half a plan - to park somewhere near Glutton Bridge, walk up Parkhouse Hill and then see how the weather looked and decide the rest of the route at that point.

I parked just off the road below and then set off back down the lane on foot..

There were fieldfares in the fields here and I saw a couple of ravens too.

I left the road and followed this little dale down to Glutton Grange

That's Parkhouse Hill below...

Approaching the bottom of it now...

This is a view from part way up, looking over to Chrome Hill in the middle of the photograph.

And these are the views from the top...

This one was taken standing right on the little rocky summit.  Chrome hill is the next hill along, the ascent of which begins after crossing the lane down there.

Before I reach the lane, I have to descend Parkhouse Hill of course.

 Not the easiest hill to walk down, this is looking back up to the summit. A large portion of the downward route was slippery mud or very slippery limestone!

For this patch I had to go down sitting down, it was just to slippery to step down. This is looking back up - wet limestone is quite lethal!

Almost at the bottom now!

The initial plan had involved walking up Chrome Hill too, it's been a while since I last did so, but that one takes a bit longer and the cloud was rolling in and a few raindrops falling. I decided not to bother this time and instead followed the lane to the right, heading for Dowel Dale.

This is a final view of Parkhouse Hill as I was heading away from it.

And a view of Chrome Hill. It's pronounced 'croom' and also known as the dragon's back.

I met a kestrel as I followed the road through Dowel Dale.

Fog was slowly rolling in all around me as I walked.

I left the lane to head across High Edge. Visibility was poor by now, but it didn't matter - whichever way I wandered across it, I'd have reached the road where I had begun.

It's an interesting landscape here (I think) with limestone poking out of the grass, almost like a bit of limestone pavement, and there's a cairn too. It's not so easy to see on a day like this though, nor are the fine views that would usually be had up here!

A very enjoyable walk which was around 5 miles again - I seem to be stuck in a 5 mile rut at the moment but I think that's just because of a lack of time really, and shorter days. I do need to make an effort to do some longer walks. Hopefully I'll be able to this year - unlike last year when my horrible leg problems somewhat ruined walking opportunities!