High Greenfield Knott
High Greenfield Knott - 10 miles circular walk.
It's not often we post two featured walks on the same weekend, however, it was a Bank Holiday and we had some friends up so we have made the most of it!
Saturday's walk was a fairly short waterfall walk. Sunday's walk was one of our favourite "from our doorstep walks". This is a challenging ramble not for the faint-hearted. Although only a moderate distance of 10 miles, this walk really takes it out of you but offers spectacular views of the Three Peaks, Ribblehead Viaduct, Pendle Hill and the South Lakes as well as truly remote desolate jungle-like conditions through the forest.
Setting off from Willow Cottage, we headed down the lane to Beckermonds then turned right and crossed the bridge over the beck and took a deep breath before beginning the exhausting ascent of the steep 3-stage hill that runs along the edge of the forest. Finally at the top of this beast of a hill we went through the gate and dropped down the other side about 50 metres to stop for a snack and drink while admiring the amazing views of the Three Peaks, Cosh, Foxup and Foxup Moor.
Continuing the walk we returned to the gate and followed the wall along the ridge for about 4 miles admiring the hundreds of sapling Christmas Trees and far reaching views through Littondale. Upon reaching the trig point on High Greenfield Knott and then admiring the nearby cairn, we headed downhill towards the forest perimeter fence and followed it across the slope of the hill and carefully negotiating the many deep ravines that have been shaped by the ghylls over centuries.
We went through a gate and scrambled down through the forest until we reached the forest track and then took a right back towards home. We had another scramble to endure to reach the beck in the valley bottom before crossing the water and making our way up and over the meadow to get back to base.
All in all a superb yet tiring 10 mile hill climb and scramble through soft damp ground. The weather was kind, it stayed dry although it was humid which added to the challenge, but we had a great time!
