John O'Gaunt's Castle

Sunday, 10th April

10 Miles (16.4Km) - 3hr 26 min

Well, it's been a while.  For various reasons I haven't been able to get out and about (well, walking wise) since the middle of March.  However, with bright blue skies and the temperature reaching the high teens I felt it was time to get back into the routine, although I probably wouldn't have chosen a 10 mile hike - but that's part of the story !

The walk starts from a Forestry Commission car park (SE 236522) on a sharp bend on the road between Norwood and Beckwithshaw.  The first section is on metalled roads that leads across some fairly barren moorland before skirting Scargill Reservoir and then drops down into the valley before a short climb to Long Liberty Farm and the second reservoir known as Beaver Dyke. This is swiftly followed by John O'Gaunts Reservoir.

The day was absolutely glorious with hardly a cloud in the sky and temperatures rose pretty quickly (I left the car park at approximately 9.30 a.m.).  After skirting around the final reservoir you have the chance to leave the route and visit John O'Gaunt's Castle - in reality the ruins of an old hunting lodge.  However, I chose to stick closely to the route (I thought) until, checking my GPS I found I'd missed a turning and was probably a 1/2 mile off course !  Quick about turn and re-tracing steps time !

The route then cuts across fields eventually reaching Bland Hill (SE 2075310). After a few hundred yards of negotiating the busy B6451 the roadside is escaped to cut through fields and up the hill to Norwood Edge (SE208515).  Here I had my second set back of the day as I blindly followed my nose to nowhere !!  Once again it was a case of retracing my steps with the aid of the GPS to find myself back on some kind of track. 

In fact it was a rather delightful track through Norwood Edge Plantation and out of the (by now) quite fierce sunshine !  The end of the plantation offered the sight of Little Alms Cliff (SE 232522) in the (not too) distance, and, although the finish was in sight it proved the perfect place for a spot of lunch before heading back home !

A delightful walk with fantastic views at some points, especially across Haverah Park with its windmills and the golf balls of Menwith Hill in the background.

Selection of photos available from the link