Wessenden Butterley Marsden Bobus Moors Hike

The Bobus Butterley Boomerang

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I’d planned to head to Wales this weekend for a day’s training hike with my NSPCC HACK compadres but life intervened and more important priorities meant staying close to home. So Brodie got to hit the local hills with me – and as it turned out it was a beautiful morning for a jaunt.

I couldn’t do a really long walk but I’ve had my eye on an area called Bobus above the Wessenden valley (and Butterley Reservoir) for a while – it’s actually a pretty unremarkable area , not a high peak or (that I know) of historical or archaeological interest – but I like the name. It’s not a name I know and I couldn’t find a meaning for it so that intrigued me. And I reckoned heading for it would be about 4 or 5 miles of a round trip that would slingshot me back downhill to Marsden if I headed across to it on the Pennine Way.

As it turned out it was a just over 5 miles of blue skies, bird song courtesy of Curlew and Pheasant amongst others and fresh air.

Marsden Moor Bobus Butterley Hike
The start of the walk just up the hill from our house, we don;t get weeks of sun but when it shines you can’t beat Marsden..
Wessenden Pule Marsden Moors
Again just up the hill from my house – showing the Wessenden valley area and Bobus in the left hand distance, with Pule Hill beyond the village (to the right of the photo).
Wessenden Butterley Marsden Bobus Moors Hike
There were a lot of sheep with lambs about, all keeping a wary eye on Brodie.. (up at ‘Three Trees’ above the Binn area of Marsden).

Wessenden Butterley Marsden Bobus Moors Hike

Wessenden Butterley Marsden Bobus Moors Hike

Wessenden Butterley Marsden Bobus Moors Hike
We headed up the Wessenden Valley then picked up The Pennine Way as it crosses Wessenden Brook
Wessenden Butterley Marsden Bobus Moors Hike
It was getting hot so when we got to the top of the Pennine Way (by ‘Heritage Trail’ stone marker #11) it was time for some water and a look back down the valley and Blakeley Reservoir.
Wessenden Butterley Marsden Bobus Moors Hike
Great Butterly and Little Butterly Hills ahead of us before we turned left and walked towards Black Moss Res. (nb Buttelry as spelt on the OS map .. not Butterley?)
Wessenden Butterley Marsden Bobus Moors Hike
Walking on The Pennine Way towards Black Moss and Swellands reservoirs. The cotton grass is just beginning to flower, echoed in the white clumps of heather bales that will have been helicoptered in by The National Trust. I’m not sure if it’s to plant heather per se or to use it to dam or shore up water courses (keeping the water on the moors as much as possible).
Wessenden Butterley Marsden Bobus Moors Hike
One man and his dog. And a heather bale and a reservoir (Black Moss).
Wessenden Butterley Marsden Bobus Moors Hike
Standing on the Bobus area with Pule Hill ahead of us.

Wessenden Butterley Marsden Bobus Moors Hike

Wessenden Butterley Marsden Bobus Moors Hike
On the way back down the steps beside Butterley Reservoir – with lots of (hot) runners heading up as part of a 10K that took in some of the same route I’d walked (starting over the hill in Diggle).

 

 

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