1. From the car park at Scar House Reservoir, head down to quickly join the road where you turn left to reach the dam wall. Follow the road across the dam wall then, at the other side of the dam where the road bends sharp right, take the stony track up to the left (signpost ‘bridleway’). Follow this track climbing up across the hillside for 150 metres then, just after a shelter on your left, you reach a track junction where you turn right (signpost ‘Nidderdale Way, Public Bridleway, Lofthouse’). Follow this track rising up to soon reach a crossroads of tracks (dam wall down to your right) where you continue straight on to soon reach a gate in a fence, after which continue up along the track to reach a gate in a wall across the track. After the gate, the track all but levels out and leads straight on across the hillside, with Nidderdale down to your right, for 1 km before winding steeply down into the ravine of Woo Gill to reach a bridge across the stream.
2. Cross the bridge and follow the rough track climbing steeply up. The track levels out for a short distance and fords the small side-stream of Twizing Gill before climbing steeply again. The track soon levels out again and leads on across the hillside (Nidderdale down to your right) for 400 metres to reach a gate in a wall before a flat-roofed shooting hut. Do not head through this gate but turn left before it along a rough track climbing up across the hillside alongside the wall on your right for 250 metres to reach a clear shooters’ track across your path (gate in the wall on your right). Continue straight on along the rough track climbing steadily up across the hillside alongside the wall on your right (passing shooting butts) all the way up to reach the end of the track almost at the top of the hill. Carry straight on alongside the fence on your right across boggy ground to soon reach a fence across your path along the top of the watershed, with South Haw just to your right (SE 085 789).
3. Turn left along an indistinct path alongside the fence on your right heading along the top of the moorland watershed (take care – hidden hollows) for 1 km then rising up on to the top of Great Haw. Carry straight on alongside the fence across the top of Great Haw then drop down passing Coverdale Tarn just across to your right then on to soon reach Woogill Tarn. Follow the fence bending left then right and then left again around the tarn (crossing the infant Woo Gill stream issuing from Woogill Tarn at this third fence turning), after which continue straight on across the top of the moorland watershed (Carle Fell) still with the fence on your right. After 900 metres you come to the head of a stream across your path set in a small, boggy valley (western arm of the upper reaches of Woo Gill), with the start of a line of wooden shooting butts in front of you running parallel with the fence (SE 061 789).
4. Turn left immediately before this stream, heading down alongside this stream on your right (in a south-easterly direction back towards Nidderdale). Follow gradually down to soon reach a line of wooden shooting butts set in the shallow stream valley. Follow these butts down through the valley, crossing over the stream onto its right-hand side (boggy ground) where you continue down (stream now on left) passing more wooden shooting butts for a further 300 metres to join a track across your path (SE 068 787).
5. Turn right along this track and follow it gradually rising up (passing more shooting butts). The track soon levels out and then begins to drop gradually down into Nidderdale to reach a distinct fork in the track after 500 metres. Turn right and follow this track to reach the old quarry workings on Carle Fell Side. Head straight on along the track through the quarry workings heading across a flat shelf of land to eventually reach the end of the quarry workings where you follow the track bending sharply round and down to the left. The track leads down, passing below the quarry workings to your left, then drops steeply down heading towards Scar House Reservoir dam wall to reach a gate across the track. After the gate, turn right along a track for 100 metres to join another track which you follow to the left passing the shelter on your right to reach the dam wall. Re-trace your steps back across the dam to the parking area.
POINTS OF INTEREST
THE watershed between Coverdale and Nidderdale is remote and unfrequented, a wild swathe of high moorland with few paths but plenty of shooters’ tracks.
The landscape is impressive, with two huge reservoirs set among a wild and untamed landscape. The contrast is striking. Built during the early decades of the 20th century to slake the thirst of Bradford, evidence of this massive construction project still scars the landscape, including the foundations of a small town built to house the workers as well as the large quarry workings on Carle Fell Side.
The views from this old quarry are superb, with Angram Reservoir cradled beneath the mighty bulk of Great Whernside and Scar House Reservoir far below.
Our walk follows an old track high above the valley before climbing up to reach the watershed between Nidderdale and Colsterdale, just to the west of South Haw. These moors are managed for grouse shooting, as is evident from the numerous shooting butts and moorland tracks.
The walk along the fence-line across this watershed up on to Great Haw is superb, with wild moorland all around and far-reaching views across Colsterdale, Coverdale and towards Little Whernside.
Hidden away are two small but attractive tarns, Coverdale Tarn and Woogill Tarn, sparkling like jewels among the heather.
WALK INFORMATION
Distance: 7 miles Time: Allow four hours Map: OS Explorer Sheet OL30 Start/parking: Car park at Scar House Reservoir Refreshments: No facilities en route. Nearest pub at Lofthouse or Middlesmoor Terrain: Moorland tracks lead through Upper Nidderdale before climbing up to reach the watershed between South Haw and Great Haw. A rough, boggy path then follows the fence-line along this watershed up on to Great Haw. The path then drops down, passing Coverdale Tarn and Woogill Tarn, before heading across Carle Fell to reach the western arm of the upper reaches of Woo Gill, which is followed down to join a shooters’ track. This track leads through old quarry workings before heading steeply back down to Scar House Reservoir.
How to get there: From Lofthouse in Upper Nidderdale head along the road towards Middlesmoor. Then, just outside Lofthouse, take the Yorkshire Water road to the right for four miles to reach Scar House Reservoir.
Open access: Much of this walk heads across Open Access Land. See local signs for information. NB: dogs are not permitted on this access land.
Caution: This is a demanding walk across rough terrain. The walk involves a number of steep sections, several stream crossings and boggy ground. Keep to the track through Carle Fell Side quarry – steep drops to the side of the track. Full walking gear, map and compass essential.
• Mark Reid is author of The Inn Way and Walking Weekends series. innway.co.uk
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