Have you had your Five a Day?

Five photos taken on walks in the countryside around Hebden Bridge and the Upper Calder Valley, interspersed with views from Elmet Farmhouse in the village of Pecket Well. Yorkshire at its finest. Enjoy!

30 November 2016

View from Crimsworth Dean at 8.30 am 

Stoodley Pike in the distance, sunrise on the frosty hills 

Sheep with their winter woollies in Crimsworth Dean

Early morning sunshine on the frosty slopes of Crimsworth Dean

Sun rising over Crimsworth Dean

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

29 November 2016

Crimsworth Dean clad in its winter attire at 8.20 am

Now that’s what I call a hard frost!

Iced bracken in Crimsworth Dean

Ice-coated catoneaster at Wheat Ing in Crimsworth Dean

Even the Crimsworth cows have turned to ice!

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

28 November 2016

View from Elmet Farmhouse at 5.10pm

Another spectacular pinky-orange sunset

Heptonstall Church on the hilltop opposite Pecket Well

Perfect end to a beautiful day

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

27 November 2016

More highlights from yesterday morning’s River of Mist…

These photos were taken about an hour and a half after those illustrated yesterday’s entry

The mist is gradually thinning and dispersing…

Same view of Stoodley Pike and Heptonstall from Elmet Farmhouse at Pecket Well – but changing minute by minute as the River of Mist flows through the valleys

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

26 November 2016

View from Elmet Farmhouse at 8.50 am… 

A heavy frost and a sea of mist…

Heptonstall floating in mid air…

And Stoodley Pike hovering in the heavens

An astonishing sight to wake up to

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

25 November 2016

Another serene sunset at Elmet Farmhouse…

Heptonstall, Hardcastle Crags and Stoodley Pike at 2.50 pm…

…suffused by a pinky-orange radiance

Late afternoon sunshine casting long shadows…

… and bathing the hills

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

24 November 2016

View from Elmet Farmhouse at Pecket Well…

…on a serene November afternoon

Stoodley Pike perched on the rolling Pennine hills

Heptonstall church silhouetted on the horizon

Not a bad panorama for a winter’s day

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

23 November 2016

Kitling Bridge at the top of Kitling Clough below Pecket Well

The last glorious days of autumn in Kitling Clough, also known as Pecket Well Clough

Looking down the steep stone paved packhorse track to Kitling Bridge

Streams merging in Pecket Well Clough, running down to Hardcastle Crags, where they merge with Crimsworth Dean Beck

A carpet of newly fallen beech leaves beneath the vibrant autumn canopy in Pecket Well Clough

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

22 November 2016

The last leaves on the trees and the last snow on the ground in Crimsworth Dean

A rather amazing contrast of colours…

… as winter overtakes autumn

Shimmering pinky gold beech leaves in Crimsworth Dean

Hardcastle Crags and Shackleton Hill from Pecket Well War Memorial with snow and mist

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

21 November 2016

Highland cattle in Pecket Well

On the hunt for tussocks of grass sticking out of the snow

Pecket Well in the snow….

Looking towards Oxenhope Moor from Wadsworth Moor above Pecket Well

Sunset at Stoodley Pike

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

20 November 2016

View from Elmet Farmhouse at 4pm

Elmet Farmhouse bathed in pink late afternoon sunshine

A still afternoon and a beautiful sunset

Stoodley Pike and Heptonstall church silhouetted against the pink sky

Sun setting in the west across the snowy fields from Elmet Farmhouse

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

19 November 2016

Wintry view from Elmet Farmhouse at Pecket Well

The black obelisk of Stoodley Pike towering over the snowy landscape

The tower of Heptonstall Church also standing out against the snow 

A cold day with alternating snow and rain…

… mist rising up from the wooded valleys of Hardcastle Crags and Crimsworth Dean

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

18 November 2016

View of Heptonstall from Elmet Farmhouse – snow on the tops and a swathe of mist in the valley

Overnight snow, followed by another deluge in the morning 

These photos were taken at around 3.40pm during a blizzard, hence the dark sky

Elmet Farmhouse looking pretty as a picture in the snow

Snow-capped walls and snow-laden plants in the garden at Elmet Farmhouse

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

17 November 2016

View from Elmet Farmhouse at 9 am in the morning

Compare and contrast with the photos from late yesterday afternoon

Because the sun is shining from the opposite direction…

It illuminates the landscape in a completely different way

Heptonstall and Stoodley Pike in a soft pinky-orange glow

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

16 November 2016

View from Elmet Farmhouse at 15.50 pm

Heptonstall illuminated by shafts of late afternoon sunshine

The light changes every minute…

Shafts of sun radiating through the clouds on Heptonstall

You need to have your camera at the ready when you come to stay at Elmet Farmhouse to catch these spectacular effects

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

15 November 2016

Heron in Hardcastle Crags…

… doing a spot of breakfast fishing

This weir is one of  the herons’ favourite spots in Hardcastle Crags

I see herons here regularly on my early morning walks

Dippers are also resident by Hebden Water in Hardcastle Crags – like a robin but with a white breast

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

14 November 2016

Crimsworth Dean

Picturesque railings near the main dam in Crimsworth Dean

Dam through beech leaves

Crimsworth Dean Beck from hillside above

Traffic light colours – red, yellow and green – in Crimsworth Dean

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

13 November 2016

Mill dam in Crimsworth Dean…

… with dazzling autumn foliage

Even the beech leaves on the surface of the dam retain their vibrant colours

Crimsworth Dean Beck running through the woods near Midgehole

Weir on Crimsworth Dean Beck with full load following the melting of the recent snow

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

12 November 2016

A few spots of rain won’t dampen our spirits

The woods in Crimsworth…

…are still alive with colour

And Crimsworth Dean Beck has lost none of its vivacity

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

11 November 2016

The next day we step back from winter to autumn again

Even after the ice and snow, many of the leaves are still on the trees 

And the autumnal hues in Crimsworth Dean are undiminished

Mill dam strewn with beech leaves in Crimsworth Dean

A carpet of beech leaves underfoot but plenty still on the branches above

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

10 November 2016

Suddenly, out of the blue, the first snow of the winter arrives…

… powdering the slopes of Stoodley Pike…

…and dusting the hills near Pecket Well

Here today, gone tomorrow

But we were all caught somewhat unawares

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

9 November 2016

Merger of Graining Water and Alcomden Water to form Hebden Water at Blake Dean

A picturesque spot in a rugged landscape

Part of the National Trust estate of Hardcastle Crags

Bracken at Blake Dean

Where the bracken meets the woods near Blake Dean

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

8 November 2016

Gibson Mill, Hardcastle Crags

Gibson Mill…

… from across the dam and the river

Footpath at Hardcastle Crags covered with beech leaves

Hebden Water near Gibson Mill at Hardcastle Crags

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

7 November 2016

Rowan berries…

…near Blake Dean

… at Hardcastle Crags

Hebden Water, just below the confluence of Graining Water and Alcomden Water at Blake Dean

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

6 November 2016

Bracken ablaze at Blake Dean in Hardcastle Crags

Autumn glory at Blake Dean

Graining Water at Blake Dean

Beech tree at Hardcastle Crags

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

5 November 2016

Fabulous fungal flowers on a fallen tree trunk on Hebden Water in Hardcastle Crags

Bonfire night in Hardcastle Crags…

Who needs fireworks with a display like this?

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

4 November 2016

Hardcastle Crags ablaze!

The woods at Hardcastle Crags are beautiful all year round but particularly exciting in the autumn

Oak leaves on the turn

Beech trees spilling over Hebden Water

Fern-decked cliffs by the river in Hardcastle Crags

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

3 November 2016

Autumn glory in Hardcastle Crags

Hold on to these vibrant colours…

…They’ll keep you warm during the winter months

Hebden Water upstream of Gibson Mill in Hardcastle Crags

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

2 November 2016

Hebden Water in the National Trust estate of Hardcastle Crags

The autumn colours in Hardcastle Crags have been intoxicating this year

I just can’t get enough!

A small weir on Hebden Water upstream from Gibson Mill

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

1 November 2016

It’s fungi season down in Hardcastle Crags

Mycologists of the world unite!

Is it a space age dwelling? Not it’s just fungi sprouting mulitple canopies on a tree in Hardcastle Crags

Ascent to Clough Hole from Gibson Mill in Hardcastle Crags

Last gasp of the bracken on the oopen slopes near Gibson Mill

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

Have you had your Five a Day?

Five photos taken on walks in the countryside around Hebden Bridge and the Upper Calder Valley, interspersed with views from Elmet Farmhouse and a foray into Wharfedale. Yorkshire at its finest. Enjoy!

31 October 2016

Larch tree overhanging Hebden Water in Hardcastle Crags

The needles on this deciduous conifer turn pinky orange before they fall

Beech leaves – green, gold and russet, all at the same time

The trees in Hardcastle Crags show no sign of wanting to drop their leaves, even though it’s the end of October

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

30 October 2016

Hardcastle Crags resplendent in its autumn attire

The colours are intoxicating

The camera doesn’t really do them justice

Hebden Water running through Hardcastle Crags

Dazzling late October spectacle down in Hardcastle Crags

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

29 October 2016

Autumn kaleidoscope in Pecket Well Clough

Just a short walk from Elmet Farmhouse in Pecket Well

A stone-paved packhorse track provides a direct route down to Crimsworth Dean and Hardcastle Crags

Beech trees in Pecket Well Clough

The fallen beech leaves create a vibrant carpet 

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

28 October 2016

View from Pecket Well War Memorial across Shackleton Hill and Hardcastle Crags

Bench at Pecket Well War Memorial overlooking the spectacular wooded valley of Hardcastle Crags

Heptonstall from Pecket Well

A river of trees at Midegehole…

…the confluence of Crimsworth Dean and Hebden Dale (aka Hardcastle Crags)

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

27 October 2016

Cracking colours in Crimsworth

Bucolic bliss in Crimsworth Dean

Lunchtime at the Crimsworth milk bar 

Packhorse track up through Pecket Well Clough…

… a lesser known National Trust woodland adjoining Crimsworth Dean and Hardcastle Crags

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

26 October 2016

Old Town Mill chimney poking out over trees above Hardcastle Crags

Light catching the trees at Spring Wood, Hardcastle Crags

Autumn palette in Crimsworth Dean

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

25 October 2016

View from Pecket Well towards Shackleton Hill, Crimsworth Dean and Hardcastle Crags

The colours of landscape shift as the clouds scud across the sky

Heptonstall church tower peeping up over the hill at the end of Crimsworth Dean

A melange of russet and green in Crimsworth Dean

View along Crimsworth Dean towards Heptonstall

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

24 October 2016

Autumn glory in Crimsworth Dean

Crimsworth Dean woods captured at the peak of perfection

A particularly beautiful oak tree in Crimsworth Dean

Climbing up Kitling Clough to Pecket Well

Looking back from Pecket Well Clough into the woods at Crimsworth Dean

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

23 October 2016

A familiar view but subtly different with every passing cloud

Here it comes again, with Slack Top teetering on the ridge above the precipitous wooded slopes of Hardcastle Crags

View across Hardcastle Crags from Shackleton Hill

Looking across Crimsworth Dean towards the village of Pecket Well from Shackleton Hill

The burnished woods of Crimsworth Dean with the pale pink moors beyond

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

22 October 2016

Sheep on the hills at Walshaw

Blake Dean looking pretty as a picture

Hardcastle Crags from Walshaw

Graveyard at Slack Top with Stoodley Pike on the far horizon

Sun ricocheting off the hilltop meadows at Walshaw, with the dark green woods of Hardcastle Crags nestling in the valley below

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

21 October 2016

Dazzling autumn colours closer to home in Crimsworth Dean…

… our very own unofficial ‘National Park’

Autumn has come late but it was worth waiting for 

There’s still a tinge of purple from the heather on the moors

Light catching the meadows near Heptonstall and on the far side of the Calder Valley

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

20 October 2016

Bolton Abbey in the gloaming

The ruins of the Priory Church seen in a new light …

…at the end of an afternoon meander along the river Wharfe

Autumn colours on the Wharfe

Last glimpse of Bolton Abbey

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

19 October 2016

Never underestimate the power of water

The Strid looking decidedly malevolent

Here it is again being forced into the invisible 

And here is the river emerging from the Strid and widening out again

River Wharfe running through Strid Wood

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

18 October 2016

More dramatic scenes from The Strid on the River Wharfe – this is where the river suddenly narrows

The water surges through a narrow channel in the rocks…

The pressure of the water is so strong at this point that it has cut a deep gorge in the rocks

Apparently the depth of the water here is equal to the height of two double-decker buses

Although the surface of the water is churned up, there’s no indication of the depth of the river or the force of the current, which is why the Strid is so dangerous

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

17 October 2016

River Wharfe upstream of Bolton Abbey

What could be more pleasant on an October afternoon…

… than wandering along the banks of the beautiful River Wharfe?

The river itself is a sight to behold…

… and the surrounding woods are spectacular at this time of year

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

16 October 2016

Dead tree with bleached bark on the hillside above the River Wharfe

Strolling by the River Wharfe on a tranquil autumn afternoon

Barden Bridge on the River Wharfe, upstream of Bolton Abbey and the Strid

On top of the castellated Barden Bridge

Barden Tower on the hillside above the River Wharfe near Barden Bridge

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

15 October 2016

The Strid, a dramatic spot on the River Wharfe near Bolton Abbey

…A bottle neck, where the river is squeezed through a tight deep gulley, notorious for its dangerous currents

Moss-covered rocks on the banks of the Strid

River Wharfe just downstream of the Strid, where the river opens out again

River Wharfe in a more tranquil state further downstream

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

14 October 2016

Bolton Abbey in Wharfedale – a famous beauty spot

The romantic roofless ruin epitomises the picturesque

Gothic arched windows and remnants of tracery

A pleasing picture from every angle, hence its appeal to artists

Autumn trees in Wharfedale

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

13 October 2016

The steep wooded valleys of Calderdale, such as Luddenden Dean, provide the ideal habitat for fungi

A sombre but soft-edged morning in Luddenden Dean

Cool mist hanging like a heat haze

Footpaths created by Luddenden sheep

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson and Ian Fishwick

12 October 2016

A statuesque cow in Crimsworth Dean

The beech trees morphing from green to gold to russet

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness

Keats was spot on

Decidous oak, beech and sycamore mixed with evergreen Scots pine

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

11 October 2016

Crimsworth Dean burnished with gold

The colours are intensifying every day

The overgrown mill dams in Crimsworth Dean are one of the hidden gems of the Upper Calder Valley

who needs fireworks with a spectacular display like this?

View from Pecket Well  across Crimsworth Dean and Hardcastle Crags towards Heptonstall

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

10 October 2016

You never know who (or what) you’ll meet up on ‘the tops’!

Is it a long-necked labradoodle or a llama?

No, it’s an alpaca of course! And not just one but a whole herd

Sir Titus Salt had a soft spot for alpacas, so maybe they’ve wandered over from Saltaire?

Actually they live at Apple Tree Farm at Blackshawhead, near Heptonstall, and you can go trekking with them if you want

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson and Ian Fishwick

9 October 2016

View from Elmet Farmhouse near Hebden Bridge at 10.10 am

Every day brings subtle changes to the palette of the landscape

The woods have taken on browner hues

Crimsworth Dean War Memorial across the fields from Elmet Farmhouse

It’s still unseasonably mild and the grass is still growing apace

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

8 October 2016

View from Blackshaw Head… 

…across Jumble Hole Clough

There’s no escape from Stoodley Pike!

The natives are friendly…

… and the views aren’t to be sniffed at!

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson and Ian Fishwick

7 October 2016

Dam in Crimsworth Dean looking decidedly end of season

Crimsworth Dean Beck half way up the valley

All the plants are on the turn…

… in a good way

And the trees in Crimsworth Dean are becoming more and more fiery every day

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

6 October 2016

Threatening sky in Crimsworth Dean

View along Crimsworth Dean from Grain Farm with Stoodley Pike in the distance

The short-lived bracken is giving up the ghost

And the leaves on the trees are finally turning golden

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

5 October 2016

Lumb Falls in Crimsworth Dean

Fearless souls go wild swimming here – rather them than me!

View along Crimsworth Dean Beck from Lumb Falls…

… I’m happy just to look!

Bridge above Lumb Falls – once a major highway for convoys of packhorses laden with cloth

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

4 October 2016

View from Elmet Farmhouse at Pecket Well…

They say ‘familiarity breeds contempt’, but we say ‘familiarity breeds respect’

The awe-inspiring monument of Stoodley Pike…

… and the ancient village of Heptonstall with its perfectly placed Victorian church tower

Sun breaking through the morning mist – view from Elmet Farmhouse yesterday at 10.41 am

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

3 October 2016

Stoodley Pike – ready for lift off!

Slack Top on the crest of the hill on the far side of Hardcastle Crags

The Crimsworth – Walshaw Loop – a perennial favourite of mine

The walk starts and finishes here in Crimsworth Dean

The towering chimney of Old Town Mill at the confluence of Hardcastle Crags and Crimsworth Dean

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

2 October 2016

A distant view of Blake Dean at the far end of the National Trust estate of Hardcastle Crags

The rejuvenated post-harvest hilltop meadows look as vibrant and fresh as in the spring

Stoodley Pike on the far horizon, distant but ever present

Looking down over Hardcastle Crags from Walshaw

Hardcastle Crags: hay meadows and heather moors on ‘the tops’, woods tumbling down the steep valley sides

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson

1 October 2016

Early autumn colours at Blake Dean, Hardcastle Crags

Bracken and trees on the turn at Blake Dean

Autumn is rather late this year …

…after a mild September

All the better for us here in Hebden Bridge as it means more colour for longer!

© Photos copyright Lesley Jackson