Walk Description

I parked the car at the small Pay and Display car park near Calf Hey Reservoir and walked along the private road towards the paths around the reservoir.  This is a conservation area and the ruins of Hartley House and Lower Ormerod have been partially restored.  We joined the Rossendale Way and made our way up the steep wooded clough towards Bently Moss.

Steve decided to follow the boundary fence towards Causeway Height whilst I went to Hog Lowe Pike.  The trig point is just south of the boundary fence and for some reason there is a ‘Welcome to Woodlands’ sign next to the trig even though there are no woods to be seen.
I then joined Steve on the slightly wet path to Causeway Height.  When we reached the corner of the boundary fence we turned south. Unfortunately the path deteriorated very quickly and we decided not to follow the fence to Bull Hill and headed towards Causeway End instead.  We then walked down the northwest side of the large valley above Musbury Brook. We followed the Rossendale Way past Rushy Leach and along to the old workings at Musbury Heights.  This is a barren landscape of old grass filled tracks and heather covered spoil heaps.  We stopped for a while at the small pool near the restored chimney.  It was restful here, the only noise was caused by the large dragonflies beating their way through the reeds and rushes surrounding the pond.  We were also fascinated by the beautiful damselflies at the end of the pond. 

After a quick bite to eat we left the pool and walked along an old tramway out to the edge of the plateau.  We then followed a faint path down the very steep hillside and eventually rejoined the Rossendale Way again.  From here it was just a short stroll to the dam at Calf Hey Reservoir and then back to the car.

It was a shorter walk than originally planned due to the wet conditions underfoot. The walk took 2 hours 20 minutes and included a short break for lunch and time to enjoy the dragonflies on Musbury Heights.
 

Route & Planning

Details and Route Map

Photo Opportunities

Walk Profile

The route map shown here should not be used as a replacement for the appropriate map(s). Before attempting the walk you should check the suitability of this route in relation to your capabilities and experience.