I knew today would be difficult. It’s 8 years ago today that my mum died. I’d been thinking about it all week, and I knew that I didn’t have anything pencilled into my calendar for today, so nothing to distract me. Speaking of calendars my wall calendar (the one that just looks pretty above my desk) has a photo of Heptonstall in the distance and a steep cobbled path in the foreground. Hmm – I can’t think of where that would be.
Yesterday’s walk in Pecket Well
I did some quilting, sewing, knitting, and even went to buy a couple of new canvasses in case I felt inspired to paint. But by 3 o’clock I was looking for some distraction and thought I’d go and buy some pasta from the Coop. Yesterday I’d had my second grocery delivery since moving in so I had mussels and prawns and salmon so I decided to make seafood pasta. It takes about 5 minutes to walk to the Co-op. Though when I set off from home I thought I might end up checking out a certain path that goes above the Coop that my ride home from band had told me about last night. Apparently it has great views and is paved, so it’s possible to do it without sinking to your knees in mud. So I took a map and some water and set off. Three hours, 7 miles and 61 flights climbed and 61 flights descended I got home with my pasta, having climbed to Stoodley Pike and back – right from my apartment!!! Or maybe I should say right from the Coop.
I passed a lady from Horsehold and a man from Kilnshaw Farm, some pheasants and one new born lamb. Oh yes, and a dry stone waller who told me all about ‘throughs.’ Well, I did ask him! It was a fascinating hike. There’s a whole community perched way up on the hill across from my apartment. The man told me that this area had once been a
model farm which explained why the stone walls and therefore paths are all at 90degree angles – so unusual for these moors. He also explained that beneath the fields is a whole drainage system which delineates the grazing pasture from the moorland. I’ll have to find out more about this. I did, after eating the pasta! And, you’ll never guess what. The man in charge of the archives in Hebden Bridge, where I’ll be helping out tomorrow, did his Phd thesis about this area and goes into great detail about the division of the land . Most of it is gobbledy-gook to me, but with a bit of time I should be able to get the gist of it. Back in the 1400’s the whole area was once a deer park and so when it did eventually get divided into fields it was done so in a methodical way, all around the same time – hence the geometrical field shapes and unity in the wall construction. AND looking back down to Heptonstall I realised I was on the 
cobbled road that is on my wall calendar that I looked at this morning. Of course all along the hike I was thinking of the time I climbed up to Stoodley Pike with Sarah last summer and was wondering if my daughters would like to do this hike. The farms, especially Horshold is
amazing – a tiny community perched high above Hebden Bridge. I was the only one on Stoodley Moor as a reached the tower. I was both amazed and proud of myself as I thought about my mum. It was her love of the countryside and hiking that stays with me in all my hikes.
Great use for old supermarket trolleys.
The guardian of the path.
We’re looking at you!
https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/sites/default/files/stoodley_pike_hike2.pdf
My glass of wine is finished. Time to make the seafood pasta 
[wpvideo U25woJyq]
The quiet of the countryside??
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