Embsay, Embsay Moor, Upper Barden Reservoir, Yorkshire.
[14.5 km] Fri 05 Dec 2014

OS Grid Ref: SE 00963 53844
Lat/Long: +53.980653, -01.986805

The free car park in Embsay, near Skipton, was ideal for the start of my walk. I walked over Embsay Moor some years ago while on a backpacking trip so today decided to have another look from a different approach. I left the car park and headed west along Pasture Road. I was intrigued by an old mill chimney down to my left and some refurbished buildings which could have been some of the original mill buildings.

The site was the Primrose Cotton Mill. On my right was the old Manor House, I think the date stone said 1665. The lane reached Embsay Reservoir which was completed in 1909 as a water supply for the Skipton area. Below the dam I could see an old mill chimney. The old Ordnance Survey map shows it to be the site of the Good Intent Cotton Mill (Crown Spindle Works).

Across the reservoir was the impressive and distinctive Embsay Crag. At Crag Nook I crossed a wooden stile to walk a short way along the track to try and find another minor track heading north onto the moors. I reached the point shown on the map but there was no track to be seen. I headed over rough ground to climb up to the Deer Gallows rocky outcrop.

It was an interesting viewpoint but the previously clear weather kept clouding over. I managed to find the track I was looking for and headed over East Harts Hill where I got a good view of the distant obelisk on Cracoe Fell. I wasn’t going that far so continued along the track to an interesting shooting hut with earth roof and open front.

Continuing along the track I came to a view of the Upper Barden Reservoir below. I descended to the dam for a look. The map says it was for the Bradford Corporation Waterworks a net search says it was built in the 1880s. I followed a path to the SE across Lumb Gill Wham which turned out to be the line of an old narrow gauge railway used in the construction of the reservoir. Eventually I reached Barden Road and turned right. I stopped briefly to watch the almost full moon rising. I walked back through Eastby and back to Embsay. I set off on the walk just after 2pm, it was dark when I got back to the car.