A Hodder Trod

A scenic walk along both sides of the Hodder valley; the river is crossed via two sets of stepping stones. Those at Stakes at the southern end are rather uneven and at the time of writing in 2015 one was dislodged, necessitating a nimble hop of about a yard; both sets may be impassable when the river is high (diversions are available). Field paths may be muddy.

Technical sheet

18463414
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.23 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 151 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 151 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 182 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 89 m

Description of the walk

(S/E) Opposite the Inn at Whitewell, walk up the road past Whitewell Social Hall. Take a footpath on the right up some steps and climb to the house at Seed Hill.

(1) Turn right and follow the track (to the right of the waterworks tunnel compound).
Beyond an old quarry on the left, bear left to a gate, then turn right along the wall.
After the next gate (an old iron kissing gate), follow a fence along the hillside past a series of stiles and gates.
In the last field, ignore the gateway on the right, instead aiming for a point where an arm of woodland meets the road from the far side.

(2) Go through an iron gate into the road and turn left. Take a footpath on the right over a stile just beyond the wood.
Cross the field, erring towards the right-hand side, eventually meeting a projecting corner of the woodland on your right. Follow the woodland edge down to a stile and gate.
Beyond the wood, walk along a grassy terrace with low limestone outcrops to your right, before descending gradually to ford a side-stream close to the main river.

Beyond a kissing gate, leave the river and keep above and to the left of a wooded bank to reach a second kissing gate.

(3) Head slightly left and uphill, fording a second stream, to reach a gate and stile in the far corner.
Turn right and walk down the metalled drive (a footpath on the left by a barn, just before you meet the river, provides a diversion via Doeford Bridge if the stepping stones are impassable – see map).

(4) Opposite Stakes Farmhouse cross the stepping stones; follow the path beyond, then left over a farm bridge into a country lane.
Turn left uphill past a house (The Holly) and then right at a road junction.

(5) When the road bends left, take the farm drive straight on. Follow it past the converted Knot Barn to Lower Greystoneley (keep right). Beyond Ash and Bramblewood Barn enter the woodland on a rough descending track to a ford (slippery – use adjacent footbridge).

(6) Continue uphill to Higher Greystoneley and follow the drive out to the road. Turn right.
After a short distance, leave the road over a stile on the left. Cross another stile then aim for the farm beyond.
Thread left then right between the farm buildings to emerge near the farmhouse.

Turn left along a hedge then, beyond the farmhouse but before the next house, turn right onto a farm track.

(7) Follow this track out of the farmyard to the field’s end, then turn right over a stile next to a gate. Shortly swing left and follow the fence, then in the corner turn right to a ladder stile.
Climb half-right up the hill beyond – don’t miss the views down the valley behind you.

Beyond, descend to a gate and stile, then walk down the field to join a rough track to New Laund. Bypass the farmyard to the right.

(8) At the farm road, turn right (or left if diverting around the stepping stones – see map). Beyond the farmhouse, descend alongside the wood to the river. Cross the stepping stones then turn left to return to the Inn at Whitewell. (S/E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 116 m - Inn at Whitewel
  2. 1 : km 0.18 - alt. 137 m - Old quarry
  3. 2 : km 1.99 - alt. 144 m - Woodland
  4. 3 : km 3.22 - alt. 94 m - Stream
  5. 4 : km 4.21 - alt. 89 m - Stepping stones
  6. 5 : km 5.02 - alt. 112 m - Ash and Bramblewood Barn
  7. 6 : km 6.5 - alt. 151 m - Higher Greystoneley
  8. 7 : km 7.52 - alt. 161 m - Views down the valley
  9. 8 : km 8.76 - alt. 139 m - Stepping stones
  10. S/E : km 9.23 - alt. 116 m - Inn at Whitewel

Practical information

Reviews and comments

3.7 / 5
Based on 2 reviews

Reliability of the description
3 / 5
Clarity of route map
4 / 5
Route interest
4 / 5
Delphinium
Delphinium ★

Hi Pete,
Thank you for this feedback. I am sorry if it was not enjoyable.
Do you have any suggestions or details in the directions so we can improve it?
Thank you

Kind regards

Pete the milk
Pete the milk

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 04, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Directions for the walk were lacking detail as opposed to the other walk we did over Birkett Fell where the directions were excellent.

On this walk weather was atrocious which is why we picked a low level walk but stepping stones were not for use at either end which added a few miles and time to the walk. Not a good walk to do in the rain!

Delphinium
Delphinium ★

Ah ah Thank you for this feedback ! That's indeed enjoyable when no one is around.
Good on your for this adventure. ;-)

Enjoy your hikes

alfiew
alfiew

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 23, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

I'm glad we did this after a dry spell because it was even muddy then, so after rain it would be a big problem.
Don' even bother going to the first set of stepping stones unless you can pole vault over a big gap.
The second stepping stones are fine and even the aged pair that is my wife and me managed them comfortably.
The diversion of the first stepping stones added 2 to 3 miles (after going to the steps and turning back) and if the second stepping stones had been under water it would have added quite a few more miles.
We enjoyed the walk very much and on a bit of a dreary Monday did not meet a soul, HEAVEN

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