Rylstone Fell

The last time I walked up here was 15^th October 2016 so quite a while ago and because of the time of year and short days I just walked to the cross and came back down in a short loop.

  Today I was going to up and across the moor to the Cracoe Obelisk/war memorial and back down.  Originally it was known as Rylstone Man but it was changed to a wooden crucifix to commemorate the 'Peace of Paris' in 1885. Weather conditions took their toll on the Rylstone Cross in the decades that followed and it had to be replaced several times until the wooden structure was changed to a stone one in 1997. Rylstone is now more famous for the Calendar girls who published a calendar in 1994 to raise money for Leukaemia. The walk passed the church in Rylstone Centre before turning up a track that leads through a narrow pasture then up past a plantation and a steep moorland track by a wall up to Rylstone Cross I stopped here for a drink and a sandwich, It had been warm work up the steep path.

Before heading east to the Cracoe Memorial, a stone obelisk built to remember those that lost their lives in the First World War. The mile long walk along the top escarpment between the two points – the cross and the obelisk is well worth the hike up. 

The views were fantastic today  looking across Barden moor towards Upper Barden reservoir and back across to the quarries around Cracoe.

 The walk loops back down the fell on a sunken way made by sledges carrying stones from the hills.  The path then got even steeper to level out in a boggy section by some sheep pens.  From here I went through a gate onto a grassy green track – Fell Lane.  

Looking back up at the memorial it seemed a long way a way.  

Just before the main road there was a back lane back to to Rylstone this walk was 6.5 miles and the sun had shone all the way round, so glad I’d remembered to put my sunscreen on – no itchy spots I hope. I just love these hills and views.