Wycoller Walk Report 19 July 2023
11 walkers turned out for the walk to Wycoller Village and the Atom Panopticon.
The weather was dry with sunny intervals making it a very pleasant day.
The hike started from Broad Bank House car park in Brierfield. From the car park there was a good view of the valley below and beyond to Exwistle Moor.
After a short stretch on the road we picked up the Brontë Way and walked close to Upper Coldwell Reservoir. Red Spa Moor was on our right and beyond that Bouldsworth Hill. The hill is 1,696 feet (517 metres) high and is the highest point in the South Pennines separating the Borough of Pendle from Calderdale District. From here we followed various footpaths until we reached the Atom Panopticon. The Atom rests on the hillside within the Wycoller Country Park. It is a striking contemporary viewing point and a shelter to enjoy Pendle’s glorious scenery.
After taking several photographs at the Atom we descended to Wycoller Village where we had lunch next to a Beck. Wycoller is a historic settlement dating back beyond 1000 BC. It has close links with the Brontes and in 1973 was declared a conservation area and country park.
After lunch we climbed a steep track and path from the village through part of the Trawden Forest and passed the Trawden Forest Clamping site. We continued across several fields and passed a number of small hamlets until we rejoined the Brontë Way to make our way back to the car park.
Distance covered was 10 miles.