Wednesday 23rd July 2025

Wednesday 23rd July 2025

Circular Brierfield Country Park to Wycoller

Today’s walk was the one of a series of walks designed to visit the panopticons, situated on the Pennine Hills. The walk began at the car park on Halifax Road, near the old Pill Box where Brierfield, can be seen in the valley below. Seventeen walkers headed down the road, turning right at the finger post, and soon joining the Bronte Way (BW) on our left.

As we walked through Will Moor Clough we enjoyed clear views of Pendle Hill to our left, along with the various shades of green on the trees and fields and a multitude of wildflowers. After continuing along the BW, for a couple of miles we descended into Turnhole Clough and after crossing a footbridge we made use of the banking to enjoy our morning coffee.

Once out of the valley we headed for Dean House Farm, and after passing through the farmyard we made our way across the fields into Smithy Clough, where we turned left, after crossing a footbridge and climbed up to The Atom. The Atom Panopticon, built in 2007, is a hollow metal sculpture providing clear views over Wycoller Country Park and to Pendle Hill in the distance. Unfortunately, a mirror ball in the sculptures centre used to view the scenery was stolen soon after it was built.

By now it was lunchtime, so we made our way down to the hamlet of Wycoller and ate our lunch in the ruins of Wycoller Hall. The hall was made famous in Charlotte Bronte’s novel, Jane Eyre, as it was the real Ferndean Manor. The Bronte family were regular visitors to Wycoller, as Haworth is only nine miles across the moors.

After spending some time exploring the ruins and the many bridges, we headed across one of the bridges and joined a track leading back onto the moors, passing several small farms before re-joining the Bronte Way and heading back to Briarfield, having covered ten scenic miles.