Around Jumbles Reservoir.
Start. Road to Chapeltown car park.
Route. Car Park - Grange Road - Jumbles Reservoir - Horrobin Fold - Jumbles Country Park Cafe - Ousel Nest Meadows - Grange Road - Car Park.
Notes. Jumbles derives from Saxon meaning deep wooded valley or deep water course, this perfectly describes the valley cut by Bradshaw Brook, the beck that feeds Jumbles Reservoir. Jumbles Country Park opened in 1971 following the completion of the Jumbles Reservoir, the walk around the reservoir’s a short one at just over an hour.
The route was simple, first find the car park, there’s a number to chose from, we opted for the one on Chapeltown Road, from the rear of the car park a path descends with modern bungalows to the right and woodland the left. This we followed as far as a kissing gate on the left, we passed through said gate before descending into a meadow flanked by Horse Chestnut and Sycamore, at the foot of the meadow we swung right joining the path we left a few minutes earlier.
The path is wide and well walked it guided us along the edge of a railway line before passing under it depositing us in a large field, a gentle descend saw us step onto Grange Road, we turned left letting way marked path guide us around the reservoir.
Once round we ignored the cafe, having already dined, we wandered through the car park before descending under the dam wall to access Ousel Nest Meadow, probably named after the ring ousel a bird once common in the Bradshaw Valley.
Through woodland and wetland the path carried us, emerging at a gate allowing access to a surfaced lane, this was Grange Road it guided us back to our access point, we entered the large field traversed earlier, passed back under the railway tracks but ignored the path through the meadow, instead we continued ascending the wide path back to our starting point.
Jack and Sue descend to the meadow mentioned in the text above.
Tree lined Grange Road, obviously once a road of importance.
Over the tree tops Jumbles Reservoir.
Jumbles Reservoir, beneath the waters lies the remains of Horrobin Mill a Bleachworks.
At the north end of the reservoir this flooded quarry looks almost natural.
Reservoir outflow and....
....Bradshaw Brook.