Scout Moor Wind Farm


Home	The 214 Fells Map	My Diary

27th April 2025

Overview

Ascent:	786 Feet - 240 Metres
Summits:	4, Hail Storm Hill - Whittle Hill - Higher Hill - Knowl Hill
Weather:	Fair Wind With Plenty of Sunshine. Highs of 24°C Lows of 12°C
Parking:	Lay by, Opposite Ashworth Moor Reservoir
Area:	South Pennines
Miles:	7
Walking With:	On My Own
Ordnance Survey:	Explorer 277
Time Taken:	4 Hours
Route:	Ashworth Moor Reservoir - Cheesden Edge - Top of Cheesden Pasture - Top of Naden Brook - Hail Storm Hll - Whittle Hill - Higher Hill - Man Road Ditch - Knowl Hill - Top of Red Lumb Brook - Ashworth Moor - Ashworth Moor Reservoir

Parking Details and Map

Nearest Post Code:	OL12 7TY
Grid Reference:	SD 829 159

Map and Photo Gallery

Owd Betts Inn, Edge of Scout Moor. 10:15am 12°C

With low cloud and the odd shower dominating the Lakeland fells this weekend I thought I'd pay a visit to Scout Moor Wind Farm which I last visited back in September 2022. I often take in the views over Scout Moor whenever I'm walking Winter Hill which as the crow flies, is just eleven miles away, that said it's a sixty mile round trip by car from home. The local forecast had changed (no change there then!) when I woke this morning from sunny periods to grey cloud so you could imagine my surprise when I arrived to find it actually starting to brighten up, you couldn't make it up could you.

There's plenty of lay-by parking opposite Ashworth Moor Reservoir where I parked with ease with views of the Owd Betts Inn where a large group of female walkers were congregating, that'll explain how busy the lay-by was then. It's minimum kit today with no need for walking poles as the route is largely walked on service roads used by maintenance engineers to attend the wind turbines. Even though it's been nearly three years since I was last here after a few minutes everything fell into place leaving me to lock the car, zip on a stretchy hoodie and head for the moorland.

Views towards Peel Tower (right) and Winter Hill (left)

With Ashworth Moor Reservoir coming into view lower left.

Wind Turbine, Scout Moor.

The moorland was bone dry underfoot as I picked up the path followed by a horse and rider and her two Cairn Terriers who walked ahead. Unlike my last visit where I went off path quite a bit, today I'm taking it easy heading for the first turbine from where I'll pick up the service road.

Scout Moor Wind Farm.

Cloud, what cloud! It's so nice I decide to delayer.

Wind Turbine, Scout Moor.

The turnbines sure brought the boy out in me. These things are huge and not to mention very intimidating when you walk beneath them.

Banksy's Balloon Girl.

Nearly all of the turbines had Banksy's Balloon Girl stencilled on the side all with different colour balloons.

Heading for Hail Stone Hill (out of view) with the mast on Higher Hill seen left.

I continued to follow the service road my next destination being Hail Stone Hill which is located right from the track near the wind turbine.

Winter Hill, Peel Tower and Fecit Hill.

With the market town of Ramsbottom seen below.

Continuing along the service road.

My path will cross ahead after I descend Higher Hill off to the left.

Views towards Knowl Hill.

To reach Knowl Hill later I'll be crossing the moorland to the right of the track known as Man Road Ditch, there is indeed a ditch right through the moorland which I'm hoping, after the dry spell I'll avoid losing a boot or two.

Views towards Whittle Hill (centre) and Fecit End (left)

I'll be back here later but first I want to pay a visit to Hail Stone Hill which I left out the last time I was here.

On route to Hail Stone Hill.

Besides the lady horse rider the two people up ahead are the only folk I've seen well into an hour in the walk.

Views towards Naden Lower Reservoir, Greenbooth Reservoir and Knowl Hill from Hail Stone Hill summit.

With Hail Stone Hill reached I took in the views towards the south when from out of nowhere half a dozen E-off road bikes appeared who left as quietly as they'd arrived.

Tempting, very tempting.

Here I took in the view towards the next summit named Top of Leach...the moorland was crying out to be walked so much so I almost set off but returned thinking it's best I stick to my route.

Returning to Higher Hill.

This view takes in a good proportion of the wind farm I thought.

Heading for Whittle Hill.

I joined the service road at the foot of Higher Hill (which I will visit on my return) where I found a vast amount of crowds all heading to Whittle Hill...oh no.

Higher Hill and Knowl Hill see across Scout Moor Wind Farm.

Pendle Hill seen beyond Tottington Higher End Moor.

When I see views like this I'm left feeling like I want to explore my own county more than I do.

A distant Winter Hill from Whittle Hill.

The cross was erected by a local Scouts in memorial to Flying Officer Geoffrey Molyneux who was one of 18 men killed while on an RAF exercise over the Irish Sea on January 11th 1955 of which F/O Molyneux was a founder. In the most tragic of circumstances it is thought that the two Avro Shackleton aircraft who should have been 85 miles apart crashed into one another while searcing the same target area over Scout Moor.

Next stop Higher Hill.

Seen right with the single metal mast.

Higher Hill mast.

Reaching the mast was much harder than I thought after taking a direct line from the service road I was met with thick hummocky grass sometimes knee high. Gotta laugh how some of the smallest of hills leave you gasping!

The view east.

Seen from my Higher Hill descent.

Wind Turbine, fringes of Man Road Ditch.

From Higher Hill I did indeed cross the same service road I'd passed earlier before picking up a faint footpath over the moorland known as Man Road Ditch which was bone dry, what slowed me down was more hummocky grass the objective being was to reach this turbine, it couldn't have come soon enough!

Knowl Hill dead ahead.

Knowl Hill was within reach which for the duration of the time it took me to cross the moorland looked to be quiet that was until I spotted a family of four ascending from the right, be nice if I could get a summit photo before they arrived.

Knowl Hill summit.

I dropped it down a gear as I lost view of the family eager to reach the summit before they did purely because the last time I was here the summit was quite busy then too. Luckily I arrived panting like a labrador on a hot day less than a minute before the family savouring that minute until my breath returned to normal.

Ashworth Moor Reservoir from Knowl Hill.

I wondered away from the summit trig point and found a nice spot on the summit shoulder over looking Ashworth Moor Reservoir and much of todays walk. I rarely ever stop to sit down but the views were just too good to ignore. Sipping from my water bottle I soaked in the early afternoon sunshine draining my bottle ready for the short walk back to the layby. Aside from two banana's I'd eaten for breakfast I hadn't eaten opting to get a meal deal on my way home but I was starving now and my stomach complained noisily. I descend in the sunshine and pass two young girls who I nod a smile at getting nothing in return they were two heavy in conversation to notice I guess. The nearer I get to the A680 the quicker I'm returned to reality, half a dozen classic cars pass leaving the smell of two stroke in my nostrils while beyond, the sun shimmers over the reservoirs surface as boot reaches tarmac where the smell of two stroke is replaced by cooked onions and sizzling burgers. Somehow I don't think I'll make it to Tesco.