18 to 20 October 2025 - RAMSOC goes to Haworth YHA

35 former members of Ramsoc, Nottingham University's rambling society, plus hangers on like me, met for the weekend in Haworth's Youth Hostel, the exclusive hire of which cost us less than £30 pppn.

Saturday morning, 18 October, started, unsurprisingly, with a 5km parkrun for nine of the contingent. We chose Cliffe Castle parkrun, just a 15 minute drive from the hostel. It's a hilly course, thus not very popular; just 143 participants on this occasion.

Here's Richard warming up. I next saw him when he lapped me.
 

Milling around at the start

After finishing, our contingent moved to the final corner and cheered people home.

Jo, on the last corner, at the top of a steep hill

The backmarkers were then cheered in, after which someone took a group photo for us.

The full results are here. Our team performed as follows:

Coffee and cake followed, with the rest of us watching Phil with envy as he slowly worked his way through a giant bacon butty.

Six of us then drove up to Whetstone Gate, from where we enjoyed a wander around Ilkley Moor. This is an area much used by folk from local conurbations as well as from further afield; it used to be arduous bog marching, but the well laid paving now ensures dry feet, even if walking in trainers.

The Thimble Stones were soon reached; a tempting climb...

Our route continued to the Marilyn summit of Ilkley Moor - a trig point at 402 metres, our high point of the day.

Duly assembled at the trig point - Richard, Phil, Mike, Sue W, Sue B

Then we strode off to view the Twelve Apostles - a stone circle of some vintage (Bronze Age - 2300BC to 700BC).

Nearby, an information board for Ilkley Moor.

We continued onwards to the Cow and Calf rocks, a popular tourist attraction.

Nearby, we emerged above White Wells, where there were Roman Baths. I upset a resident here in June 2009 by camping on the lawn. See here, and here. I can't see any reference to the irate man returning from the pub to find me on his lawn, so I must have just shrugged it off and left early the following morning.

Here's the view from our picnic lunch spot.

Inside the Bath House, nobody took the plunge!

There's a good view down to Ilkley.

From White Wells, we took the good path followed by the Dales High Way, soon reaching the Swastika Stone, another ancient artefact dating from the Bronze Age or the later Iron Age. The stone shown below is a Victorian replica of the fainter original stone that may just about be seen on the upper rock that's further away, the whole lot being fenced by iron railings.

We continued along the good Dales High Way path, to just beyond where it dives down to the village of Addingham. (Click on the labels to the right for numerous Dales Way and Dales High Way adventures.)

Just near another trig point at Windgate Nick we passed a memorial to two crewmen who died in a Mosquito crash at this place in March 1943.

We turned around here and made our way back across Rombald's Moor to the cars. A good path, with no discernable forest, so far as I can recall.

Here's our route - 16km with 300 metes ascent, taking about 5 hours. The day was dull but dry.

Later, gathered in the hostel lounge after not showering due to a circuit being tripped, and a good meal provided by a selection of the group's fine chefs.

Sunday morning, and the dull weather remained fine for a circular walk from the hostel. It's a fine building that has recently been repainted by hand to protect the brickwork. It's the former mill owner's residence from where he could look down on his mill.

Robin led about 18 of us on a merry dance around Haworth, starting with a dash to the south.

Eventually we reached the Worth Valley Steam Railway, where the trainspotters admired a DMU full of grockles - this is Bronte country, where some of the signposts are actually in Japanese!

Despite it being another dull day, there were some nice autumn colours to be seen as we continued along the Railway Children Walk.

Before reaching the fleshpots of Haworth, we passed through the quarried remains that comprise Penistone Hill Country Park, where there's a trig point at 314 metres, just before the descent into town past the cemetery and the Bronte Graves..

It started drizzling, and I scurried through the streets, across the railway, and up the hill to the hostel before the rain set in. Lunch was at the hostel after I'd been joined by others in various states of wetness. Luckily the showers at the hostel were now warm.

Here's our route - 11km with 250 metres ascent, taking three and a half hours.

Sunday's meal was less organised. Ten or so had gone home due to work and other commitments, and the rest bought from the Co-op or checked in at a variety of hostelries. I think Indian cuisine got the most thumbs up.

Monday, 20 October, saw us out of the hostel by 10am, after which most of the remaining folk went home. Sue and I joined Richard and Jenny for a walk to Top Withens, which has a vague connection with Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights'.

We parked in a cloud and set off past the cemetery that we'd passed on the other side a day earlier.

Our route to Top Withens took us above autumn leaves to Bronte Bridge.

The others went up to a waterfall whilst I chilled out on a rock. Then we headed on up through the mist, bumping into occasional runners (a feature of the entire weekend) before arriving at the ruined farmhouse of Top Withens at 423 metres.

Here we enjoyed a coffee break and Jenny showed me how to adjust photos on my Android phone.

Now you see her...

Now you don't. But the walking pole is now a mystery...

"Hello, I'm back!"

Here's the view from our coffee break in the ruin.

We didn't bother going to the 444 metre summit, instead heading down a nicely paved path that led through the village of Stanbury and down to the Lower Laithe Reservoir.

The reservoir looked reasonably full, with a variety of ducks and gulls joining the cormorants on the misty day. We crossed the dam, taking pictures in both directions, before climbing gently back to our starting point, now out of the mist.

Here's our route - 11km with 200 metres ascent, taking a little over 3 hours.

Then we had lunch in the car and went home. A lovely weekend despite a paucity of sunshine, in excellent company.