Please note;   The moors above Ogdenwater can be very exposed.
Even on warm sunny day, the weather can suddenly change quite dramatically.

Please be sensible…    Take a windproof / waterproof jacket, a spare thin thermal shirt is a good idea as it weighs little, and some emergency rations.   
 
The route begins on the western end of the reservoir embankment and heads up towards The Withens Inn on a rough bridleway.  The first mile is steady climbing with the golf course on the left and the trees of Ogden plantation on the right.

About 200 metres before The Withens, turn right through a large gateway and head along a good wide track to cross Skirden Clough. Run with the winfarm to your left, and eventually, reach a stile, and descend to the stone bridge at Ogden Clough.   

Cross the wide, deep gully, climbing up the far banking and turning left at the top.

Head north on this good track, following Hambleton Lane with the windmills again on your left, and drop down to join Sawood Lane.  Head west along Sawood and on reaching a group of  3 trees, turn right, leaving the track and descending on grass. Look for an old broken stile and go over the wall to join the water catchment drain.  Here, turn left (west again) until, at a sharp right bend in the drain, you see a rough steep banking in front of you,

Climb straight up to meet a walled lane going across your path, which you should follow to it's end at Cold Edge road. At this point, if it is clear, you should be able to see the large stone cairns (piles of stones) high up on the skyline ridge ahead…  that is where you are heading.

Run up the tarmac road in the direction of the windmills, until it starts to climb and look for a stile in the fence up to your left.
Go over the fence and climb to a metal gate. Go over this and climb further keeping to the left of a broken wall.  At the top go through a broken wall and straight up the rough steep grass banking ahead.

You may pick up a faint path which climb up a distinct gully, straight up to the western-most skyline cairn. These stone men are around 14 feet high, four feet wide and offer protection from the elements on a cold windy day.

They were originally built by a local farmer so that when out on the moors looking for lost sheep in deep snow, the man could look up to the stones and gauge his whereabouts on the moor by the pattern they made.

Now… stop here, turn round and savour that view…  Leeming reservoir lies in the valley above Oxenhope, and beyond, the famous Bronte moors above Haworth and Keighley stretch out for miles. During the summer, watch and listen for the tourist steam trains which run regularly from Keighley, right down the Worth Valley to Oxenhope and back.   Ok, that's enough sight seeing…

As you reach the skyline path which connects the stone men, turn left (east) and head along the undulating path to join Hambleton Lane.

Go through the gate and turn right, retracing your steps back to Ogden Clough

Go over the stone bridge or through the stream and head back towards the gateway below The Withens Inn, turning back down the rough bridleway alongside the golf course, to finish at Ogdenwater embankment.

Well done !       I hope you enjoyed it…