A September Walk From Haworth to Ponden, Brontë Country

September is one of my favourite months. The harsh summer temperatures and light become much gentler. It's the month when a lot of lovely fruit becomes ripe and ready for harvest; when a lot of summer flowers are still going strong and besides a multitude of all sorts of gorgeous red berries turn up on trees and bushes - rowan, hawthorn, hips...I still need to learn some of the names.
It is the month when I love to pay my annual visit to Ponden Hall and go for walks on Stanbury moor which bears many fascinating Brontë landmarks.
Last Friday it was the only full day of my stay at Ponden, so it was the day I planned the longest and remotest walk up on the moor. Unlucky for me, it rained heavily all day, and I had to put up with the fact that no such walk would happen. Instead, I walked the three miles to Haworth making a note of all the nice photos I might be able to take on my way back if it stopped raining. My day was not spoilt by rain by any means (the weather cannot possibly spoil my stay in Haworth). I had a good time visiting the Parsonage, doing a spot of shopping around the lovely Main Street shops and having  coffee and something to eat.
As I was having a pub dinner around 5 p.m. it stopped raining and the sun started to push its way through the still menacing clouds. The forecast on my mobile phone said there was going to be a lull in the wet weather between 5 and 7 p.m., so I quickly finished my meal and set off on the way back to Ponden. The low sun was shining in the moody sky casting a beautiful light on the countryside.

View over Worth Valley from the path running parallel to Cemetery Road

Berry laden rowan tree obscuring the view over Worth Valley

Further down the same path there are views over Sladen Valley

The path leading to the village of Sladen Bridge

Wished I had had some sugar lumps; all I could feed him is some long grass from my side of the stone wall.

Derelict barn near Buckley Green, Stanbury

View from the lane near Buckley, Stanbury

Path leading down to Ponden Reservoir 

Same path as above further down

Ponden Reservoir 

Ponden Reservoir

Not long after I took the last shot the setting sun was lost behind dark clouds and the rain returned. I felt grateful that what started as a seemingly miserable day turned to be an enjoyable one after all where I got the best of both worlds: I had a very pleasant time in my favourite village, Haworth, and also managed to get some good shots of the beautiful surrounding countryside.