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I was chatting to Stringman last week about potential new races and mentioned that Rocking Stones and Slaughter Gap are such good names, they should have fell races attached to them.
Anyway, for those that love the Rocking Stone area, here's something wot I wrote about it.
http://caughtbytheriver.net/2012/03/...16/#more-18503
A fine tribute to as sodden a stretch of bleakness as anyone could wish for.
To judge from the photos, you chose the finest day of the year to visit. :D
The Yorkshireman Off-Road Marathon crosses the moor, and returns over Hunter Hill close to Slaughter Gap.
(Incidentally, the gory name stems from the local tradition that it was a Civil War battle site.)
Calderdale Way leg 5 also heads nearby.
Bill Johnson has put the Reservoir Bogs race over by Rocking Stones a couple of times too.
Yes, I knew about the Calderdale Way route down by Slaughter Gap and AG mentioned the off-road marathon.
I fancy a route that starts by Stod Fold, heads up the steep bit at Slaughter Gap, follows the Calderdale Way over to Wainstalls, traverses to Castle Carr and then heads back over the top via Rocking Stone.
It was indeed a good bleak afternoon. I loved it. I look forward to a summer's day with a picnic up there.
Re Slaughter Gap -
From Hanson's History of Old Halifax:
On January 4th, 1644, Major Eden marched his little
army through Sowerby, leaving Captain Helliwell's
company to guard his camp. At Sowerby Bridge he
encountered the Royalists, killed three, and captured
Captain Clapham and forty men. Captain Farrar and
his cavalry, chasing the retreating Royalists towards
Halifax, ventured too far, and could not regain their
main force at Sowerby Bridge. Mackworth's outposts
at King Cross and Sentry Edge, blocked the direct route
back to Heptonstall, so Farrar appears to have led his
men across Halifax Moor and Ovenden Wood, with the
intention of crossing the head of Luddenden Dean and
the moors, to Heptonstall. They were checked in
Mixenden, and obliged to fight on the slope between
Hunter Hill and Mixenden Brook. Portions of gun
barrels, locks, and flints have been found on Hunter Hill.
The traditional name of the place is Bloody Field, and a
part of Binns Hole Clough is called Slaughter Gap.
Captain Farrar and nine of his men were obliged to
surrender, and one of his men was slain. Three of the
prisoners were hanged forthwith, near the Gibbet, for
deserting from Sir Francis Mackworth's force. The
remainder of the troop reached Heptonstall, bringing a
Mr. Thompson with them, having made him a prisoner
at Moor end. Sir Francis Mackworth sent to Keighley
for fifteen hundred more men, and on January 9th, the
Keighley and Halifax soldiers set out once again to
attack Heptonstall. Major Eden had news of their
approach, and he left the town, taking all his prisoners
and munitions of war. He retreated along the Long
Causeway, through Stiperden to Burnley, and on the
next day his forces reached Colne. The Royalists
entered an empty town, and gained a barren victory.
They pillaged Heptonstall, and set fire to fourteen
houses and barns. On January 14th, Major Eden's men
joined Sir Thomas Fairfax's Army at Manchester. They
saw some fighting in Cheshire, and afterwards re-joined
Lord Fairfax in East Yorkshire. Sir Francis Mackworth
had driven his enemies out of this district, but he only
enjoyed three weeks undisputed sway, for on January
28th, 1644, the King's Army left Halifax, after
possessing it for six months.
The evacuation of Halifax was due to the fact that
a Scottish Army crossed the border on January 19th,
pledged to fight for the Parliament. On July 2nd, the
great battle of Marston Moor was fought, where
Cromwell and his fellow generals won a decisive victory,
and the north of England was gained for the Parliament.
Cheers, yes I have that book....amusingly I found that my ancestors and my wife's were embroiled in the Elland feud....my lot helped her lot out and were massacred for their trouble. I daren't make any quips about history repeating itself.
The paired leg of the 2006 UKA Relays also went to Rocking Stone.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tussockface
And I seem to remember even putting a control on the CVFR Winter Score event inside that hole in Rocking Stone that you have a photo from, manothemoors.
Cheers Bill....the name of my Uncle, funnily enough. Reservoir Bogs is a good name....especially up there.
When I was taking that photo I looked at what is supporting that top slab.....not very much at all is the answer.
[QUOTE=manothemoors;473755]I was chatting to Stringman last week about potential new races and mentioned that Rocking Stones and Slaughter Gap are such good names, they should have fell races attached to them.
Another place name that deserves a race is Twiston, near Barley. How about the "Twiston Shout"? ;)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tussockface
Interesting stuff, though if I had changed sides I think I would have legged it rather than surrender to the side I had deserted from :D