Tan-Cat Route

[bogdodger]

Can anyone please help me with the 'official' / definitive Tan-Cat route?

I have pieced together a route description based on the little info that I have, and made one or two assumptions. (See below).

I have also plotted this into Tracklogs Digital Mapping software.

The route comes out at 120 miles with 20,500 ft of ascent, so hopefully I am not too far out.

Any information would be gratefully received.


Tan Hill – Pennine Way – Great Shunner Fell –Pennine Way – Hawes.

Hawes – Wether Fell – Marsett – Stalling Busk – High Lane – Gilbert Lane – Buckden Pike – Tor Mere Top – Great Whernside – Conistone Turf road – Dales Way – Grassington .

Grassington – Thorpe – Watt Crag Obelisk – Rylston Fell – Embsay – Skipton – Lothersdale – Pennine Way to Wolf Stones – Watersheddles Resr – Jacksons ridge – Rigging stones – Widdop Resr – Heptonstall Moor – Dukes Cut (Track) – Todmorden.

Todmorden – White House – Blackstone Edge – Pennine Way over M62 – Way stones – Buckstones Moss – Marsden – Wessenden Valley – Black Hill – Bleaklow (via 4 Inns route) – Kinder (via 4 Inns route) – Chapel Gate – Chapel-En-Le-Frith (via 4 Inns route) – Chapel station – Castle Naze – Combs Moss – White Hall – Burbage Edge – Derbyshire Bridge – Cat and Fiddle.

[peakplodder]

tan-cat route pretty close,with the following corrections.jacksons ridge,boulsworth hill,spot height 1277 on road,black hambledon,todmorden
white house pennine way to black hill,crowden little brook,crowden yh,rollick stones,bleaklow head,upper north grain,snake inn,seal stones, kinder short crossing,edale,barber booth,chapel gate,sparrowpit,barmoor corner[A6],combs moss,blackstone edge,whitehall,goyt valley,shining tor path to cat and fiddle,this is the line followed by rucksack club who devised the route.

[Luv Shack]

I'll check my old RC notes if you wish, can probably find some RC
write ups too, PM if they might be of help, although it could take me a while to find them!
PS It's a cracking outing!! I was lucky enough to start in snow showers at Tan Hill & finish in hot sunshine at Cat n Fiddle...

[bogdodger]

tan-cat route pretty close,with the following corrections.jacksons ridge,boulsworth hill,spot height 1277 on road,black hambledon,todmorden
white house pennine way to black hill,crowden little brook,crowden yh,rollick stones,bleaklow head,upper north grain,snake inn,seal stones, kinder short crossing,edale,barber booth,chapel gate,sparrowpit,barmoor corner[A6],combs moss,blackstone edge,whitehall,goyt valley,shining tor path to cat and fiddle,this is the line followed by rucksack club who devised the route.

Thanks for your prompt and detailed reply peakplodder

Just a few questions after looking at the maps again -

By Boulsworth Hill, do you mean visit Lad Law Trig (GR 929 357) ?
By Black Hambleton, do you mean visit Hoof Stones Height Trig (GR 914 291) ?
Any specific route down into Todmorden?
When you say Pennine Way to Black Hill, do you mean that you don’t go through Marsden?
Sparrowpit via Rushop Farm FP?
Barmoor corner via A623 ? Route up onto Combs Moss and route across it to White Hall?

I hope you can help clear up these few points.

Thanks!

[bogdodger]

I'll check my old RC notes if you wish, can probably find some RC
write ups too, PM if they might be of help, although it could take me a while to find them!
PS It's a cracking outing!! I was lucky enough to start in snow showers at Tan Hill & finish in hot sunshine at Cat n Fiddle...

Thanks Luv Shack

I would appreciate a copy of any notes and write ups you may have regarding the route.
Please let me know if you find anything.

[Luv Shack]

Thanks Luv Shack

I would appreciate a copy of any notes and write ups you may have regarding the route.
Please let me know if you find anything.

Sometimes.... but, not always it's surpring what I can find... (sic)
Will do my best to find the words & jottings of unwise wisdom..
And again, must say it's a magical route/journey...
Hope you &? will share it with Pals...
If not this time, then next.

[Fellhound]

Didn't the Rucksack Club also have a Kirkstone Pass Inn to Cat and Fiddle route? Presumably this was because the Kirkstone also has a spurious claim to being the highest Inn in England.

The exploits of the Rucksack Club are so legendary that someone must have written a book on their history. If not, WHY not!!

(PS wasn't Eustace Thomas a member?)

[bogdodger]

Didn't the Rucksack Club also have a Kirkstone Pass Inn to Cat and Fiddle route? Presumably this was because the Kirkstone also has a spurious claim to being the highest Inn in England.

The exploits of the Rucksack Club are so legendary that someone must have written a book on their history. If not, WHY not!!

(PS wasn't Eustace Thomas a member?)

A good book for some of the early history of such routes is -
High Peak by Eric Byne and Geoffrey Sutton published in 1966.

I was lucky in being able to get hold of a copy via the local library.

Any further accounts of this or any other RC ultra routes would be appreciated.

[wycoller]

Thanks for your prompt and detailed reply peakplodder

Just a few questions after looking at the maps again -

By Boulsworth Hill, do you mean visit Lad Law Trig (GR 929 357) ?
By Black Hambleton, do you mean visit Hoof Stones Height Trig (GR 914 291) ?
Any specific route down into Todmorden?
When you say Pennine Way to Black Hill, do you mean that you don’t go through Marsden?
Sparrowpit via Rushop Farm FP?
Barmoor corner via A623 ? Route up onto Combs Moss and route across it to White Hall?

I hope you can help clear up these few points.

Thanks!

Lad Law Trig is the top of Boulsworth Moor. Jackson's Ridge is quite indistinct and can be tough going (there isn't technically a path). The trig is just over a fence on your right hand side with a stile fairly close to the trig .

[bogdodger]

Lad Law Trig is the top of Boulsworth Moor. Jackson's Ridge is quite indistinct and can be tough going (there isn't technically a path). The trig is just over a fence on your right hand side with a stile fairly close to the trig .

Thanks for the information wycoller.
Judging by the name, I would guess you have a good local knowledge of the area.