Nicky Nook & Grizedale Valley offer a most beautiful & accessible landscape, the secluded wooded valley of Grizedale with its steep vegetated sides are almost ‘cathedral-like’ with a great ‘sense of place’ for the visitor.

In contrast, from the lofty height of Nicky Nook we have wonderful views around Lancashire & beyond, to the west is the Fylde coast and further afield the Lake District. To the east, an intimate panorama of Bowland, Harrisend Fell (310m) to the left (NE), the highest fell is Hawthornthwaite Fell Top (478m). Above Stake House Farm is Stake House Fell (402m), we complete the panorama with Hazlehurst Fell (429m).

Of course a visit here will raise our awareness of drinking water, these reservoirs are the result of human intervention: Wyresdale Lake (near Scorton) was created for recreation in 1897 whilst the Fylde Water Company (est. 1861) constructed the four reservoirs for drinking water. Grizedale reservoir was constructed in 1866 by building an earth embankment 22m high and 120m across the Grizedale Brook. The further three reservoirs were completed by 1920 with a total capacity of over 2 billion litres of water.

Interestingly, there are two stone towers on the summit plateau of Nicky Nook, a third stone tower is visible across the Grizedale Valley, they mark the course of the Thirlmere Aqueduct which carries water to Manchester. All in all, a period of 80 years witnessed a vast amount of investment in the civil engineering projects, today each intervention blends in to this small & beautiful landscape.

Our walk takes us through the cool & fresh Holme Wood, then a short, steep climb to the summit of Nicky Nook before we descend to return by Grizedale to our starting place.