Walking Yorkshire - Moors of Masham, Fountain's Earth and Ilton With a Siberian blast forecast for the coming week, Mrs.YS suggested that I go walking on Friday, and so I did. I parked in the lay by on Leighton Reservoir (157787) and set of walking west along the southern edge of Masham Moor. The bridge over the north western spur of Leighton reservoir. Looking up the spur to North Wood. I walked up the long, steady incline of Pot Moor High Road, this is the view across the valley to Ilton Moor. The tower you can see I think is Arnagill Tower, although it is badly marked on the map, I think I've read somewhere that it is an old smelting chimney. I took a quick detour at the top of Pot Moor High Road to climb Ouster Bank (121752), it's another very gentle climb. This isn't the trig point at the summit but rather an old way marker a few hundred yards further on. I turned left onto the track (114750) and walked along the southern edge of sype Land and Fountains Earth Moor. These two rocks on Sype Land are called Jenny Twigg And Her Daughter. Sypeland Crags, like the Cow And Calf but with no cars full of chavs throwing McDonalds wrappers around. Looking back across Fountains Earth Moor with the bridge over Lul Beck. I turned here and followed the track north. Lulbeck Crags, there are two rock outcrops known as Lulbeck Crags, this is the more northerly one at 139738 in the Smith Allotment. Looking down from Ilton Moor to Roundhill Reservoir, I turned off the track onto a footpath and made for Roundhill Dam. I had made a detour too many (I wasn't originally planning on doing the loop around Fountains Earth) and was worried I wouldn't make my objective before dusk. Rock outcroppings on the side of Shortlick Hill, above the tree and to the right, that's the moon. Another quick detour, this time to have a quick look at the tower (159769), it is very odd, I can't find any information on it, does anybody know what it really is? There was a strong wind at this time, I thought I would stand in the middle of the tower to take a picture but it was like a wind tunnel and blew me back out when I let go of the wall. Roundhill Reservoir Dam. There is a feeding station on the other side and dozens of pheasants exploded into the air around me as I came into view of it, I don't know who was more startled, me or them. I walked back along the road to the car and then drove to my destination, cheating I know, but I had dawdled and it was getting late. This walk is about 11.5 miles with very gentle climbs, get a copy of OS Explorer 298 Nidderdale and get yourself up there. The whole point of today's walk was to see this thing. Tucked deep in the wood north west of Ilton is this strange apparition, the Druid's Temple....... Ooh er, strange goings on in the Yorkshire woods ? Virgin sacrifice at midnight on the solstice ? Further pictures and the story tomorrow.....