Paradise Found - a year in the Valley

We first cast eyes on our home in the Grane, on Sunday 19th June 2023. It was a sunny warm day, and the trees were green and flourishing, the coolness of the stone brick cottage was a welcome contrast to the heat of the midday sun. With great excitement we looked out every window to amazing views of Musbury Tor, the reservoirs and surrounding quarries and Mary's Wood. Sheep, metres away grazing in the field next to the house, excited talk of Lambing – we knew straight away this spot was for us.

Coming from the concrete jungle 'New Town' of Stevenage, Hertfordshire, with its 1950s austere architectural town centre and similar housing stock, and even though we were on its eastern fringes – known as Forster Country (which has its own East Anglian charm) the rolling countryside of Rossendale and Lancashire as a whole, was a refreshing change.

So, 2 intrepid adults, 2 townie kids, 2 elderly cats and a loopy springer spaniel prepared to up-sticks and relocate to a rural lifestyle. We couldn’t wait to move in and enjoy the Good Life!

We moved in late October 23 and were pleasantly surprised that most of the trees, flowers and plants were still in bloom (they had already gone over in the flatlands of Stevenage). We guessed this is because the valley was protected and often warmer and wetter than the surrounding county (and indeed I've frequently heard it say that Rossendale has its own micro-climate).

Amongst the chaos of unpacking and settling in over the next few months, the backdrop of the dramatic slopes of the Musbury Heights quarry hills opposite, easing itself into the three reservoirs, provided a relaxing backdrop to take a moment and observe its ever-changing weather, highlighting different slopes, shades of heather and bracken emerging as the sun casted its gaze upon them. Every day something new would catch my eye, and I would excitedly point it out to my partner, and we'd stand there goggling out the window for a few minutes admiring the 'new thing' which had appeared. We even brought a pair of binoculars so we could see even more 'new things'!

Autumn came bringing a vibrant canopy of leaves and heathers and dramatic sunsets across the valley tops. The biting frosts bringing the promise of winter. We took daily walks around the Holden Wood reservoir with our dog, always to the wooden bridge where we stopped and reflected on the views across the valley and the depth and quality of the water flowing under the bridge. Sometimes waves would breach the dam cascade of Ogdon reservoir in heavy winds and pour over the side spraying us, and we'd walk home soaked.

Snow announced that winter had arrived, and it bathed the area in a wonderful blanket of glistening white. We'd trek up to Mary's wood which had become like a Christmas card scene from the Victorian era. Snow nestling on the nearby barn roof, the muffled crunch of our feet through the snow, interrupted by the caws of one of the many jackdaws who inhabit the area. The sheep didn’t think much of it however and huddled up against the dry-stone walls to keep warm. We'd often sit on the bench by Mary's Wood (kindly donated by GRASS) and watch the world go by. The trees lost their leaves, and the landscape took on a barren beauty of its own – rugged and dramatic. Other days the wind would howl like a train through the valley. We’d be cosy inside and thankful for a warm roof over our heads.

It was during this time that we started to get to know our neighbours better, Spike and Joe next door. Time spent with Spike recounting the numerous tales of the area and of days gone by was (and is) always enjoyable. He has such a wealth of knowledge and a wonderful sense of humour. As we got to know the wider area, I joined the local residents association (GRASS) which enabled me to keep up to date with local happenings, people and events.

Come February and the landscape changed again. The mists would descend, and the valley would take on an eerie charm with its dreaming spires of rooftops, treetops, and mill chimneys. One day it started raining and didn’t stop for 4 months. We wondered if it would ever stop. The gentle pitter patter often turning into torrential curtains that drifted across the hill with the sheep standing sullenly in the downpour, steam coming off their backs. We came to love the sound of rain like an old friend. It brought a comfortable feeling – almost like a background track to accompany our daily life, as well as keeping our water wells topped up.

A few hot days in March meant we could get out and explore the surrounding countryside. Whether it was walking down to Helmshore for the Farmers market and picking up some delicious fresh food, or walking our dog around Calf Hey reservoir, or trips to the beach - which was now in easy driving distance. We always found something different to explore and indeed, the list of things to do grows with every month that we live here.

April and May brought the heat and sunshine, still punctuated by rainy days here and there. The lambs started appearing in the fields around our house. Their bleats adding to the already raucous dawn chorus. We discovered new birds and wildlife around the woods and Holden reservoir which we had not seen before having lived in towns. The wonderful Northern Lapwings with their acrobatic displays and beatbox calls, Oystercatchers, Sandpipers, Willow Warblers, Red Legged Partridge amongst the more common Canada geese, ducks, herons, swallows and the gentle pastoral sounds of animals coming from the nearby farm. Roe Deer wandered through the woods and could sometimes be seen wandering down to the reservoir for a drink. Hordes of gnats started waking up. I've never seen so many flies, bees, ladybirds and beetles (which is testament to the amount of unspoilt land and lack of pesticides used in the area).

Which brings us back to June again. It's still rainy, we still get drenched sometimes as we walk up Mary's Wood, or down around the reservoir. I seem to have become an inadvertent hill runner as I jog over the quarries for a quick run. I don’t even recognise myself, but then the backdrop and vast networks of footpaths over the valley means that exercising around the hills becomes a pleasure rather than a chore.

We go to the Holden Arms for a pint or two after the walk around the reservoir, sometimes to the tea rooms for a 'posh nosh' (as we call it). Sometimes we wander around the antiques centre too and see if we can spot something nice for the house. When the sun comes out, we trim the hedges, mow, garden – it's such a beautiful spot, I really wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

Anna Parsons, Holden Hall Cottage.