FRIDAY NIGHT GUIDED WALKS
May 2025 to August 2025
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All are welcome, no membership is required, come regularly or just occasionally on these free guided walks. You are advised to wear appropriate clothing and hiking boots.
There are plenty of stiles and several steep inclines. Sorry, no dogs.
VILLAGE LINK
To view the Village Link website and its walks, click the Village Link logo.
PILGRIMS' WAY
Follow the route of the Pilgrims 
from Whalley to Manchester.
For detailed information on this walk click
Pilgrims' Way
or click the picture.
Walk Reports
Wednesday 23rd April 2025
Monthly Long Walk, Two Towers, Peel Tower and Grant’s Tower.
On a gloriously sunny, St George’s Day fourteen walkers set out from Greenmount and headed for Redisher Wood, where we were greeted by the host of bluebells. Taking a different route out of the valley we climbed steadily up to Moorbottom Road and after turning left we walked for a short distance before joining another steep path that took us onto Holcombe Moor.
Moorbottom Road
Climbing up to Holcombe Moor
After spending some time admiring the views over to the Welsh Hills and around to Winter Hill, we made our way over the moor to the first of the towers, Peel Tower, also known as Peel Monument, is a 128-foot (39m) tall monument and was erected in 1852 on Holcombe Hill as a memorial to Sir Robert Peel. From the tower we headed for another steep climb, that of Hercules Hill and continued to Pilgrim’s Cross for our morning coffee stop.
Peel Tower
Harcules Hill
Pilgrim's Cross
Once refreshed we descended off the moor and made our way through Buckden Wood into Strongstry from where we followed the River Irwell into Stubbins. After crossing the main road, we headed through the fields into Ramsbottom where we walked along Nuttall Hall Road to Jacob’s Ladder, which we climbed and headed for our second tower, Grant’s Tower. The tower was built in remembrance of the parents of the Grant family, who established a calico printing business in the area. The tower, which was built in 1827, stands on the spot where the Grant family first viewed the Irwell Valley in 1783, having arrived from Morayshire, Scotland. Due to a lack of maintenance the tower collapsed in 1944.
Jacob's Ladder
Grant's Tower as it is now.
As it was then.
We made full use, of what is left of the tower, to eat our lunch where we enjoyed good views over the Rossendale Valley. After lunch we made our way into Summerseat and back to Greenmount, having covered thirteen energetic miles.
Monday 14th April 2025
Fourth Section of the Link Route to the Pennine Way, Shawforth to Walsden Circular.
Fourteen of us began the walk on a sunny, breezy morning from Quarry Street in Shawforth. After crossing the main road we headed up the track opposite following the markers for the West Pennine Way link route. We ascended on the footpaths heading north east past the farm’s, sheep and lambs, before the steep incline alongside the dry stone wall to reach the stile at the summit and a welcome breather to admire the views.
We crossed the Rossendale Way, onto the open access land at Trough Edge where we headed for the dry stone wall and continued north east, descending past the disused pit to join the track past Coolam with clear views of the moors and Stoodley Pike ahead and Ramsden Clough Reservoir below us on our right. We followed the track through Burnt Hills as it wound right onto Foul Clough Road. After Brown Road Farm we crossed a castle grid then climbed over the wall stile on our left to follow the path through the field, over stiles and through gates to reach the woodland ahead. We turned left into the woodland, following the winding path that descended sharply, admiring the celandines and early bluebells until we emerged onto a small road. We continued to descend, crossed over the railway bridge at Walsden Station and crossed the main road for our coffee stop by the canal. This completed the fourth section of the link route.
Views of Stoodley Pike
Descending to Walsden
Final descent
Coffee by the canal
After our break, we retraced our steps to the main road (A6033) and turned left, walking until we reached the post office and pedestrian crossing. We crossed the main road and ascended the very steep road opposite (Inchfield Road) until we reached the stone wall stile that we had crossed earlier near the cattle grid. This time we took the wooden stile opposite, on our left, to cross the fields before descending the stony track through the woodland, crossing the stream at Ragby Bridge. We followed the path up to Inchfield with Ramsden Plantation on our left. As we emerged onto the moorland at Ramsden Hill we took the right hand track through the metal gate, passed the cattle feeding station, and ascended the path close to the dry stone wall which was on our left. The breeze had strengthened so before reaching the summit we found a sheltered spot for lunch in the sunshine with superb views over Cranberry Dam to the moors and Stoodley Pike in the distance.
Lunch stop
We continued to follow the path through the wind farm, joining Long Causeway to descend past disused quarries towards Watergrove Reservoir. At the T junction of the paths, we turned right to pass through the metal gate and took the first path on our right, which is part of the GM Ringway route. We crossed over Higher Slack Brook via the footbridge then up the steps and across the stile onto the cobbled path still following the GM Ringway and Pennine Bridleway.
Long Causeway
When we reached Long Shoot Clough we turned right off the path following the dry stone wall for the steep ascent up the side of Brown Wardle Hill. After crossing the stile we continued straight ahead, managing to circumnavigate the cattle to Little Middle Hill where we bore right on a muddy track which became a stony track as it descended Whitworth Lower End Moor, past disused Landgate Quarry and became a tarmac road which bore left and took us down to the main road (A671). We turned right at the main road and continued until we were opposite our starting point at Quarry Street. We had completed just under ten fairly strenuous miles, given the steep ascents, with stunning views, sunny weather and appreciative of the dry conditions underfoot, especially across the moors.
Monday 7th April 2025
Monthly Short Walk, Holly Mount, Affetside, Top o’th Knotts.
The walk started on a gloriously sunny morning with forty walkers heading across Greenmount Golf Course to Holly Mount, where we turned right after passing through a metal gate and walked over the fields to Croichley Fold. Once through the small hamlet we turned left and descended the steep hill into Two Brooks Valley, which was surprisingly dry. It took some time for such a large group of walkers to get over the ladder stile, but once through we started the steep climb up to Turton Road, which we crossed, and joined the narrow path up to Affetside.
Leaving Croichley Fold
Heading for Turton Road
Heading for Affetside
After walking a short distance down Walling Street, we turned right and joined a track leading down to another small hamlet, that of Top’th Knotts, which used to be the home a famous Manchester United footballer. Turning right we continued down to Lower Knotts, an equally attractive hamlet, where we climbed out of the valley and up to Tottington Road, Harwood.
Top o'th Knotts
Lower Knotts
Once across the road we joined a track on our right and made our way along an alternative route around a stone quarry. At the top of the hill, we enjoyed the clear views over to Winter Hill whilst enjoying our morning coffee.
Morning coffee
Continuing over the hill the route should have taken use through a farmyard onto Bowstone Hill, but we had to change our plans as the path passed through a field with lots a newly born calves and their mothers.
Heading for Bowstone
Once back onto Tottington Road we turned right and headed in the direction of Old Ned’s Farm where we turned left and followed a path through the fields back onto Watling Street. After crossing the road, we continued through fields to Turton Road, and down to Old Kays Park and back to Greenmount having covered seven very sunny miles.
View of Old Ned's
Heading for home