Friday 11th July 2025.
Owd Betts and Cheesden Wood.
On a very hot and sunny evening twenty six walkers met at the layby opposite the Owd Betts pub. After crossing the very busy road, on which the Friday night racers where risking life and limb, we headed onto Scout Moor in the direction of the ruins of Paradise Farm.
Heading for Paradise
Looking back
Once we finished enjoying the tranquillity of Paradise we turned left and walked through the long grass until we reached an old track that took us back to Edenfield Road.
The first view
Arriving
After crossing the road, we climbed over a stile and headed down to a footpath which led us into Cheesden Wood and the ruins of Cheesden Lumb Mill. The mill was built in 1786, the first of some twenty mills that would populate the valley and was initially used as a fulling mill.
Cheesden Mill
We then joined a footpath at the back of the mill and climbed out of the valley and up to Ashworth Reservoir, which was very low due to the recent lack of rain.
Leaving the mill
The reservoir
After spending time admiring the views over the reservoir, we headed back to Owd Betts having covered three and a half spiritual miles.