FRIDAY 11th MAY 2018
WALK 1 of the COME WALKING SERIES
JUMBLES/AFFETSIDE
This walk was also included in the Transport for Greater Manchester Walking Festival 2018
Kingfisher Valley
The first of the Friday night walks started on a dull damp evening with 49 walkers meeting at the Jumbles Car Park. It was good to meet up with our regular walkers from last year but it was equally pleasing to welcome new walkers to the group.
We left the car park and headed along Kingfisher Valley in the direction of Bradshaw, keeping Bradshaw Brook on our right hand side. It was good to see the bluebells in full bloom as we made our way through the valley passing the site of Bradshaw Mill on our left. Records show that there has been a mill on this site from 1542 until the last one was demolished in 1989.
On reaching Rigby Lane we turned left up to Bradshaw Road, which we crossed and made our way along New Heys Way into a small housing estate. At the far end of the estate we joined a path leading to the attractive hamlet of Lower Knotts where we turned left climbing a steep path up to Top’o’th Knotts, stopping to admire the views which were limited due to the low cloud.
Top’o’th Knotts
From here it was a short climb to Watling Street, which originally was the site of a Roman Road leading from Manchester to Ribchester. Turning left we passed the Pack Horse Pub on our right but did not go in to see the infamous skull of George Whewell, executioner to the 7th Earl of Derby, but instead we related its gruesome tale.
Affetside Village
We then made our way to the centre of Affetside Village and enjoyed a rest on the Millennium Village Green. However, this was cut short as it started to rain so we decided to make our way, through the fields, back to the Jumbles Car Park having covered a distance of 5 miles.