Friday 19th July 2024
Come Walking Series of Walks: Helmshore/Musbury Heights.
On warm sunny evening twenty-four walkers started the walk at the Textile Museum in Helmshore, which was the site of two mills the first being built in 1789. After turning left out of the car park we headed down to Park Street where we turn right and joined a track leading up to Musbury Heights. At the top of the track, we arrived at the ruins of the old stone quarry, which supplied flag stone to famous sites including, Blackburn Cathedral and Trafalgar Square, in London. In 1890 more than three thousand men worked in the quarries in the Rossendale Valley with the rebuilt stone chimney serving as a memorial to their hard labour.
Views of Musbury Torr
The Chimney
To avoid the path down the steep tramway we joined a footpath which made a gentler descent to the embankment of Ogden Reservoir. Making our way around the embankment we climbed over a steep ladder stile and walked through a field, up to the road.
The Descent
The Tramway
Once across Graner Road we made our way through Leys End Farm and joined a footpath taking us over several difficult stiles eventually arriving at the familiar site of Mary’s Wood, which was planted by volunteers in memory of a local farmer’s wife.
Leys End Farm
Mary’s Wood
From the wood we followed the path down past the old barn, another site in the area that is said to be haunted.
The Haunted Barn
Back in Hemlshore
After crossing Grane Road we followed a footpath, at the side of Holden’s Antiques and made our way back to the car park having cover 4 haunting miles.