Friday 25th July 2025
Come Walking Series of Walks: Helmshore/Musbury Heights.
On a warm and humid evening thirty nine walkers started the walk at the Textile Museum in Helmshore, which was the site of two mills, the first being built in 1789. We began the walk by taking the exit at the back of the car park and turning left, where we climbed up the steps to join the disused railway line. After following Ogden Brook for a short distance, we crossed Holcombe Road and joined a footpath that took us up to Grane Road, which we also crossed and headed to Mary’s Wood, which was planted by volunteers in memory of a local farmer’s wife.
Helmshore
Mary’s Wood
Once climbing over the many stiles, we arrived at Ley End Farm, where we enjoyed the sight of lots of rabbits running across the fields. After passing through the farm, we crossed Grane Road and continued through a field, down to Ogden Reservoir. On the way we passed several plumb trees that were ladened with ripe fruit, which we sampled whilst waiting to climb over the ladder stile. Ahead of us was the old tram track, which is a difficult climb, so we chose to use the alternative path up to Musbury Heights.
Ley End Farm
The ladder stile
Neary at the top
At the top 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.
The chimney on a sunny day
Heading for the top of the brook
Heading back along Musbury Brook
From the chimney we turned left and walked along a section of the West Pennine Way, that took us to the head of Musbury Brook, at Hare Clough. We then followed the brook down to Carr Lane, eventually arriving onto Park Lane, where we turned right and completed our walk by heading back to Helmshore Museum, having covered five historic miles.