Friday 31st May 2024

Friday 31st May 2024

Come Walking Friday Evening Walk: Greenmount, Two Brooks and Hawkshaw

On a warm and sunny Friday evening, nineteen walkers set off from the green behind Greenmount Church. We walked through the estate bearing left to follow the path across the golf course up to the club house where we turned left to walk up the lane to the school where we turned right. We then followed the road bearing round to the left to enable us to take the path on the right leading to Holly Mount Orchard, a community orchard dating back to the early 1900s which was abandoned in the 1980s and has been restored by Incredible Edible Ramsbottom. The orchard gave a lovely view of the next part of our walk across the valley.

Holly Mount Orchard

After turning right out of the orchard we crossed the stile and descended through the field, spotting a heron before we crossed the footbridge and some deer just afterwards. We walked up to the stile where we turned right to pass along the path that was somewhat overgrown with nettles and Himalayan balsam, an invasive and fast-growing non-native weed that smothers other plants. We climbed over the next stile on our left and walked diagonally right up the field to the next stile to emerge onto the track, which we followed right, descending gradually to Bottoms Hall cottages. We climbed up the woodland path on the left, which had been full of bluebells in the spring, crossed the stile and entered into the field where we turned left. We ascended the field, passing through the gateway and bearing right to cross the stile.

Bottoms Hall Cottages

We crossed the track to take the stile opposite and walk through the field, past the pylon to take the second footpath down on our right. The footpath descended between the Two Brooks lodges, the one on our left being private fishing for Ramsbottom Angling Association. We then followed the path bearing left to walk through the woodland with Two Brooks mill chimney hidden high up in the foliage on our left. We crossed the brook at the waterfall, which felt very atmospheric with the dappled evening light through the trees and the ferns, and passed another lodge down on our right before emerging onto the track behind the tennis courts at Hawkshaw.

Waterfall in Two Brooks

We turned right to follow the track for a short way before taking the rather muddy path on our left to stay in the woodland. We climbed the ladder stile then, seeing a number of cows in the field on our intended path up to Croichley Fold, we chose to turn left and follow the path up the hill alongside the fence up to Sunny Top and on to Bolton Road (A676). We turned right to walk along the road until the next right turn which took us back to Croichley Fold where we rejoined our original planned route. After passing the houses and entering the field through the gate we turned right to follow the path along the side of the field and back to the top of Holly Mount, where we took the path down the side of Holly Mount Lane to Holcombe Road. We turned left, then first right onto Shepherd Street before turning left to walk up the Lines and back to Greenmount, turning left at Brandlesholme Road to bring us back to the church and finish our walk of around four miles.

Heading home