Friday 5th July 2019

FRIDAY 5th JULY 2019

Come Waking Seri

es of Walks: Holcombe Brook, Peel Tower, Hawkshaw and Redisher Wood

The walk started outside the Hare & Hounds pub in Holcombe Brook on another gloriously sunny evening. Thirty-two walkers started the walk by climbing up the cobbles of Holcombe Old Road as far as Darul Uloom school where we turned left and continued to climb up to Hey House, a 17^th century manor house. Just after passing the entrance to the house we turned right up some steps onto Moor Bottom Road. Once on the road we turned left and then right climbing over a stile before continuing our steep ascent of Holcombe Hill making regular stops to admire the view and get our breath back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the top of the hill we were rewarded by excellent views over Ramsbottom, Scout Moor and over to the Pennines, however, once again the views over Manchester were shrouded in the pollution haze which has been the case on all of the walks this year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joining the route of the West Pennine Way (WPW), at the back of the tower, we headed in a westerly direction with the sun directly ahead of us. As we started to descend off the moor we passed through a kissing gate into an area where there is a green bench which is sited so that users of the bench can enjoy the wonderful views over Holcombe Valley where it is believed that the first inhabitants of this area lived over 900 years ago. We spent some time identifying the landmarks which included the Welsh Hill, Man Tor in Derbyshire as well as Fiddlers Ferry Power Station.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Continuing our descent of the hill we turned right along Moor Bottom Road until we reached Taylor’s Tenement Farm where we turned left and dropped down into Saplin Wood climbing up the other side of the valley to the ruins of High Ridge Farm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still following the WPW we headed for the stepping stones, which we all successfully crossed and climbed up to Simons Farm and onto Redisher Lane. After walking down the lane for a short distance we turned right walking through a small wood and across the fields onto Spenleach Lane where we turned left for a short distance. Leaving the WPW we climbed over a stile on our left and headed through the fields back to Redisher Lane.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once on the lane we turned left for a short distance befre climbing over a steep stile and walking along a footpath that dropped steeply down into Redisher Wood where we joined the path going through the wood back to the Hare & Hounds having covered a distance of 4.5 enjoyable miles.