Friday 6th June 2025
Come Walking Series of Walks, Redisher Wood and The Ridge.
On a gloriously sunny evening twenty eight walkers, including two new to the group, set out from behind Greenmount Church and headed over the golf course to Holhouse Farm, where we turned left and continued to walk through the fields to Bolton Road. Once across the road we turned left and walked to the first footpath on our right which took us to Loe Farm. After walking across the fields, we soon joined Redisher Lane, where we turned left at Hollingrove Farm. The original footpath’ leading down into Redisher Wood went across the lawn at the farm and down some difficult steps, but after much persuasion an alternative path was build, just passed the farm.
Once down the newly created steps we crossed the bridge, over Holcombe Brook, and turned left, continuing to walk through the wood for a short distance before turning right and climbing out of the valley on to The Ridge. There were three farms on the ridge, Lower Ridge, Middle Ridge and Higher Ridge, only the ruins of Higher Ridge Farm are still visible, which we walked to before descending into the valley on the other side of the ridge.
After turning right, we enjoyed the flat walk through the lush valley before once again having to climb steeply up towards Top o’ th Moor Farm, where we joined a footpath, on our right which took us along the edge of the valley, with clear views on our right over to Winter Hill in the west and Manchester in the south, to our left we had views of Holcombe Moor, with the top of Peel Tower just visible.
What goes up must come down, so they say, so we joined a footpath on out right that descended steeply back down into Redisher Wood. Once on Redisher Lane we headed back in the direction of Greenmount, but not before admiring the sixteenth century barn on our left, which looked it’s best in the evening sunshine.
Heading East: Kirklees Valley, Burrs and Chesham Wood
Twenty four of us set out from Greenmount Old School on an overcast but warm morning. We headed down the Kirklees Trail before turning left on Shepherd Street and then right to pass Tower Court. We descended to the wishing stone before taking the cobbled path on the left and crossing the footbridge to pass the Kirklees Valley Wildlife Rescue. At the sharp left hand bend we turned right on the footpath and crossed the fields, passing a small pond on our right that was surrounded by yellow irises. We continued to traverse the fields before emerging onto the estate where we turned left to reach Brandlesholme Road which we crossed and turned right then left to go down Burrs Close where we followed the footpath on the right through the wood to emerge at Burrs Country Park.
We emerged from the wooded path to cross the track to the path opposite which we followed to take us across the River Irwell to the back of the Lamppost Café. We walked past the side of the café and took the footpath on the right, walking through the woods, across the footbridge and up the steps to Seedfield, following the road through the estate up to Walmersley Road which we crossed before heading to the lido for our coffee stop.
We followed the path through Chesham Woods Nature Reserve to the stone wall and pointed out a larger circular route which walkers could follow at another time before we headed back through the woods to the lido, where some mallard ducklings were being fed. We retraced our path crossing back over Walmersley Road and heading back down the steps into Burrs.
When we reached the footbridge we turned right before taking the first path on our left, keeping left to head up through the woods (rather than taking the stepped path) with views of Burrs ELR station on our left across the meadows. We navigated a tricky stile and ascended the track. We noted the sign post for the different farms and homes, passed Touch Road Farm and headed on to Springside Road. We turned left and followed the access road through the metal gate towards Springside Farm. We took the first footpath off to the right going between hedges on one side and fields on the other. We then went across the wooden footbridges and turned left through the kissing gate, and descended to cross the railway line.
We crossed the bridge over the River Irwell and took the path on the right following the River Irwell emerging behind Summerseat Garden Centre. We followed the road left, then ascended the steps to Higher Summerseat. We turned first left onto Hazel Hall Lane and at the end of the houses took the ginnel on the right before passing through the estate to Newcombe Road and left to Longsight Road. We continued across the road and passed along Vernon Road to reach the Old School after a very pleasant walk with wonderful views of around six and a half miles.