Monday 10th September

MONDAY 10th SEPTEMBER 2018

MONTHLY LONG WALK – TWO TOWERS WALK

This walk was also part of The South Pennies Walk and Ride Festival

Eight walkers met at the Hare & Hounds on a dull overcase day with a forecast of rain. One new walker had joined the group in response to the advertisement in the South Pennine Walking Festival walking booklet. We started the walk by making our way down Woodhey Road and into Holcombe Book Valley. At the bottom of the valley we turned right and walked along Robin Lane towards Summerseat Village. Once in Summerseat we walked under the railway bridge and turned right onto a steep path that lead up to Brooksbottom cricket pitch, which is overlooked by a row of extremely attractive cottages. The footpath took us onto Roland’s Road where we turned left on the first footpath that passed behind the Priory Clinic and onto the A56 which we crossed taking the footpath which lead onto Bury Old Road, Nangreaves.

We spent some time admiring the views across the West Pennines looking towards Winter Hill and the Rossendale Valley. Here we turned left climbing up the hill to Top O Th Hoof Farm and Grant’s Tower.

The tower was built by Daniel and William Grant (1829) and is said to mark the spot where the Grants had the first sight of the town where they were to make their fortune, having travelled from Scotland. The present owner of the tower is undertaking restoration work.

Here we stopped for morning coffee and spent some time exploring the ruins of the tower.

After our rest we followed the footpath, to the right of the tower, which passes the Pawprint Kennels, turning right at the bottom of the slope and making our way past Park Wood Farm to the A56 which we crossed taking a footpath on the opposite side of the road. This track took us to a bridge over the M66 and down a flight of steps known locally as Jacob’s Ladder where we crossed a bridge onto Nuttall Hall Road. Turning right on this road we passed the back of Nuttall Park and walked up to Bury New Road making our way towards Ramsbottom where we turned right into Kenyon Street and joined a footpath which took us to Stubbins.

 

 

Once in Stubbins we stopped for lunch in the memorial gardens where we were disappointed to find that The Chippy did not open on Monday lunchtime so we had to make do with our sandwiches.

 

Refreshed after our lunch we continued our route to Strongstry and onto Buckden Woods, where we found that the path was blocked by a large tree that had recently toppled over no doubt due to the dry conditions of the summer. The climb up to Moor Bottom Road through Buckden Woods is always a challenge but with a couple of stops we made is successfully.

 

 

 

From Moor Bottom Road we took the path that leads to Pilgrims Cross, where we noted the new way-marker posts directing walkers around Bull Hill. From the cross we made way across the moor to Peel Tower.

 

 

 

 

Peel Tower, which was built in 1851 in memory of Sir Robert Peel, a British Prime Minister who is remembered as founder of the Police Force and for having abolished the Corn Laws which were designed to keep the price of corn high in order to make the wealthy land owners even richer.

 

 

 

 

We were fortunate to have the loan of the key to the tower which meant we were able to climb it’s 148 steps and enjoy the views from the top.

The final section of our walk was through Redisher Wood back to the Hare & Hounds having covered a distance of 11.5 miles.