MONDAY 11th FEBRUARY 2019
Short Walk: Greenmount, Buckden Wood, Strongstry, Stubbins and Summerseat
Admiring the view
It was yet another glorious morning for the monthly short walk which may have accounted for twenty-six people turning up, with again several new members joining the group. We started the walk by heading passed the Church and making our way across the golf course to Bolton Road West which we crossed turning left into Redisher Lane. Instead of dropping down into the wood we turned right and walked along the top of the valley to Holcombe Brook passing the new development on our left where the ground was being prepared to build new houses.
Once at the Hare & Hounds Pub we turned left and headed up the steep and slippery cobbles on Holcombe Old Road joining Moor Road in the village and climbing up towards Holcombe Moor. At the path leading to the tower we paused to get our breath back and to admire the views over the West Pennines and Greater Manchester.
A wet Moor Road
Continuing along a wet Moor Road we passed the vacant farm house at Chatterton Close owed by the National Trust which we were informed was to be opened as a resource for volunteers working on the moor.
Buckden Wood
Our next stop was at the ladder stile leading into Buckden Wood, where a number of our group took the opportunity for an early coffee break whilst we waited to climb the ladder. The woods look stunning with the light shining through the bare trees but care was needed as the tree roots were very slippery. Half way through the woods we crossed Helmshore Road and continued through the woods to Strongstry where we turned right onto a path which follows the River Irwell down to Stubbins where we enjoyed the reminder of our coffee.
More Buckden Wood
We then crossed Bury Road North turning into Leaches Road where we joined a footpath that continued to follow the Irwell passed the old soap works into Ramsbottom and onto Nuttall Hall Road where we followed the track back to Summerseat. From here the group separated, with some members going for lunch in the garden centre, other making their way back to Greenmount and other simply going home. All in all, this had been a very pleasant and enjoyable walk, for a February morning, having cover an average distance of 8.5miles