Monday 14th April 2025

Monday 14th April 2025
Fourth Section of the Link Route to the Pennine Way, Shawforth to Walsden Circular.
Fourteen of us began the walk on a sunny, breezy morning from Quarry Street in Shawforth. After crossing the main road we headed up the track opposite following the markers for the West Pennine Way link route. We ascended on the footpaths heading north east past the farm’s, sheep and lambs, before the steep incline alongside the dry stone wall to reach the stile at the summit and a welcome breather to admire the views.
We crossed the Rossendale Way, onto the open access land at Trough Edge where we headed for the dry stone wall and continued north east, descending past the disused pit to join the track past Coolam with clear views of the moors and Stoodley Pike ahead and Ramsden Clough Reservoir below us on our right. We followed the track through Burnt Hills as it wound right onto Foul Clough Road. After Brown Road Farm we crossed a castle grid then climbed over the wall stile on our left to follow the path through the field, over stiles and through gates to reach the woodland ahead. We turned left into the woodland, following the winding path that descended sharply, admiring the celandines and early bluebells until we emerged onto a small road. We continued to descend, crossed over the railway bridge at Walsden Station and crossed the main road for our coffee stop by the canal. This completed the fourth section of the link route.

Views of Stoodley Pike

Descending to Walsden

Final descent

Coffee by the canal

After our break, we retraced our steps to the main road (A6033) and turned left, walking until we reached the post office and pedestrian crossing. We crossed the main road and ascended the very steep road opposite (Inchfield Road) until we reached the stone wall stile that we had crossed earlier near the cattle grid. This time we took the wooden stile opposite, on our left, to cross the fields before descending the stony track through the woodland, crossing the stream at Ragby Bridge. We followed the path up to Inchfield with Ramsden Plantation on our left. As we emerged onto the moorland at Ramsden Hill we took the right hand track through the metal gate, passed the cattle feeding station, and ascended the path close to the dry stone wall which was on our left. The breeze had strengthened so before reaching the summit we found a sheltered spot for lunch in the sunshine with superb views over Cranberry Dam to the moors and Stoodley Pike in the distance.

Lunch stop

We continued to follow the path through the wind farm, joining Long Causeway to descend past disused quarries towards Watergrove Reservoir. At the T junction of the paths, we turned right to pass through the metal gate and took the first path on our right, which is part of the GM Ringway route. We crossed over Higher Slack Brook via the footbridge then up the steps and across the stile onto the cobbled path still following the GM Ringway and Pennine Bridleway.

Long Causeway

When we reached Long Shoot Clough we turned right off the path following the dry stone wall for the steep ascent up the side of Brown Wardle Hill. After crossing the stile we continued straight ahead, managing to circumnavigate the cattle to Little Middle Hill where we bore right on a muddy track which became a stony track as it descended Whitworth Lower End Moor, past disused Landgate Quarry and became a tarmac road which bore left and took us down to the main road (A671). We turned right at the main road and continued until we were opposite our starting point at Quarry Street. We had completed just under ten fairly strenuous miles, given the steep ascents, with stunning views, sunny weather and appreciative of the dry conditions underfoot, especially across the moors.