Monday 14th July 2025.

Monday 14^th July 2025.

Hidden Gems of Healey Dell from Greenbooth Reservoir.

After driving up the challenging lane to Greenbooth Reservoir car park ten walkers set out initially along the route eleven of the GM Ringway. The route first took us along Forsyth Lane, turning left after a short distance and heading down to Rooley Moor Road, which we followed into Catley Lane Head.

After turning left at the first footpath sign, we walked past the very attractive, Smallshaw Farm, built in 1642, and before entering the farmyard we passed through a gate with a sign indicating the permissive footpath. Once through the gate we headed down to a footbridge, in Brotherod Wood, and walked up to the car park of the Rochdale Water Angling Society car park. From here we turned right and headed to the café, which is closed on Monday, so we made use of the outdoor seating to enjoy our morning coffee with chocolates.

We then continued further onto the Healey Dell, first crossing the twin bridges, with the second one being a replacement due to the first one being deemed unsafe. The bridges carried the railway line built in 1867 to carry freight and passengers between Rochdale and Bacup. Continuing to walk along the disused line we soon arrived at the spectacular viaduct built from locally quarried grit stone.

We turned right just before crossing the viaduct and joined Dell Road taking us up to Shawclough Road, where we turned right and turned left onto another section of the GM Ringway route. The path descended to the valley below where the true wonders of the Dell were revelled. The river Spodden, which raises on the moors above Whitworth, was used to power the mills in the valley, the first of which, a woollen mill, was built in 1813. It had also carved many features out of the soft sandstone rock making it a magical wonderland, hence the legend of the Fairy Chapel.

Reluctantly we soon climbed out of the valley and crossed over the viaduct to Broadley Fold, where we ate our lunch overlooking a fishing lodge. After lunch we headed back across the moors to Rooley Moor Road and back down to Greenbooth Reservoir.

The second leg of the walk was around the reservoir, waking down into Norden and across the embankment at the bottom of the reservoir, before making the steep climb up to the car park, having covered ten magical miles.