Monday 3rd April
Monthly Short Walk, Buckhurst Lodge.
On a very sunny, but chilly morning eighteen walkers headed down Brandlesholme Road and after a short distance turned left through the fields and across Longsight Road and walked down into Summerseat. After passing the garden centre we took a narrow footpath on our right that followed the river Irwell down to Wood Road. Once across the bridge, over the river, we climbed the steps, up to the railway line, going through the kissing gate at the top of the steps. After turning right, we crossed a small footbridge and headed along a footpath on our left, passing Chrest Wheel Farm, before joining Rowland’s Road, where we turned right and walked to Walmersley Road.
After crossing the main road, we headed through the woods to Baldingstone, joining Walmersley Old Road at its junction with Bentley Lane, which we followed for a short distance before turning left through a steep stile built into the stone wall. Once through the stile we crossed a wooden footbridge before climbing out of the wooded valley and joining a footpath through the fields to Whitewall Farm.
We then continued through the fields to Sales Farm where we turned left onto Sales Lane. After a short distance we turned right, at the footpath sign, and wadded through a very muddy field that took us onto Croston Close Road. It was only a short walk along the road to Buckhust, and the cafe, where we stopped for our morning break in the glorious sunshine.
Once refreshed we headed through the hamlet of Buckhust, following footpaths over the fields to Bury Old Road, Nangreaves. At this point we stopped to admire the views over towards Holcombe Hill and along the Rossendale Valley. After crossing the road, we climbed through a stile in the wall and walked through the fields to Bast House, using the alternative footpath back onto Walmersley Road. The final section of the walk was along more familiar paths through Summerseat and back to Greenmount having covered 7 very sunny miles.