Monday 6th October 2025

Monday 6^th October 2025

Northern Countryside Circular Walk, Greenmount, Red Earth, Quarton & Hawkshaw.

Twenty-seven, walkers left Greenmount on a dry but chilly morning and headed towards Greenmount Golf Course, making our way along the footpath to Hol House Farm and then on to Redisher Lane. Just before the road bends to the left, we joined the track straight ahead that leads down into Redisher Wood. After crossing the second of the two footbridges, over Holcombe Brook, we climbed up the steps on our right and walked alongside the waterfall, which looked splendid after all the recent rain. Once across another small footbridge, we turned left and joined a footpath which took us through the valley, alongside the Ridge.

After climbing out of the valley, we turned right at the ruins of Higher Ridge Farm and headed to Cinder Hill, where we turned left and walked down to yet another footbridge, which we crossed and made our way to Holcombe Hey Fold Farm. From here, it was just a short walk to the site of Roger Worthington’s grave, where we stopped for our morning coffee break.

Roger Worthington (1659-1709) was a Baptist Preacher who because of the Conventic Act of 1664 was forced to preach in the local farms and countryside. More details if his life can be found at, Lancashirepast.com.

Once refreshed, we continued along the track and turned left onto a footpath which took us around the back of Red Earth Equestrian Centre and onto Plantation Road. After walking for a short distance along the road, we climbed over a very steep stile on our left and headed through the long-wet grass to several more stiles before climbing up to Top of Quarton.

At the top of the hill, we took the lower path through the trees, which goes in front of several very picturesque cottages, which we stopped to admire before turning left and heading through the fields.  After climbing over a stile, we joined a footpath on our right that took us into the village of Hawkshaw.

Once on Bolton Road, we turned left and walked through the village, staying on the footpath until we reached Spenleach Lane, where we crossed the road and climbed over a stile where we then walked through the fields back to Greenmount, having covered seven picturesque miles.