Monday 7th April 2025

Monday 7th April 2025
Monthly Short Walk, Holly Mount, Affetside, Top o’th Knotts. 

The walk started on a gloriously sunny morning with forty walkers heading across Greenmount Golf Course to Holly Mount, where we turned right after passing through a metal gate and walked over the fields to Croichley Fold. Once through the small hamlet we turned left and descended the steep hill into Two Brooks Valley, which was surprisingly dry. It took some time for such a large group of walkers to get over the ladder stile, but once through we started the steep climb up to Turton Road, which we crossed, and joined the narrow path up to Affetside.

After walking a short distance down Walling Street, we turned right and joined a track leading down to another small hamlet, that of Top’th Knotts, which used to be the home a famous Manchester United footballer. Turning right we continued down to Lower Knotts, an equally attractive hamlet, where we climbed out of the valley and up to Tottington Road, Harwood.

Once across the road we joined a track on our right and made our way along an alternative route around a stone quarry. At the top of the hill, we enjoyed the clear views over to Winter Hill whilst enjoying our morning coffee.

Continuing over the hill the route should have taken use through a farmyard onto Bowstone Hill, but we had to change our plans as the path passed through a field with lots a newly born calves and their mothers.

Once back onto Tottington Road we turned right and headed in the direction of Old Ned’s Farm where we turned left and followed a path through the fields back onto Watling Street. After crossing the road, we continued through fields to Turton Road, and down to Old Kays Park and back to Greenmount having covered seven very sunny miles.