MONDAY 7th JANUARY 2018
Long Walk: Greenmount, Affetside, Top O’ Knotts, Bradshaw Brook, Jumbles & Greenmount
Croichley Fold
On a cold misty morning five hardy walkers left Greenmount Old School and made our way to Croichley Fold and down into Two Brooks Valley.
Burnt House Farm
Once in the valley we crossed the stream and climbed up the steep bank to Burnt House Farm, which shows evidence of being slowly renovated. Here the footpath and stile have been moved to prevent walkers going through the development however, it does not make the climb any more difficult.
The Pack Horse Inn
On reaching Turton Road we turned right for a short distance before taking a track on our left which eventually joined the footpath leading up to Affetside, coming out at the side of The Pack House Inn.
From here we crossed Watling Street, which was once part of the old Roman Road leading from Chester to Ribchester. Here we joined the West Pennine Way (WPW) for a short distance. Once through the double stiles, where there is a local memorial garden, we turned left onto an unfamiliar and less used footpath which eventually took us to Top O’ Knotts which is a small hamlet that was redeveloped a few years ago by a local footballer. Turning left we joined a more familiar footpath that descends down into a modern housing estate and onto Bradshaw Road, which we crossed and headed for Bradshaw Brook.
Jumbles Café
Following the brook up stream we quickly arrived at the Jumbles Café where we stopped for our morning coffee break. Whilst we were enjoying our coffee the mist started to clear but is was replaced by heavy rain and we decided to change our route back to Greenmount, shortening the distance.
Leaving the café, we turned right and walked for a short distance before taking a footpath on our right that lead to Wash Fold Farm and heading in the general direction of Chapletown eventually joining Birches Road, a track that took us to Bury Road North, Turton and Walves Reservoir.
On the way home
Crossing the embankment of the reservoir we climbed up to Quarton Fold Farm and through the fields to Lower House. By this time the rain had started to ease a little so we decided to eat lunch overlooking Hawkshaw. After lunch we joined a familiar path through the fields onto Hawkshaw Lane and onto Spenleach Lane crossing Bolton Road and rejoining the WPW back to Greenmount having walked the shorten distance of 9 miles.