Monday 21st May 2018

LONG WALK MONDAY 21st MAY 2018

STUBBINS, SHUTTLEWORTH, THE PLUNGE, EDENFIELD

AND BACK TO RAMSBOTTOM

The Plunge

Only three walkers met in Ramsbottom for the monthly long walk on another sunny morning. We left the station car park and walked over the level crossing turning left into Kenyon Street passed the recycling plant into the field in the direction of Stubbins. Once at Leaches Road we turned right and walked up to The Paddock Campsite, on which were pitched several tents, obviously people making the most of the glorious weather. On reaching Whalley Road we crossed into Love Lane and followed the path onto Bury Old Road making our way past a very noisy Bleackholt Animal Sanctuary. We then crossed Rochdale Road, Edenfield, and turned right into Michael Wife Lane which took us into Dearden Clough and to the bridge over the Plunge, which was unrecognisable from the last time we were here when the river was in full flow, today it was no more than a trickle.

The climb through the woods, out of the clough, was bathed in dappled light from the spring sunshine which made the leaves look almost florescent and we soon joined the track leading into Edenfield.

Irwell Vale Bridge

We then crossed Market Street and made our way along the side of Edenfield Parish Church and across the bridge over the A56 turning right and joining a footpath that dropped down into Irwell Vale.

By now it was coffee time and so we spent an enjoyable twenty minutes watching East Lancashire Railway volunteers beautifying the platform. As our normal route back to Lumb Village was blocked, due to improvements being made to the flood defences, we decided to find an alternative so we crossed the bridge in Irwell Vale, and headed in the direction of Helmshore.

 

Viaduct overlooking Lumb

 

 

Once through the village we took a steep path on our left that lead down to a disused railway line which we followed in the direction of Lumb. We were pleased to see that this path had recently been opened and that the viaduct, which spans the river Irwell, and overlooks the village, Lumb had been restored. This line, which was from Ramsbottom to Accrington, was owned by Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and was opened in 1848 and closed in 1966.

 

 

Holcombe Village

 

On reaching Strongstry we turned right into Buckden Wood, were we stopped to eat our lunch, and then made our way through the wood onto Moor Road and back down to Holcombe Village and through the woods into Tanners Street and back to Ramsbottom having covered an enjoyable 9 miles.