Wednesday 18 September 2024
The Last Section of the West Pennine Way
This walk was the last of ten walks on the route of the West Pennine Way and covered the Eastern Section from where it leaves the Rossendale Way at Burnt Hill back to Greenmount.
We were thankful that it was a beautiful autumn day for this long eleven-mile walk. It was lovely to see two massive flocks of geese flying overhead coming from different directions but most probably were about to meet up. Sixteen walkers set off on a beautiful September morning from Greenmount, walking up Holcombe Road before turning right at Bolton Road. We turned left up Lumb Carr Road and took the first path on the left along the driveway passing the cottages, walking through the garden to reach Holcombe Old Road where we turned right. We followed the road, cobbled in places, which was once known as, Holcombe Ancient Highway, then just as we reached Lumb Carr Road at Holcombe, we turned left onto Moor Road, passing on our left Margaret Haes Riding Centre and Harcles Hill, and Higher Tops on our right. We admired the views, which looked glorious in the sunshine with moorland to our left and fields to our right, with the hills in the distance, before passing Chatterton Close on our left followed by the entrance to Buckden Wood on our right at which point we ascended up Beetle Hill on our left on the Rossendale Way to reach the waymarker at the footpath junction. We continued to follow the path ahead, walking in a north westerly direction on the Rossendale Way, winding down this lower valley path to cross Alden Brook where we stopped for our morning break.
We continued to follow the Rossendale Way around the valley as it bore right to Fall Bank Farm then left at Great House. We crossed through the fields of grazing sheep with Musbury Tor on our right before reaching the dry stone wall where we turned left. We then departed from the Rossendale Way to join the West Pennine Way (WPW), ascending to follow the path southwards on Burnt Hill, passing Green Height, the viewing point at Fall Bank and Spring Bank, and winding our way back along the valley on the higher path, where we crossed Alden Brook and Alden Ratchers. We looked back to admire the views and the paths we had taken earlier in the morning before continuing to follow the WPW path ascending to Bull Hill flagpole and Trig point. We were pleased that a footpath post has now been placed here indicating that it is a permissive path to Pilgrims’ Cross. It is not long ago that the MOD were closing off this whole area. We just hope that the public will also appreciate this and not walk the area when the red flags are flying.
We stopped at Pilgrims’ Cross for our lunch.
Pilgrims’ Cross stands on the site of an ancient cross. The current memorial stone was dragged to its location by horses in 1902. Its inscription states that “On this site stood the ancient Pilgrims Cross. It was standing in A.D. 1176 and probably much earlier. Pilgrims to Whalley Abbey prayed and rested here. In A.D. 1176 and in A.D. 1225 the Pilgrims Cross is named in charters of gifts of land in Holcombe forest. In A.D. 1662 King Charles II gave this manor to General Monk, Duke of Abermarle through whom it has descended to the present lord of the manor. Nothing is known of the removal of the ancient cross, but its massive socketed foundation remained here until August 1901. This memorial stone was placed here May 24th 1902 by the copyholders of the manor and others.
We then followed the flagstoned path across Holcombe Moor to reach the summit of Harcles Hill before descending to reach Peel Tower. The Tower, 39m (128 feet) high and also known as the Peel Monument, was built in 1852 from locally quarried millstone grit to commemorate the life of Sir Robert Peel. He was born in Ramsbottom in 1788, served twice as Prime Minister, established the Metropolitan Police Service and abolished the Corn Laws. Upon reaching the Tower, we turned right to follow the flagstone path behind it before descending behind the green bench and down to Moor Bottom Road where we turned right.
We took the next path on our left through the gate and again descended through the fields passed the ruins of Taylors Farm and followed the path through the woods. We turned left to cross the stream via the stepping stones and passed the Krypton Factor course on our right. We crossed through the field and emerged onto Col Eric Davidson Way where we turned left to reach Bolton Road (A676) at Loe Bridge. We crossed the road and walked through the fields and woods to Greenmount Golf Course before walking back through the estate to Greenmount Old School having completed our wonderful walk with spectacular views to complete the West Pennine Way and covering a distance of just under twelve miles.