Wednesday 21st February 2018

FIRST OF NINE WALKS TO COMPLETE THE WEST PENNINE WAY

WEDNESDAY 21st FEBRUARY 2018

SIMON’S SUNDIAL COTTAGE TO TURTON TOWER

This walk was included in the Transport for Greater Manchester (TGM) Winter Walking Week Programme

The starting point for this weeks walk was outside the Hare and Hounds, Holcombe where twelve walkers met on a sunny chilly morning. Four of the walkers had responded to an advertisement in the GMT Winter Walking Week leaflet, with two of the walkers being new to our group. Taking the path to the right of the Hare & Hounds we made our way through Redisher Wood joining the West Penning Way (WPW) at Simon’s Sundial Cottage. At the top of Redisher Lane we followed the WPW way-markers through the fields onto Spenleach Lane and across Bolton Road and through more muddy fields to Greenmount Golf Club. Here we turned right towards Holly Mount School which was built in 1860 as a college for young gentlemen later (1880) becoming a convent. Most of the buildings have now been converted into private houses and apartments. Following the way-markers through Holly Mount we passed the apple orchard, first planted by the nuns and now managed by volunteers working for Incredible Edible.

The route then drops steeply into Two Brooks Valley and up to a track where we turned right towards the site of Bottoms Mill and then left up the first climb of the day with one of our walkers realising the folly of not eating breakfast before a walk. Once across Turton Road we were surprised to see the progress that had been on the redevelopment of Windmill Farm. Yeoman’s Field was very muddy but fortunately the cows were confined to the barn.

A coffee break was taken at the market cross in Affetside which is alongside the old Roman road of Watling Street. The WPW turns left at the cross and drops down through the fields and across Bradshaw Road to the Jumbles Reservoir where a stop was made for toilets and we were disappointed to see that the tea rooms were closed.

We followed the path alongside the reservoir and across the bridge where some of our group made a detour to view the fossilized tree, the remainder of us making our way to Turton Tower and lunch.

From here we left the WPW, for another day, and made our way back to Holcombe Brook first heading for Chapeltown and across the embankment at the bottom of Wayoh Reservoir into Turton Bottoms. Turning right at the Black Bull we made our way down the hill taking a left turn along a cobbled lane just before Giuseppe’s Restaurant.

From here we joined a path leading to Pallet Farm where we crossed the Edgeworth road and took a path on the left which climbed up to Top-of-Quarlton and down to Hawkshaw Lane where we headed for the Rifle Range and back through Redisher Wood to Holcombe having covered a distance of 11.5 miles.