Wednesday 22nd January 2025

Wednesday 22nd January 2025

Monthly Long Walk, Reservoirs, Turton Tower & Cheetham Close.

On a very foggy morning twelve hardy walkers met on the car park at Jumbles Reservoir and after being briefed on today’s route we turned right out of the car park and walked along the side of the reservoir. The morning light coupled with the mist had created hazy reflective images, on the surface of the water, which made it difficult to separate the real from the reflection. At the concrete bridge we turned left and followed the route to Turton Tower, after crossing the Victorian railway bridge, we followed the track, on our left, to Torra Barn. At the next stile we followed a footpath across the field to Little Stanrose Farm and headed down to Cox Green Road. After turning right and walking for a short distance we joined the next path, on our right, and headed up to New Butterworth’s Farm, where we started the steady climb up to Cheetham Close.

By this time the fog had cleared, and the blue sky had emerged so as we continued our climb, we had clear views of Delph Reservoir and over to Winter Hill. Once at the trig point, we stopped to get our breath back and to enjoy our morning coffee break on Cheetham Close.
As we were now on a section to the West Pennine Way, we were able to follow the way markers down the hill to Witton Weavers Way.

After passing through the stile, we turned left and followed the track up to Green Arms Road, which we crossed and joined a footpath that took us down to Turton and Entwistle Reservoir. Once in the car park we turned right and walked along a footpath which passes the picturesque, viaduct over the reservoir overflow, and then arrives at the shore of Wayoh Reservoir. We then followed the path, along the shore into Chapeltown where we had booked lunch at the Cheetham Arms pub.

Once refreshed we walked down into Turton Bottoms and joined a footpath that followed Bradshaw Brook, through a picturesque valley, which was full of wildlife, eventually arriving at Jumbles Reservoir, from here it was just a short walk back to the car park, having covered ten stimulating miles.