Pack Horse,Bury, Oct 16th
Walk leader: Jean Bobker
Number on walk: 3
Distance: 16.5 miles
Weather: Morning, very murky. becoming brighter after 2 pm
It was a good day when three of us (Doreen, Gareth and myself) set off from The Pack Horse at Birtle above three small reservoirs and through St John the Baptist churchyard where there were some war graves and down into a disused quarry to come out on Castle Hill Road. Around some farmsteads it was over the M66 and up besides Lowes Park Golf Club to Top o'th' Hill and back over the M66 to pass through Walmersley Golf Club and then the bridleway towards Cob House before which we turned right and had our morning break overlooking Deeply Vale and its reservoir.
It was then onto Closes Farm where there was a lovely waterfall at the side of their garden. Passing Croston Close Farm there was a memorial plaque on the wall in memory of the farmer who once lived there. Further on we crossed Edenfield Road to make our way over the moorland to first go up Tom Hill and then up and over Knowl Hill [419 metres] with its trig point and toposcope (sadly the metal top is missing) surrounded by wind turbines. It was clear up here but hazy beyond. Gareth turned into a handyman by securing a waymarker back on the wall of the toposcope. We descended to a panoramic view of the three Naden Reservoirs and then Greenbooth Reservoir with its autumn coloured trees and house in the valley below (a photographer's delight) where we had lunch.
It was then a long descent into Naden Wood via some steps, past a waterfall and up a shorter stairway to heaven to a new housing estate with another waterfall. From here it was into Norden passing Millcroft Tea Rooms [shame it wasn't open], and an ex-owl sanctuary to pass through Wolstenholme Fold and onwards through the woods high above the River Roch to Crimble Farm and a big descent to Crimble Mill (an old/disused textile and dying mill). We then followed the River Roch and into Queen's Park, Heywood with its cricket pitch where we went in and had our afternoon stop. It was then round two sides of the lake, through the trees and under the bridge to Hooley Bridge where we picked up another bridleway to go up more steps to come out in Bamford. Down Ashworth Road the final section was a sting in the tail up Simpson Clough, alongside the trees and over the fields back to Birtle.
Jean Bobker
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