Walk Description

Today Lin, Chris, Steve and Mike joined me for a walk over the moors that make up the Wardle Skyline.  Unfortunately we didn't have the best weather at the start of the walk but things brightened up later on.  According to Gladys Sellers the author of Walking in the South Pennines "..the shapely knolls and long ridges of the skyline simply cry out to be walked."  She also says that "the circuit lives up to all its promises ...... free from peat bog (but not wet places), paths mostly where you want them (though not all rights of way) and splendidly varied views."

We had arranged to walk from my house, but this walk can be just easily started from the car park below Watergrove Reservoir.  We walked up the field behind my house and on to the lane that leads to Peddlers and eventually to Shore.  As it was just before 10 am, it was too early to call in to the King Bill for a drink.  We left the pub behind and turned up the old cobbled road up past Shore Hall to the open moors.  Out path met up with the Pennine Bridleway just below the long climb up to Crook Hill.  We had already decided that instead of heading towards Watergrove Reservoir, we would climb to Jackson's shelter at the top of Crook Hill.  As we climbed the hill, we could see the heavy, dark clouds approaching and it wasn't long before the rain began. 

We stopped for a while at the shelter and had a bite to eat.  Then we continued to the marker post at the top of the Long Causeway, where we consulted the map.  At that point the rain had stopped and the day seemed to be brightening, so instead of cutting the walk short we decided to continue up to Rough Hill.  As we climbed the flanks of Rough Hill, the rain began again and began to dampen our spirits.  We had intended to extend the walk to Trough Edge End, however even though by the time we reached Hades Hill, the sun had started to come out again we now decided that we would just do the skyline walk and head for Middle Hill.  Hades Hill was once a large flat topped waste ground but at some point someone had built a large earth pile at the top of the hill, this might just make Hades Hill slightly higher than Rough Hill.

We left Hades Hill and followed the Rossendale Way over Middle Hill, where we sat for a while enjoying the view whilst we had lunch.  The path down from Middle Hill towards Brown Wardle is very steep and eroded, thanks to the number of motorbikes that have used it as a scrambling track.  We then faced another short steep climb up to the summit of Brown Wardle.  This was our last climb of the day.  From here, we contiuned down the steep path to the Pennine Bridleway.  The Pennine Bridleway follows an old track along the flanks of Brown Wardle and Middle Hill.  We passed the remains of some of the old farmsteads and then headed down to Watergrove Reservoir.  

During the 1930s, the Lancashire cotton trade was in a very depressed state and there was very high unemployment in the Rochdale area.  Watergrove Reservoir was built not only to supply water to the Wardle and Littleborough areas of Rochdale but also to provide work for the local mill workers.  Gangs of unemployed cotton workers, in groups of approx 500, were brought in for a month at a time to work with picks and shovels on the reservoir.  Not surprisingly, although the work was started in 1930, it wasn't finished until 1938. 

We followed stream down to the dipping ponds, where we sat for a while and watched the damsel flies flitting across the water, before following the Watergrove Trail along the reservoir and though the woods to the old cobbled road. We made the short diversion to Little Town, the restored remains of two cottages and the only farm building that was left when the valley was emptied of people in the late 1930s.  After yet another rest in the sunshine, we headed back along the old road to the West Pennine Sailboard Club on the reservoir shore.  The old cobbled road continues on under the the reservoir and so we turned left and followed the new road along the reservoir wall.  Just before the cattle grid is the Watergrove Wall of History, old date stones, stone window frames, old stone sinks etc have been built into the reservoir wall.  Some of the date stones go back to 1699.  From here we had a short walk back to my house before going to The Globe for a drink or two.

Thanks to Lin, chris, Mike and Steve for their company today.  We had a good time despite the weather.

On the Sunday morning, Lin, Chris and Steve joined me for a short walk around Watergrove Reservoir.  This time we started out in good weather but unfortunately we didn't quite get back before the rain began.  We had been luckly enough to catch a glimpse of a deer as we walked round the reservoir. 

 

Route & Planning

Details and Route Map

Photo Opportunities

Walk Profile

The route map shown here should not be used as a replacement for the appropriate map(s). Before attempting the walk you should check the suitability of this route in relation to your capabilities and experience.