Walk Description

A quick peep outside this morning showed that the day wasn't as bad as forecast, so a short easy walk was quickly planned.  We drove to the large layby at the side of Ashworth Moor Reservoir and parked up making sure that we left room for the burger bar which arrived just before we set off.  It was a grey morning and the threat of rain was never far away.  Making sure that we were well shod and had our waterproofs, we crossed the main A680 and made our way onto the moor.  The path to Knowl Hill is very popular and the deep ruts testify that its not just walkers that come here.  Although a little damp in places, the recent dry weather meant that the path wasn't too boggy.  A little extra effort was required for the final push up Knowl Hill.

The summit is very untidy and assorted rocks and stone litter the top.  There is a shelter, trig and the remains of a toposcope on the summit.  We had a good look around and despite the weather we still managed to identify the hills to the south of Manchester and could just about pick out the shape of the telescope at Joderell Bank.  Nearer to us we could clearly see the Peel Tower above Holcombe and Ramsbotton.  We then made our way along Man Road Drain to one of the new wind farm access roads that run accross the moor.  The highest point isn't Knowl Hill or even Top of Leach but the appropriately named Hail Storm Hill near Cowpe Moss.  The moors have changed since I was last up here approx 11 years ago.  There are almost 8 miles of new roads providing access to the wind farm.  The moor is littered with 100m tall wind turbines.  Its only when you stand next to them, that you appreciate just how big they are.

We followed the main access road across the Top of Cheesden Pasture and past Higher Hill.  we then turned west and crossed the Rossendale Way.  We stayed on the access road until we turned off to make the slight ascent to the top of Whittle Hill.  At 467m this was the highest point of our walk.  We sat in the shelter below the summit and had a quick lunch.   It was then time to head back to the car.  We followed another acess road across the moor and picked up the Rossendale Way and followed it south west for a short while above Grain Brook.

When we reached Turf Moor we turned off and took the short cut across the field towards the dissued reservoirs above Grain Brook.  We carefully negotiated the slippy grassy steps down to the brook and made our way up the other side towards Paradise.  I suppose someone thought it was paradise at one time, but it must have been bleak living there.  We then climbed the steep path up the side of Tom Hill and followed the path across Kill Gate Brook to the Cheesden Edge Path and back to the car.

A slightly longer walk than we had planned, but a chance to explore the moors and stay reasonably dry on the new access roads.