Walk Description

Due to prior commitments I couldn't get out for a walk until the afternoon, so we decided to stay local and visit some more of our local reservoirs.  We parked in the car park near the Castleshaw Centre, just below the A62.  A short stroll took us over the lower reservoir dam and up to Wood Farm.  Here we walked along an old green lane to its junction with Low Gate Lane.  We now  climbed steeply up to Moor Lane and joined the Pennine Bridleway.   As we climbed up to the col we could see a group of llamas on the skyline from the nearby Pennine Llama Treking Centre.

Steve now took a short diversion to investigate the white structure on the top of Broadhead Noodle.  I took advantage of his absence and took the time to get my breath back.  From here I could see the A640 on its meandering route from Denshaw to Huddersfield.  I took a few photographs from here, after all who could resist taking photos of places with names like New Year's Reservoir and Bridge, Dowry Reservoir and Dowry Road.  It wasn't long before Steve was back with me on the track again.

We followed Moor Lane and when we reached the marker post we left the Pennine Bridleway and turned northwards across the moor .  At a prominent cairn we turned eastwards towards Hind Hill and continued along the Oldham Way until we joined the Pennine Way at Northern Ratcher.  The small cairn marking the path of the Oldham Way was, for some reason, topped by a wellington boot.  The ground change here and we crossed a number of deep peat groughs and before long we passed the stone marking the junction of the Oldham Way and the Pennine Way.  When we reached the first outcrop of rocks, Steve decided it was time for him to do a little scrambling and exploring.  I was content to watch him leaping around. We then investigates Dinner Stone and found the memorial plaque to Ammon Wrigley.  He was a gifted local historian and poet.  He was born in 1861 and died in 1946.  Ammon Wrigley loved roaming these moors, walking what he called "green miles and the grey" above Saddleworth. Today we had good views over the moors to the Holmes Moss transmitter and Black Hill to the south east and to the south we could see Saddleworth stretching out before us.

After having a good look around at the trig point, we climbed down through the rocks and made our way directly across the moor towards the houses at Castleshaw.  There were a couple of awkward bits where we had to make a slight detour to avoid the worst of the wet ground.  However it wasn't long before we were off the moor and onto the road.  At the start of Dirty Lane we turned south west and headed towards the Roman fort.  We spent a while exploring the fort and reading the information boards.  There is not much of the fort left to view now.  It is just a collection of lumps and bumps being grazed by a flock of sheep.  Then it was just a short stroll across the hay meadows back to the car.
 
The Roman Fort at Castleshaw was built shortly after AD79, when Agricola began his campaign to subdue the North.  Castleshaw lies on the Roman Road from Manchester to York and was abandoned in AD90.  However in AD100 a mini fort was built inside its grounds and this was in use until AD150.  After that the fort fell into disuse and disappeared apart from a few lumps and bumps under the moorland.  It was partially excavated in 1751 and again in 1907.  Finally  in 1984 the site was cleared and a number of information boards constructed to explain the history and structure of the site.

This had been an ideal afternoon stroll across a quiet section of the Pennine moors.
 

Walk Profile and Route Map

 

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.