Oldham Way - Day One

Distance: 23.5 miles total
Ascent: 750m
Weather: damp, rain, showers, damp
Seen: Ducklings, goslings, grey wagtail, orange tipped butterfly, bluebells, forget-me-not, rainbow.
Wet cameras: 1
Blisters: 1

The Oldham Way is a 40 mile long distance trail which skirts around Oldham, the official start being at Dove Stone Reservoir covering moorland and parks, and also more urban areas, which definitely add contrast. The waymarker is a blue owl disc, although we only saw one or two of these out on the path, mostly it's a yellow disc with an arrow and Oldham Way written on it. The best marker is the engraved stone one on top of Pots and Pans. On the whole, the Way is well marked, but there are sections where there aren't any markers and it could be a bit confusing - also many of the downloadable routes for gps are wrong, taking the Tameside Trail in an almost direct line between Quick and Noonsun Hill, when the actual route on the ground wiggles its way down through Grasscroft.

We set off from home at just after 10am and walked up the road through Denshaw to the oddly named New Years Bridge Reservoir, to begin our Oldham Way Walk. We decided to do the walk over two days, stopping at Smokies Hotel in Bardsley overnight. We called in at the Co-Op on Ripponden Road for lunches and provisions and headed off into the drizzle. It seemed a bit odd to be walking passed our regular turning back point in Denshaw village before we'd even begun the walk proper. As we climbed the stile and entered the field to begin, the rain was already falling.

We made a brief sandwich stop in Brushes Clough nature reserve when the rain eased slightly and then were off again. There was another lull when we reached the newly done up entrance to the park, near Jubilee Bends, the name of which escapes me and it doesn't appear to be marked on the OS map - anyway we took advantage of a nice new bench to have a proper sit down and some sandwiches.

The route leads up the hillside and over farmland (with very curious sheep and strange grey blue stuff spread on the pasture) towards Royton, Tandle Hill Park and on to the Rochdale Canal. We thought the canal was looking a bit less rubbishy today and made sure to stop and thank a chap with a wheelie bin collecting bottles and litter.

The going was flat and easy along the canal towpath and through Failsworth to Daisy Nook and our overnight stop at Smokies Hotel in Bardsley. The sun came out and there was a rainbow to end the day's walk.