Rishworth Moor Weekender

Friday evening
Distance: 4 miles
There has been a noticeable hiatus in training for the walk due to me sustaining a vascular injury in my foot a couple of weeks ago. Thankfully, my lumpyfootitis superficial thrombophlebitis has improved and I was confident that I would be able to walk on it this weekend for some much needed exercise in preparation for the Pennine Way.

So with foot well padded up, we set off on Friday night for the exotic Newhey Premier Inn. We started along the track. which has had some hardcore laid down so isn't the mudfest that it has been lately and then over Brushes Clough, cutting through horse field down to cross the stream and head up to the farm through a bluebell filled field.

We avoided the main roads by going up the cobbled street to St Thomas' church and then around the back of the memorial gardens to the hotel.

Saturday
Distance: 12 miles
Weather: heavy showers, occasional sunshine
Jay, mistle thrush, little lambs, three deer, a heron, orange tipped butterfly, bluebells, bog and an angry dog.

We set off about 10am, calling in at the shop for some sandwiches. As we came out the rain started, so we put on our waterproofs - and kept them on for the rest of the day, although the sun did come out occasionally. We walked up a wet path, where Rob practiced his dog control skills on a rather agitated farm dog that had snapped its chain, to the Pennine Bridleway

We followed the bridleway under the motorway and around Hollingworth Lake (where we had a sit down to rest my foot) and then joined the Rochdale Way along Whittaker Lane. We surprised a heron, who in turn surprised three deer. A good oppotunity to test out the 30x zoom on my new camera.

It started raining hard as we got to the Roman Road and we splashed our way along the Old Packhorse Road (stopped for lunch near the ford at Rag Sapling Clough when the sun came out for a while) and around Green Withins Edge over Rishworth Moor to the Turnpike Inn. Still not able to identify the mysterious birds in the woods near Rishworth Lodge.

Sunday
Distance: 12 miles
Weather: Sunshine and showers

Very leisurely breakfast and late start this morning. We went back the way we'd come yesterday, this time taking the lower path at Joiner Stones Hill down to Green Withins Moss and the reservoir. It was very windy in patches around here and quite chilly.

We followed a big path (cough Pennine Way cough) over Windy Hill bridge to the aerial and down the churned up messiness of Windy Hills to Piethorne Reservoir. We didn't stop for lunch, as it was raining and there was some football to be watched, so we struck on for home via Top O'Th'Hill and Brushes Clough.