GM Ringway Day 8

 Stage 10 Newhey to Littleborough

Distance 16 miles

Weather : hot hot hot

Ravens, paraglider, buzzards, hot sheep, hot cows, kingfisher, perch

Loaded up with water, we set off from home and joined the Ringway route in Brushes Clough towards Haugh Square and Ogden and Piethorn Reservoirs. We walked around the reservoirs, accompanied by many, many DofE'ers in various stages of limping and sweating under their huge brightly-coloured covered rucksacks.

There was more of a breeze as we headed up on to the moors, following the paths through the grass and reeds up to the aerial on Windy Hill. It has been very dry this year so there was only a couple of tiny boggy bits.

The bridge over the M62 and stone flags of the Pennine Way lead up to Blackstone Edge, where we stopped at the shelter for a rest and very melty chocolate, before crossing the rocks and peat to the Aiggen Stone and down the steep slope of the Roman Road. There were stonechats and a rare sighting of a wild reed bunting in the bracken (in our experience, reed buntings are usually to be found troughing at the feeders in the garden.)

Down from the hill, we turned up a dusty lane towards Whittaker Golf Course and the delightfully named Owlet Hall. Through Cleggs Wood, we followed the stream to Hollingworth Lake, where the visitor centre toilets do indeed close at 4pm. The RSPCA is open until 5pm through so you can pick up a kitten even if you can't have a wee.

There were plenty of bikers and families enjoying the lakeside sunshine. We walked around the lake a short way (having been round many a time) and then joined the Rochdale Canal towpath. There were lots of fish in the canal, including a stripy perch and it was very hot as we walked into Littleborough and the train station to catch the train back to Rochdale then the tram home.