GM Ringway Day 14

Stage 16 Wigan to Leigh

Distance 10 miles

Mute swans, cetti's warbler, big fish, tiny toad, kestrels, great crested grebes, little grebes, cormorants, common terns, grey heron, roe deer, eqyptian geese, kingfisher

We bought joint tram/train/bus tickets today and took the tram and then train to Wigan, with some busy road crossings before joining the Leeds and Liverpool Canal almost at Wigan pier, which we missed. There was a lot of boat movement on the water today. At Wigan Flashes nature reserve, the canal goes straight between Pearson's Flash and Scotsman Flash, the lakes having been created from old collapsed mines. According to Wikipedia the mines collapsed in about 1902 and the name flash comes from the flash floods that resulted. There are some big lakes but mostly the paths were lined with trees and shrubs with just the occasional clearing giving some views of water. Leaving the nature reserve we followed a path through farmland into woodland near Bryn Hall where there is an enchanted tree trail (although it seems some fairies prefer fence posts) and the Three Sisters race circuit.

We had lunch in Viridian Woods, which has the look of a rewilded landfill site and was surrounded by industrial activity. There were some swallows and housemartens but mostly pigeons. The path leds through grassy meadows dotted with young trees, with duckboards through the wet reedy areas. There was yellow birdsfoot trefoil, queen anne's lace and thistles with many butterflies and moths but mostly flies.

At Pennington Flash we spent a while watching a kingfisher at one of the pools, and then walked through the woodland and meadows to the visitor centre. We walked into Leigh to the bus station and caught the V1 bus into Manchester. The route goes along the guided busway which is interesting, there are about 8 buses an hour and it took about 40 minutes to get to St Peters Square.

GM Ringway Day 13

 Stage 15 Blackrod to Wigan

Distance 10 miles

Cloudy start, warm and sunny later

Pied wagtail, thrush, heron, nuthatch, jay, moorhen, small blue butterfly

We took the tram to Deansgate and caught the train at Castlefield to Blackrod. They run every hour so there was plenty of time to go and buy supplies for lunch. There was a slime incident on the train.

The route leaves directly from the station platform in Blackrod and goes up a stone flagged path through houses to join the road. At the other end of the village, we turn up a farm track and over stiles through small fields, paddocks and grassy pastures. There was a definite smell of farming in the air.

As we walked along the lane at Little Scotland it rained a little but not enough to make the ground muddy, which was good as when we turned off the lane up a farm track, it was being dug up and we had to pick our way through the churned up ground. We walked along a disused railway and through a golf course to reach Apley Woods, which are being taken over by himalayan balsam, with only the bindweed and brambles putting up a bit of resistance.

At Worthington Lakes, the sun came out and we had a sit on a bench to eat our lunch - under the watchful eye of some ducks. We walked around the reservoir and out on to the main road at Standish, crossing the main road and passing some big new town houses up a track into world of horse. Leaving the yard, we joined the canal towpath where the canal was covered in lilypads, with swallows and dragonflies darting about. Some boys were fishing, but not very successfully judging by their expressions.

We made use of the facilities at Haigh Hall country park, which was very popular. The miniature railway is closed while they rebuild the tracks and the bird watching screen area was very quiet, although we did see a robin a bit further on. There were lots of people walking through the woods, at various stages of family days out, some of it was funny but I did feel sorry for the little girl with a bee sting. We left the main track to meander through some quieter paths through the woodland (with lots of warning signs but not much chance of flooding today) and then joined the Douglas Valley Way into Wigan. The path and river were very urban and concrete lined here but there were definitely trolls under the bridges.

We walked through the town centre to the train station just in time to catch the train.

GM Ringway Day 12

 Stage 14 Bromley Cross to Blackrod

Distance: 14 miles

Warm and sunny, humid

Sock regret, kestrels, orange moth, contented cows

From Bromley Cross, we were soon out of town and into woodland along Eagley Brook through Eagley Valley nature reserve and into parkland of Smithill Country Park. Passing the open farm where families were enjoying their day out with ice-creams and donkey rides, we walked up through the woodland to the Hall and had a sit on a bench in the gardens. 

After a wander through the beautiful gardens, we headed up the lane and up the steep Miner's Steps, which was the start of a lot of up. We crossed the road at a pretty cottage which had a stone inscription on the front - "Afoot and light hearted I take to the open road"  - unfortunately on a very dangerous corner on the busy road. The quote is from a Walt Whitman poem, which is very, very long.

The track leads up and around a grassy hill which is being replanted with deciduous trees and decided to do what is described as an optional detour down through the wood, although the path markers do point this way. Before we headed down, we decided to make us of the picnic tables for a rest and some food. We enjoyed the scenery and the gentle humming of the grasshoppers and chainsaws. 

The steep path led down into Walkers Fold woods and then crossed a bridge over a stream, then wound its way back up through the trees and new plantation, criss-crossing over the stream along the valley and up the other side before meeting a quiet single track road. We followed the road a while, before turning off on to a footpath over Smithills Moor up to the aerials and antennas on Winter Hill. They are doing maintenence work here at the moment replacing the cables (which looks terrifying) so we didn't walk up to the very top, but turned off down the narrow access road and then over to Two Lads Hill with its cairns. There were two lads there on bikes, but they left. Then there was a crow and a raven. And us.

A wide stony path led down off the hill towards a cafe that was shut, then we headed down through the trees into Wilders Wood. There is a waterfall mentioned here but we didn't go and look for it, as there wasn't much water in the stream (and my feet hurt) so we carried on. Quiet lanes led through Horwich and then over the motorway using a bridge that's the access to the services. We crossed some newly mowed fields to the railway bridge and up in to Blackrod where grassy paths lead to the station. The route brings you out directly on to the platform, unfortunately the trains to Manchester go from platform 2 which is onn the other side and means walking up to the road bridge outside of the station. Our train was an hour late, but there are plenty of seats and a shelter on the platform.

GM Ringway Day 11

 Stage 13 Bury to Bromley Cross

Distance: 11 miles on route, about 18 in total

Warm, cloudy with sunny spells

We bought joint tram and train tickets today and took the tram to Bury via Manchester, where entertainment was provided by the man attempting to throw a filing cabinet out of a third storey window.  We walked back to Burrs Country Park along the River Irwell and the Sculpture Trail, which was quite busy but less well travelled as we went further. A neat path with thick hedges and tall trees led around a farm with a very nice looking farmhouse and brought us out in Summerseat Village near to the garden centre, then we turned up Robin Road with its pretty cottages and stream. A wiggle in the path too us around Pot Green, which would have been a nice place if not for the massive road thundering through the middle of it.

A stone flagged lane led up through stone cottages and farm houses before opening up into a wide track over the moorland to the ridge along the top of the hill towards Peel Tower. It is  almost 23 years since we were last here, and then it was the middle of winter with Christmas markets in Ramsbottom. Today there were swallows flying low over the heather, thistles and yellow hawkweed. Coming down the rocky path from Peel Tower we decided to take the extension of the route which avoids the steeper descent down the hillside and instead contours around overlooking the MOD training area. We agreed later that this was one of our favourite sections of the walk so far; a lovely path along the hillside and then a pleasant grassy path back along the bottom of the valley. There were ravens, house martens and swallows, dragonflies, stone chats and wrens, plus plenty of sheep.

At the end of the valley the trees thickened, we emerged onto a lane and a confusing bit next to a house where the footpath has been incorporated into their garden, over a stile (next to a couple of garden seats with the welcoming message "It doesn't matter where you are, you are always home" which I don't think they really mean) and on to the open moor.

Coming down off the moor, we crossed a road and took an overgrown footpath into grassy cowfields, where there was a high density of cows under one tree, and then up the other side of the valley which was quite steep in places. At the top there were wide open views of Winter Hill (looking a bit weather-y) and some very cute fluffy sheep. 

We walked down the lane towards Bradshaw Hall cafe (too late to partake of their breakfast, brunch or lunch) and down a muddy path to Jumbles Reservoir. We included the walk around the reservoir, which was a nice path through woodland and views of the water on one side but the other side was just a road behind the high walls and fences of the big houses.

We caught the train in Bromley Cross to Rochdale and then the tram, when it started raining.

GM Ringway Day 10

Stage 12 Norden to Bury

Distance 13 miles

Ascent: 450m

Warm, drizzle most of the day with sunshine at the end of the day

Alpacas, dipper, flies, cats, bunny, steam trains tooting

We took the tram to Rochdale and the bus to Norden village, buying lunch supplies at the Co-Op before heading back up the path to Greenbooth reservoir. Today's route goes up along the other side passing some smart new houses, along a footpath with lots of steps up and down over the rocky shoreline, then through wet grassy cow fields, wet grassy sheep fields and wet grassy moorland. The mizzle thickened as we got higher, the wind turbines clanking above us half obscured by cloud. At Ashworth Moor we crossed the main road by the burger van and dropped down through a gap in the wall back on to the moorland towards Lumb Bridge, with its remnants of old industry. 

A grassy path follows the stream and over little lumpy hills into Deeply Vale, and into wood where the path was very muddy and we met some flies. The flies decided to come with us through Deep Moss and up the steep narrow footpath up to Birtle which would have been quite pleasant and we might have stopped for lunch if not for the buzzing around our ears. It was quite a relief when we emerged from a farmyard on to a quiet lane and the flies decided to turn back.

We followed the lane to a place marked on the map as White Ash, which shows a chimney, some ponds and a pub, so we thought there might be somewhere nice to stop for lunch but the place has been converted into an exclusive luxury retirement complex and all the picnic tables are behind locked gates. We found a bench a little further on near the old schoolhouse and ate our sandwiches there. The quiet lane crosses over the M66, there were a lot of cats here, through some woods and a golf course and more woodland to meet the River Irwell at Burrs caravan park. We had a sit down and changed our (stinky) socks and shake the rubble out of our shoes before walking into Bury town centre and the metro station.

GM Ringway Day 9

 Stage 11 Littleborough to Norden

Distance 12.5 miles

Ascent 450m (the route guide reckons 512m but it looks like this is unfiltered raw data from the mapping software)

Weather: warm and humid

After some early wasp excitement, we were off and walking into Shaw for breakfast and to catch the tram to Rochdale and from there the train to Littleborough. We left the train station and headed along the Rochdale Canal, keeping an eye out for all the footpaths closed due to building of new flood defences. The official detour cuts this bit out and shortens the walk, but we (being us) decided to carry on further along the canal and walk back along the road instead. 

Crossing the road where we met up with the route, we headed up a steep bank with a beware of the bull sign, over a broken stile and into some woods that could have been quite pretty if not for all the rubbish. The path leads behind some rather posh houses ( but was lined with dog poo, litter, fly tipping and bits of car) and then up through a housing estate, through a rather distressing farmyard and finally out on to the moors.

The track follows the Pennine Bridleway and Weighvers Way to Watergrove reservoir and the memorial woods. We walked around the rather empty looking reservoir (it's been a very dry year) and had a sit down in the memorial garden, watching the bees buzzing on the wildflowers and listening to the birds in the trees.

From there a stony path winds over the moors, between big old trees and tumble down farms now occupied only by sheep. We met a chatty man, who told us all about the area including the old coalmines, how stone from the quarry here is being used to build Barcelona cathedral, the building of the reservoirs, land ownership and various lords of the manor including Lord Byron. While he was telling us this, we watched the police empound and remove an illegally parked van. 

There are zigzags of paths all over the map here, including the Lancashire Way, we followed one that had tiny cows on it. Crossed the busy road A671 and went into Healey Dell, arriving at the visitor centre just after closing time at 4.20pm.  We did a circuit of the dell, seeing the waterfalls, old railway workings and siamese twin bridges before walking up a steep lane to the pretty hamlet of Prickshaw and on to Rooley Moor. There is a neat brick road over Rooley Moor, called the Cotton Famine Road because it was built by impoverished workers from the Rochdale cotton mills who refused to work with cotton from plantations that used slave labour during a depression brought about by various global supply issues including the American Civil War.  The path became very rocky and quite hard on the feet, and the car park at Greenbooth reservoir was quite a relief. The path down into Norden was busy with people enjoying the afternoon sunshine. We arrived at the bus stop with a minute to spare, and caught the bee network bus into Rochdale and then the tram home. The buses have contactless payment, all the stops are announced and it was all very convenient.

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.

GM Ringway Day 7

Stage 9 Dobcross to Shaw

Distance 18 miles

Warm and humid

Insect bites: many

Kestrels, lapwings, swifts, swallows, chiff chaff, willow warbler, skylarks and more kestrels

We set off from home to join up with the GM Ringway in Dobcross, calling in at Albion Farm Shop and Cafe on the way for a gupping fry up. It drizzled slightly as we were eating but not heavily enough to make us want to leave the terrace and go inside.

Dobcross is very pretty but hilly and it was a steady up through the village and out on to Lark Hill. The track leads along the hilltop and then up on to Standedge and along the ridge above Castleshaw on the Pennine Way and Oldham Way. 

The route follows the Pennine Bridleway and pavements through Denshaw and up to Brushes Clough where it wiggles around and comes out on the path to Newhey above Julbilee Nature Reserve. We dropped down here and walked through Dunwood Park back into Shaw and then home.

It was a great walk, however most of these paths we know very well indeed so it was too easy to just switch off and not properly appreciate the scenery and landscape.

GM Ringway Day 6

 Stage 8 and a bit of 9: Broadbottom to Uppermill

Distance: 12 miles on route, 20 miles total walked

Ascent: 557m

Warm and sunny, breezy

There is a detour needed in Stage 8 because Chew Road down from Chew Reservoir to Dovestones is closed for the rest of the year for maintenance works. So we planned our own route around this, which shortened the walk a bit, but we also decided that rather than spend the an hour and a half it would take to travel by public transport at the end of the day we would walk home, which added about five miles, making it quite a long day.

We bought supplies in Manchester before getting the train out to Broadbottom, where the route leads along the Goyt Valley Way and Tameside Trail to The Hague, where there are some big fancy houses and a lot of signs. Some of the paths were quite overgrown with brambles, there will be plenty of blackberries here in a few weeks.

We crossed a stile and some open fields before joining a farm track that led on to the A57 in Hollingworth. We walked down to the roundabout and back up because of the heavy traffic, bit surprised there aren't any proper crossings for pedestrians here, but we made it. The path then led away from the road along a pretty tree lined path with lots of bees and butterflies enjoying the sunshine towards Mottram Old Hall grounds, where there are some picturesque stone cottages and a beautiful garden, along the wonderfully named Rabbit Lane and passed Hard Times Farm.

Going through a gate into sheepfields and out onto the moors, we had first lunch besides a drystone wall enjoying the views over Hatfield and Glossop, and the Snake Pass winding its way up to the horizon.

A rocky path edged with drystone walls winds its way up on to the moors, we saw stonechats, meadow pipets, phesants, grouse and a lot of sheep. 

The suggested route diversion is to take the low level alternative route along the Pennine Bridleway but we decided to continue on along Ogden Clough to Bowerclough Head (appropriately marked on the map as Wilderness) and then take the path over to Alphin Pike and descend from there. We have walked up that way a few times and knew it to be steep but manageable. We followed the escarpment edge, stopping for second lunch above the Wimberry Rocks, listening to the tooting of the golden plovers. The path down is now quite wide and rocky, having become far more popular in recent years. Near the bottom we joined the Oldham Way, and then the Pennine Bridleway into Greenfield. 

Stage 9 begins here along the Hudderfield Canal, which was looking alarming lacking in water. The ducks were standing up in it.  There were a million squirrels and a cat having a nap. We left the canal just before Dobcross and made our way along the Delph Donkey Track, stopping for a rest and a chocolate bar before tackling the last hill of the day. In total, including the walk to the tram stop and across Manchester, we've walked about 20 miles today.

GM Ringway Day 5

 Stage 7: Marple to Broadbottom

Distance: 9 miles

Snoozy geese, snoozy cows, squeaky kestrel, swifts, house martens, nuthatch, blackcap

Unidentified fish: 1

After a large second breakfast we caught the tram into Manchester and train out to Marple, gettingthe joint tram and train tickets. The shortest route between St Peters Square and Picadilly station isn't walkable at the moment because of work on the tram lines so we are going via Princess Street and Canal Street.

From Marple station the path was rather overgrown to start with but we decided to brave the plantlife, and the path soon widened out into a pleasant path through woodland and up some worn stone steps up to the canal tow path at Lock 7.

It was a very picturesque walk, over (then under) the Marple canal aqueduct, which is the highest in England apparently, and then through farmland and woods, besides the bubbling River Etherow. We passed some pretty shops in Compstall and then walked around Etherow Country Park which is very pretty and very popular, especially with the ducks and geese.  After walking around the park we took the lane out of the village, passing some lovely houses, missing the turn off along an overgrown footpath and carrying on along the bridleway and through a farmyard. We didn't see the promised chickens but we did see a giant Pingu.

The route winds its way up the hillside along wide farm tracks with fine views over the drystone walls towards the peak district, then crosses Werneth Low golf course and into the Country Park. We visited the toposcope near the war memorial, and then a second toposcope in what seems to be a disused carpark on the other side of the hill. 

Grassy fields lead down into Back Wood and steep muddy paths down to emerge onto what looks like someone's drive but is part of the E2 long distance footpath. Passing some fancy houses, one with a very pretty rose garden, and then some rather dangerous looking dye vats, we took the sharp (unmarked) turn off up to the railway platform at Broadbottom. A train to Manchester was just pulling in so we hopped on.

GM Ringway Day 4

Stage 6 Strines to Marple

Distance: 8 miles

Weather: warm and windy

Willow warbler, goats, bunnies, curlew, swallows.

At the end of yesterday's walk, I discovered the sides of my legs were covered in angry red rashes where I'd brushed against some plants, so today was wearing knee length socks to try and prevent more contact. I never wear shorts while out walking but was surprised it was so bad through my trousers. At least it wasn't as hot today.

We bought joint tram and train tickets, which was slightly more expensive than getting them separately but meant we didn't have to worry about which train back to catch. There wasn't quite enough time to get brunch in Manchester, so we bought Co-Op meal deals at the station before getting the train out to Strines. The gap between the train and the platform is especially big here, quite the jump down, but it is a pretty station and very proud of its connection to The Railway Children, the nearby tunnel and viaduct being the inspiration for the story.

Leaving the station we walked up a steep cobbled lane into Brook Bottom, passing the Fox Inn (which was open and serving nice-looking lunches) and up the hillside, up and along a pretty byway, and up into woodland, emerging out on to a heath with a trig point at 327m.

We followed a green lane edged with dry stone walls over Mellor Moor, stopping for a windswept lunch and a meet and greet with a friendly but nervous alsatian dog. There was a short section of road walking and then lanes and rocky paths down into the wooded valley and along a very pretty river with little bridges and the viaduct.

Coming up some steep steps and crossing the road, we were on to the Peak Forest canal towpath again, with narrow boats and a million geese, before heading into Marple beside the flight of locks to the station. At the station there was much confusion about when (if) the train would be arriving due to a points failure at the next station out but all was well as the train just arriving from Manchester turned around and headed back to town.

GM Ringway Day 3

Stage 5 Middlewood to Strines

Distance: 8 miles on official route, 12 in total

Weather: very warm

Skylarks, buzzards, bunnies, deer, free drinks

We took the train back to Middlewood station and carried on along the lane through the woods, where there were lots of flies and cyclists, turning off to join the Macclesfield Canal towpath and into Lyme Park. It was hot and sunny, with skylarks singing above and grasshoppers chirping around us. We stopped at the visitor centre and then sweated walked up in front of the house and over the grassy hill by The Cage tower.

Leaving the park we had to cross the very busy road and then up into a hilly wood of holly and rhododendrons  until we reached the level ground of the Peak Forest canal towpath. This is part of the E2 European long distance path, from Ireland to the South of France but we thought we'd leave the other 3000 miles for another day. We did decide to extend today's walk by an hour to avoid the rush-hour trams from Manchester, so stayed on the canal side path for a while longer before taking a wooded path with many many steps down to the River Goyt and back up (with some additional up) the other side of the valley following the Goyt Way and the Midshires Way to Strines railway station.

GM Ringway Day 2

Stages 3 & 4 Didsbury to Middlewood

Distance: 14 miles

Nuthatch, long tailed tits, swifts, buzzards, parakeet, thrushes, fox, squirrels

Insect bites: a few

Dogs: a million

We got the tram to Didsbury and followed the path along the tramlines, detouring into the village to have breakfast, and joined back up with the route along busy roads lined with nice houses. We got a bit lost in the leisure centre car park but found a footpath through some woods near to the entrance to the golf course and followed that until we met up with the track. It was very warm and humid, and quite nice to be under trees. Coming out of the woods into parkland at Bramhall Hall we had a sit down on a bench by a big pond. Bramhall Hall is being renovated at the moment and was covered in scaffolding and plastic sheeting, and the grounds were covered in children having a school day out and dogwalkers with a million dogs.

The path goes through parkland, woodland and grassy meadows before crossing a busy road and entering Poynton Park. It was definitely clouding over and becoming even more humid, we had a sit down and ordered our train tickets for the way home. From the park we walked through farmland with lots of sheep and big fancy houses. The last bit of the days walk was along a narrow wiggly road that has no pavement to Middlewood Railway station, which is basically a platform in the middle of a wood. We stood in the shade under the bridge and waited for the train, listening to some confused kids on bikes up on the path above us who had called their parents for directions.