Sun 3 Dec 20
(For a full index of walks click
HERE)
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This weak sunshine didn't last...
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The route for this walk is taken from Mike Cresswell's book West Pennine Walks. I first did the walk on 3 May 2003, but today Andrew and I were going to start from Buckden Clough instead of Holcombe Brook. The walk fourteen years ago took place in lovely weather, but today although the forecast was for sunny intervals we encountered fog over Grane and low cloud over Rossendale generally.
Andrew parked at a lay-by on Holcombe Road, where loads of nasty rubbish has been fly-tipped. As we prepared to start off on the walk Andrew couldn't find his camera, and assumed he'd left it at home. As my camera battery failed half way round the walk, we both missed a lot of shots.
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The weather had been better in 2003
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We dragged ourselves up the muddy track on the north side of Buckden Wood and crossed the old lane, past the site of a bloomery to the path alongside the military practice area on Harcles Hill.
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A good welcome on Harcles Hill
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No flags were flying so we could assume we would not need to dodge flying shells. A rain shower lasting about five minutes was not unexpected as we made our way to the Pilgrims' Cross, or rather the memorial stone that has replaced it.
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The Pilgrims' Memorial
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Beyond here we caught glimpses of Peel Tower through the gloom.
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Peel Tower in the distance
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There is a confusing choice of several paths to the Tower but it was soon reached. It was at this point that my camera battery became exhausted! The monument to Robert Peel is a well-known landmark and an area that is very popular with locals. A group of children with their minders was moving away so we stopped for a snack.
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The tower is open if the flag is flying...
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After our refreshment we descended the steep hill to the lane below, and crossed the field near the bungalow where my family lived 1946/47.
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There is a dormer window now
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Further on we passed the old sanatorium, which is now an Islamic college, to the busy main road in Holcombe Brook, which we crossed to Woodhey Road.
The walk soon passes through pleasant woods and down to the river Irwell and the line of the East Lancashire Railway. A couple of tains went by. This area in summer sunshine could be described as pretty, but in dreary winter there is an air of neglect over a lot of the Rossendale area. The delightful lane by the river unfortunately gives way to a busy main road to Ramsbottom, and I noted in 2003 that the section through the industrial area was marred by unpleasant smells.
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Hewn out of stone
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However, there is an open area beyond which passes through a field and joins the Rossendale Way on the outskirts of Stubbins. We crossed the road there for a path that took us alongside the river to the small hamlet of Strongstry. There has been damage from flooding here and the wide footbridge that links the hamlet with Chatterton was destroyed and has not yet been replaced.
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An earlier photo in Buckden Clough
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From Strongstry we joined the steep path which leads up through
the wood of Buckden Clough by a stream with some attractive waterfalls. The
path seemed much longer than when I was writing my guidebook to the
Rossendale Way and I felt quite tired, wishing I'd taken
the elixir pills!
At the top of the wood the path emerges on to Holcombe Road
opposite Andrew's car. He was putting his rucksack in the boot when he
discovered his camera under a flap!
To compensate for the poor weather we had
met a number of very friendly and helpful walkers. A guy with a dog in Woodhey
Road knew the area well and gave us good advice, and at Strongstry we had
a pleasant chat with a man who was putting up Christmas lights in his
tiny back garden. He told us about the floods, and the nuisance the missing
bridge was causing because the children's playground is on the other side of
the river.
