Sunday Stroll: Hollinwood Canal

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A very popular stroll to the north of Ashton is along the towpath of the old Hollinwood Canal as it passes through Daisy Nook Country Park.

This photo looks from the junction with the Fairbottom Branch of the canal towards Crime Lake. The spillway carries surplus water away down to the River Medlock.

Two walkers are crossing the bridge over the spillway, hotly pursued by a group of eight ducks who think that a plastic carrier bag means feeding time.

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Sunday Stroll: Chaddy Dams

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One of the most popular short strolls on the outskirts of Ashton is the picturesque walk around Chadwick's Dams, between Ashton and Stalybridge. Commonly known as "Chaddy Dams", these two reservoirs in the shallow valley of the Cock Brook were built to supply Chadwick's factory at Park Hall Mill.

The land containing these two reservoirs passed into the ownership of Ashton and Stalybridge Corporations in 1891. The lower reservoir became Stamford Park boating lake while the higher one (the one in today's photograph) was stocked as a fishing lake.

119 years later, the land remains in local council ownership. The boating lake still exists although it has suffered a drop in its popularity. The upper reservoir remains pretty much the same other than the valley sides have become wooded.

Beyond the trees can be seen the buildings of the appropriately called Lakes Hospital, now part of Tameside Hospital.

A photo of "Chaddy Dams" appeared on this blog two years ago.

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Sunday Stroll: Dry Stone Wall

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On a recent Sunday stroll up over Quick Edge in Mossley, I spotted this dry stone wall which was in the process of being re-built.

As my previous picture of a dry stone wall near Hartshead Pike had attracted interest, I thought that some of you might be interested to see how these walls are constructed.

I did not venture out with my camera today as it was snowing again and the hills were covered in a layer of white once again.

I apologise for the absence of photos for the last few days and I add this photo today especially for my friend Pete, who has been staring at the photo of the escalator for days now in the hope that it would change!

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Sunday Stroll: Boodle Woods

The ground throughout Boodle Woods, in Daisy Nook Country Park, is a carpet of golden leaves at this time of year. This is the footpath that leads from the former canal tunnel towards the site of Riversvale Hall. The River Medlock can be seen on the left, at the bottom of a steep slope.

A little further along this path was the location of this wintry scene that appeared in February.

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Sunday Stroll: Woodland Waterway

A stroll along the canal towpath is a nice easy way of getting a bit of fresh air and there are plenty of places to walk by a canal within easy reach of Ashton.

Today's photo shows the wooded section of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal between Stalybridge and Mossley. Locks 9w and 10w are close together, so the short pound between sometimes gets a bit shallow.

There was at one time a lock keeper's cottage on the right next to this lock, but that has long since gone, along with lock keepers.

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Sunday Stroll: Heather Hills

This is always a lovely time of the year for a walk in the hills near Ashton, with the heather in flower coating the hillsides with purple. This picture was taken on the slopes of Brown Edge, looking towards Mossley.

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Sunday Stroll: Lily Lanes

Today's photo shows Lily Lanes at Hartshead, one of the popular routes up to Hartshead Pike, as it passes Lane End Farm.

The road becomes unsuitable for most motor vehicles beyond this point, although I drove an old car of mine all the way up many years ago!

The last time we took a stroll up Lily Lanes there was a coating of snow!

I don't know whether anyone can offer an explanation as to why, like Knott Lanes in Bardsley, Lily Lanes has a plural name? A local oddity, perhaps?

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Sunday Stroll: Sylvan Steps

Today's photo was taken on a recent stroll around Daisy Nook Country Park, situated between Ashton and Failsworth.

For some reason I had never come across this particular path before, leading from Sammy's Basin down towards the River Medlock. I was enchanted by the quality of the light trickling through the trees in this sylvan setting.

As the steps wind downwards between the trees there seems to be a compulsion to follow then and see where they lead!

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Sunday Stroll: Knott Hill Reservoir (2)

For this week's Sunday Stroll picture we pay a return visit to Knott Hill Reservoir.

Of course, looking at this photo, you may well wonder where the water is! Knott Hill is a reservoir that is no longer in use. Much of the reservoir bed has gone back to nature, with bushes and trees growing, with a much smaller area of water in the lowest part of the reservoir bed. The path you see in the photo runs right around the old reservoir and originally was at the water's edge! The tree-filled valley was originally where the water was!

This is the point where the footpath that starts from Gorsey Lane, Hazelhurst, meets the path around the reservoir. It is a pleasant and popular short walk.

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Sunday Stroll: Scout Green Lock

Today we see another photo from the walk around the Scout area between Mossley and Stalybridge. In fact this photo was taken from almost the same spot as the photo two weeks ago showing Kershaw Hey.

The photo is looking down onto the Huddersfield Narrow Canal that has just emerged from Scout Tunnel. In the centre of the picture is Scout Green Lock, which is also called Whitehead's Lock.

The walker can descend to the canal towpath, cross over the footbridge at the lock and then walk through pleasant woodland at Scout Green through to Egmont Street in Mossley.

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Sunday Stroll: Kershaw Hey

Today's stroll takes us through a pleasant part of the Tame Valley between Stalybridge and Mossley.

The path runs along the hill above Scout canal tunnel and leads to the group of buildings known as Kershaw Hey.

Down to the left is the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, as it emerges from the tunnel. Away up the hill to the right is Stamford Golf Club.

On the hilltop in the background are the ancient earthworks of Buckton Castle, with the scar of Buckton quarry to the right of it.

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Sunday Stroll: Hobson Moor (2)

Another photo today from the walk over Hobson Moor shown in previous weeks.

The ground becomes rougher as the path climbs nearer the summit of the hill and climbs a stile over a dry stone wall.

The village of Tintwistle is seen in the background, with the high moorland of Bleaklow in the distance.

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Sunday Stroll: Park Bridge

Even a dull day doesn't diminish the attractiveness of the Medlock Valley near Park Bridge.

Up until around fifty years ago this valley would have rung out with the sounds of the Lees family's iron works. The viaduct carrying the Ashton to Oldham railway would have been visible just down the valley. Even this gently rising riverside path was originally the track of a narrow-gauge railway that transported coal and iron down to the Hollinwood Canal at Fairbottom.

These days, however, the loudest sound you will hear at this spot is the rushing of the river beside you. A few of the iron work's buildings survive and are used for other purposes but large areas of the former works have now reverted to part of the landscape.

Behind the camera the path continues along the valley to the remains of the coal mine at Rocher Vale.

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Sunday Stroll: Over the Stile

When going for a walk in the country you should take care to keep to the public rights of way across private land, just as the landowner has a duty to keep the right of way open and walkable.

On this stroll I was following the footpath from Mossley Cross to Knott Hill Reservoir. Part of the route crosses a corner of Ashton golf club before going over this stile into woodland called New Covert. The path then continues through the woods to meet the path around the old reservoir.

It somehow feels naughty to be walking across the golf course without a set of clubs but, as long as you keep to the line of the path, you are okay. Of course, you have to keep an eye on what the golfers are doing as it would be unwise to walk across in front of someone about to take a shot!

The path into the woods looks very inviting and I will show you what lies ahead another week!
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Sunday Stroll: Mossley

You haven't got to go far from the built-up areas around here to find pleasant countryside and stunning views. This photo was taken on a public footpath that runs from Mossley Cross, at the northern end of Luzley Road, towards Bottom Mossley. The path is not more than half a mile long but has amazing views all the way along.

This spot is nearly at the bottom of the path, not far from where it opens onto Barngate Drive.

I was not pleased to find that the landowner has recently erected a barbed wire fence, forcing walkers along the very edge of the field. At one point the two fences are less than 3 feet apart and the sloping ground has a tendency to make you walk close to the new fence, with a risk of catching clothing on the barbs!

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Sunday Stroll: Daisy Nook Horse Ride

This is a view of Daisy Nook Country Park not seen by many walkers as I had to step a couple of metres off the normal footpath to take this photo!

A horse ride or bridle path runs right through the Country Park and is well used by customers of the several stables and riding schools in the area. These rides are mostly separated from the footpaths to avoid conflict of interests. However, while enjoying my stroll, I looked through a gap in the hedge alongside the towpath of the Fairbottom Branch Canal and saw this delightful scene.

Who would have thought that this rural setting is less than two miles from the busy town centre of Ashton and less than three miles from Oldham?

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Sunday Stroll: Riversvale Drive

Riversvale Drive runs off the main Ashton to Oldham road near Bardsley Bridge. It heads towards Daisy Nook along the south side of the River Medlock.

It was originally a carriage drive from the turnpike road to Riversvale Hall, a grand house built in 1847 but demolished after a fire in 1948.

The path and the surrounding strip of woodland are now part of Daisy Nook Country Park and it is a popular route for casual walkers.

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Sunday Stroll: Longdendale

A short bus ride from Ashton under Lyne will take you to Mottram Road cutting, from where there are many field paths and lanes running along the slopes of Longdendale, giving far ranging views towards Glossop, Bleaklow and Kinder Scout.

To get the best views you need to do a little climbing but the slopes are easier on this side of the moorland than they are over on the steeper Mossley side (see yesterday's photo showing the moors looking from Millbrook).

A group of walkers queues to climb over a stile near Moorside Farm, on the slopes below Hobson Moor, just 5 miles from the centre of Ashton. In the background are Arnfield Reservoir and Bottoms Reservoir. The Longdendale Valley continues past the reservoirs towards the Woodhead Pass that leads to Sheffield.

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Sunday Stroll: Diggle Locks

Ashton is a good starting point for walking along canal towpaths, which are more or less flat and pretty easy going. The first part of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, between Ashton and Stalybridge, is interesting enough but very industrial.

Eight miles along the canal, however, you are in another world as the locks of the Diggle flight climb up from Uppermill to Diggle, where the canal disappears into the 3.2 mile long Standedge Tunnel.

Alongside the canal, the railway also climbs towards its own tunnel, parallel with the canal tunnel.

When you are walking along a canal, it is always nice to see a boat to add colour and interest to the scene. But even more interesting also to see a steam train passing on the railway line in the background! I'm afraid the engine itself had passed by the time I got the camera ready, but this particular one was hauling twelve carriages, so I had time to capture them!

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Sunday Stroll: Boodle Woods in the Snow

Boodle Woods in Daisy Nook Country Park is always an interesting place to go walking, as long as you don't mind the steps that go up or down the steeper parts of the path.

In the snow of a couple of weeks ago, Boodle Woods felt magical. I almost expected Narnia's White Witch to arrive on a sleigh. For most of my walk I had the place to myself and experienced the peculiar stillness and quietness that you get when it snows. Luckily a couple of walkers and their dogs appeared to add a human touch to my otherwise empty photos!

In the Daisy Nook car park, just five minutes walk from this spot, the café was selling bacon butties and hot drinks!

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