~Burrs to Peel Tower~
23rd August 2014
Peel Tower
It's very rare for me to find a walk on the south side of home. Peel Tower is visible from Pendle Hill and everyone sees the monument on a journey south to Manchester from Rossendale. The tower opened in 1852 and is a memorial to Sir Robert Peel, local statesman and founder of the modern police force, hence "Bobbies".
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Burrs
Burrs Country Park lies just to north-west of Bury centre. It occupies a large area with a mixture of old industrial relics and large open spaces. The River Irwell weaves alongisde and through the park. I have failed to find or buy any sort of local or area map, despite walking around Ramsbottom in search of such. So, it's park at Burrs and see what happens .....
Class 4 No.80080 on the East Lancashire Railway
We set off at 1230hrs. The local heritage line is running a frequent service with two steam engines and one diesel in operation. On one of the large grassy expanses, Molly had a run with a puppy Boxer and I asked the owners if there was a route to Summerseat. Advised, we head off to the weir.
Burrs Weir
The channel for the old works is between me and the railing, hence the rather odd view of the landscape feature. We are following the path which soon runs between the river and the railway.
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Irwell Views
Molly takes a dip in the river. The abundant vegetation of late summer means that the paths are a little overgrown and I'm pleased to be wearing long trousers to negate the threat of the advancing nettles.
Class 37 No. 37324
I like the way they have made the numbers bigger as I grow older. Typically well turned out, the BR logo must be one of the best, most recognisable and longest lasting little pieces of design art in the world. Can you think of any others? The train is heading for Bury.
Peel Tower
Another walker showed me the way to continue my route to Summerseat. In the distance, Holcombe Moor comes into view and I begin to think about heading in that direction.
Moorhen Chick(s)
Is this a "push-me, pull-me" Moorhen chick, or two facing opposite ways?
War Department (WD) No.132 "Sapper"
At the pedestrian crossing south of Summerseat Station. The WD engines were built during WW2 and were of simple, austere design. Here, I met a walking party and sneaked a look at their map. I saw enough to envisage the ground territory on the way to Holcombe Moor. I chose to take a slightly longer, less fields route in order to avoid a herd of cows, visible in the distance.
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At Summerseat, the road crosses the river and then goes under the railway. Railway Street leads to Peel Hall Lane and then at Summerseat Lane (below), Peel Tower comes back into view.
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I made an assumption that a "lane" was likely to have age, length and not be a cul-de-sac. I was right as the buildings got older and eventually cars are prohibited from proceeding and the route leads to the "Hare And Hounds" junction on the A676.
Hare and Hounds Junction
Following my instinct, we took a path leading behind the pub. Holcombe Old Road is cobbled and leads towards the moorland.
Holcombe Old Road
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To Holcombe Moor
Quite straightforward approach to the higher ground, and very steep for a while.
Nearly There
Peel, Darwen, Blackpool Towers. All can be seen from Pendle Hill (on a good day). Hard work carting all that stone up there? Not the case, at least two pits reveal where the stone was quarried for the building work.
Holcombe Moor
The territory behind the tower is a little rough and boggy. The high point of this upper moorland is further to the north. Bull Hill is within MOD land and therefore not generally accessible. I need to double-check the detail here, as my information could be out-of-date.
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Darwen Tower |
Pendle Hill |
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My plan is now to descend to Ramsbottom and catch a train to Bury and then walk back to Burrs.
Fletcher Bank Quarry
Beyond Ramsbottom is Fletcher Bank (stone) Quarry and part of the extensive Scout Moor wind farm is clear to see. Obvious paths take walkers down the hill and soon enough, we find ourselves on the higher reaches of Holcombe Old Road.
Holcombe Old Road
A short permissive footpath takes walkers down to Lumb Carr Road and The Shoulder of Mutton pub sits at the junction of Helmshore Road and Chapel Lane. A nifty pint of shandy whilst watching the band run a sound-check; it promised to be a good evening with bbq food and a bit of rock music.
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Rawson's Rake
It must be unusual for a public road to come complete with a handrail. Gradient of 25% in some places.
Rostron Road, Ramsbottom
All downhill now and soon enough we are in the centre of Ramsbottom. The train times were not convenient, so we got the 472 bus and being the sole passenger, it was like a grand taxi all the way back to Woodhill Road, a short distance from the car at Burrs.
Ramsbottom Centre - The Tilted Vase
So a walk completed without local knowledge or a map. I think I asked a total of seven people for a little help with route finding. Don't come to Ramsbottom if you want to buy a map!
Sunset 08:07hrs
Later in the day, a kestrel keeps an eye on ground activity as the sun sets on a fine August day, close to home.
Walkers: Me and Molly the Dog
Time taken: 3hrs 30 mins over a distance of about 8 miles, including 20 minutes at the pub.
Route: Burrs Country Park, River Irwell, Summerseat, Railway Street, Peel Hall Road, Summerseat Lane, Holcombe Old Road, Holcombe Moor and Peel Monument, down via rough paths to Holcombe Old Road, Lumb Carr Road, Chapel Lane, Rawson's Rake, Rostron Road, Ramsbottom. Bus back to Burrs.
Weather: Sunny Intervals and reasonably warm.
Refreshments: Dogs welcome, with a small number of rules! The Shoulder of Mutton is handily placed for walkers in this area. I didn't seek food so cannot comment on such.
All photos copyright Richard Ratcliffe 2014 ©
Take me back to the start ....