A Wandering We Go

I set off for a 'recovery' walk and left Bardsley to walk up the disused Hollinwood branch canal to Park Bridge and have a wander around the ruins of the Fairbottom Bobs, Bright Shop and the Steaming Mill. After a lovely wander round (I was the only person about at the time) I came back along Park Bridge Rd to Bardsley, crossed the road and entered Daisy Nook to amble along the canal bank to a very, very dry boating pond by Sammy's Basin and along to Crime Lake. Along this portion of the canal is a lot of lovely waterfowl families who seemed quite happy to let me take photos of them.

I climbed out of the valley opposite Crime View House and crossed the motorway to enter the delightful Woodhouses, where I continued through the village, past the cricket pitch and towards Rose Cottage and it's beautiful cottage neighbours.

After spotting a public footpath sign leading down a lane by the side of Christmas Cottage, I descended down a lovely old cobbled lane (quite steep) and past Medlock Vale Farm (very pretty) entering more into open countryside and away from the urban sprawl. After a peaceful rest stop by a weir on the Medlock with only the rabbits for company, I set off through the fields following a tiny footpath on the Oldham Way which took me past a largish pond I didn't even know existed which isn't put on many of the a-z publications. It seems this pond belongs to an angling club although it is on the Oldham Way, so maybe this is why it isn't publicised.

All too soon I was leaving Medlock Vale to cross Berry Brow and re-enter the Vale on the Manchester side of the border rather than the Oldham Side. Now following the Circular Walk route I made my way up the steep valley side to the top where I again left the Vale and entered urban sprawl to head home.

Stats - view route

Cooler, cloudy

Miles: 6.15

Climbed: 190ft

Max gradient: 4%

Time taken: 3:00