2015 09 05 Norman's Ramsbottom Round


Bright sunny morning and thirteen raring to go including 3 newbies from Rochdale Ramblers (Jan, Andy & Nigel) giving our group a go for the first time.
 
Norman rounded up those who had parked at Owd Betts and gave a brief outline of the route.Knowl Hill for starters - no surprise there, then across the moor passing Whittle Hill on our left, the cross on top being a memorial for a local pilot & scoutmaster lost on flying operations.
 
Waughs Well is soon reached so named after 19C local dialect poet Edwin Waugh who was known to compose a lot of his poetry whilst seeking refuge at this spot.A brief stop for a history lesson and off again toward Irwell Vale railway station on the East Lancashire Heritage railway. We even had a train pull in with carriages from a bygone era. Sadly, a diesel unit rather than steam was being used to haul the train.
 
Now slightly behind Norman's schedule the accelerator was applied and we  scooted past Helmshore, up Torr Hill and reached the Naughty Corner on Bull Hill, famous for the nip of whisky on the Two Crosses Challenge Walk. On to summit of Holcombe Moor (luckily no firing today) and down to Peel Tower for an eagerly anticipated lunch. Unfortunately what looked like a college outing was underway with perhaps 50 people of student age involved in some activity, so lunch deferred for a few hundred yards.
 
Nuttall Park, Grants Tower (ruin, built 1839), and Cheesden Lumb Mill follow before arriving back bang on schedule at 4pm.
 
Another gem from Norman with mileage bang on the 20 advertised and approx 3300ft ascent. The newbies had no difficulty with the walk and we hope to see them all sometime soon.
 
John
 
Picture from Julie - click here