Walk from Mellor March 24th


Fourteen people turned up at Mellor Village Hall for the start of this Tuesday walk and quite a few of them were surprised at how far they had to drive through the village to reach it. The weather was fine as Chris, our leader for today, led us out along field paths eventually crossing the busy A677 road and continuing to Arley Farm and Billinge Scarr woods before a short but steepish climb to meet another road.

Picking up the Bottom’s Up! Route we came to the top of Billinge Hill with its plaque to the Blackburn100 and where we were met by a shower of hailstones heavy enough for waterproofs to be donned but the hail soon stopped and before long the waterproofs were coming off. Making our way now to Butlers Delf we stopped in its shelter for our lunch before continuing on the Witton Weavers Way to reach Close Farm where we turned and headed downhill  through Alum Scar woods to Further Lane.

Passing Hoolster Hill and going along Park Lane we almost, but not quite, arrived at Mellor Brook. Our leader turned right here and we then walked alongside Woodfold Hall, which has now been converted to luxury apartments, reaching the drive of Stanley House Hotel and Spa. Walking down this drive we were passed by a posh car, a Maclaren, with personalised number plates –‘Watson’. Maybe Frank or Glyn have bought this in secret and haven’t wanted us to know!

From here, after crossing the A677 again, it was a short climb back to the cars where we arrived at 2.35 after completing about 10.5 miles (depending on whose Gps was looked at, no two ever seem to be the same do they?)