Walk Leader: Stephen Martin

Number walking: 4

Distance: 24 miles

Weather: Partially sunny

Day 7

Bromley Cross to Wigan 24 Miles (2330ft Ascent)

Start - Off road parking Chapletown Road W3W agent.text.waddled

End - On road parking on Church St opp St. James Centre Church W3W river.nasal.mutual

Four walkers started at Bromley Cross at around 08.45hrs completing the walk at 17.50hrs.  The weather was partially sunny, with broken clouds and a stiff breeze on the tops.  Average temperature 25 degrees Celsius.

The walk started on nice tarmaced paths and roads before following the Eagley Brook up past three small reservoirs then taking an easy ascent up Winter Hill.  The route up took us through a few wooded areas of Horrocks Hill and Walkers Fold. We took a quick break where the route met the Rotary Way.  From here we could see large amounts of smoke from a huge fire at SS. Simon and Jude Primary school in Bolton. 

Shortly afterwards we were at the top of Winter Hill near the television transmitter, which was built in 1965. From here it was primarily downhill to the end.  We dropped down through Wilderswood, skirting Horwich and over the M61 into Blackrod where we stopped for a late lunch. 

Leaving Blackrod, we headed through Little Scotland and onto Aberdeen Farm picking up a disused railway line to traverse Worthington Lakes.  From here we cut through Redrock to the Leeds and Liverpool canal and on to Haigh Hall Country Park, where a welcome ice cream break was had. 

We left Haigh Hall Country Park along the River Douglas into Wigan Town Centre on to Wigan Pier before picking up the Leeds and Liverpool canal again and onto the Leigh branch to finish at St. James Church.

An eventful day really, saw a dead sheep in a ditch, a cow that the farmer couldn't get up, a loose dog on the main road and a film set.  Overall, a pleasant, easy ascent of Winter Hill through wooded areas, followed by a long descent taking in further wooded areas, lakes, canals, railway lines and fields with great views.

Day 7

Bromley Cross to Wigan 24 Miles (2330ft Ascent)

Start - Off road parking Chapletown Road W3W agent.text.waddled

End - On Road Parking on Church St opp St James Centre Church W3W river.nasal.mutual

Highlights include:

– Riverside walking along the wooded valley of Eagley Brook
– The picturesque village of Barrow Bridge with its cottages and ‘Miners’ Steps’
– The ascent of Winter Hill through the Smithills Estate, passing a plaque commemorating the mass trespass of 1896
– Panoramic views on both the ascent of Winter Hill and the descent via the mini-summit of ‘Two Lads’
– The semi-ancient woodland of Wilderswood, followed by the chance to visit the little-known Tiger’s Clough waterfall.

– The view towards Winter Hill from the hilltop village of Blackrod
– Worthington Lakes, a chain of unusually picturesque reservoirs
– Haigh Hall and the surrounding Haigh Woodland Park, with its wildlife-rich forest plantations
– Picturesque sections of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
– A delightful finish, following the River Douglas all the way into Wigan town centre.