Todmorden to Littleborough towpath walk.

Monday 3rd November 2025.

Todays Route. 10.6km.

We checked the weather forecast and it was awful. 80% rain and windy. Ideal hiking weather I told myself, after all that's why we spend so much money on decent wet weather gear isn't it.

We drove to Littleborough, parked the car and missed the train to Todmorden by roughly 10 seconds as it left the platform a minute early. The next one was in 30 minutes.

After alighting in Todmorden, coffee and fruit tea cakes were had in the Boardroom/Boardgame cafe. very nice it was too. (They do have a facebook page but I don't have Facebook so I can't drop you a link.)

The Boardroom/boardgame cafe, Todmorden.

The start of our canal walk was a little later than planned and we didn't get going until 11'ish. The first point of interest being the "Deep Lock" or the Library lock to give it it's proper title. The guillotine lock gates are quite a unique feature. The lock is 20ft deep here.

Just round the corner is the Great Wall of Toddy. It was built in 1881 to support the ground needed for the railway and goods yard above and to prevent subsidence into the canal. It's made from blue engineering bricks and is said to have 4 million bricks. No, I didn't count them.

The Great Wall of Todmorden.

The canal was extremely full and many spots had overflowed the bank leaving some quite deep puddles along the towpath. The locks and bywash gutters were struggling to cope with the amount of water being introduced from the surrounding hillsides. It did give us some nice photos though.

Rochdale canal with Gauxholme No.2 viaduct in the background. Built in 1840 with a span of 102ft.

Strangely, the designer is debatable, a similar bridge of this type and skew was done by either Robert or George Stephenson but is shorter than this one which was by Thomas Longridge Gooch. 

Along this stretch of towpath, a local school must have been having a day nature walking as column after column of youngsters and teachers passed us going the opposite direction. Most said hello as we met. 

The building on the right has been nicely modernised 

but I guess it used to be a narrow boat repair yard.

 As we approached Walsden there was an aroma in the air which reminded us of pies being cooked and then we saw the sign for Gordon Riggs garden centre which has a cafeteria. We have been once but found it far too expensive for what we got and so have never been back. 

Across the canal lies Birks Mill which is now derelict and signs say it is dangerous. The mill dates back to 1799 when it was owned by Edmund Kershaw who worked the mill as a cotton carding and spinning mill. It was powered by water which was plentiful coming off the surrounding hills.

A date stone which used to be above a doorway was dated 1800 with initials JSC, John and Sarah Crossley who owned the land and lived at Scaitcliffe Hall Todmorden, which is also now shamefully derelict.

Derelict Birks Mill

Scaitcliffe Hall, home of the Crossley's, as it was in 2007. Now derelict. (image courtesy of roots web.)

The scenery was becoming more and more wonderful as we made our way to the highest point of the Rochdale Canal. It is easy to forget with time just what a magnificent section of canal this route is and how old the surrounding villages and farm houses are on the adjacent hillsides.

Taking a short break.

Image below, an unfortunate captain, I wonder if he went down with his ship. I thought about putting a For Sale sign on it with a post script "has a slight leak in the galley". But thought better of it.

Two images showing wide turning and mooring points when the canals used to service the many mills and quarries in the area.

Due to the predicted weather forecast we were dressed in our wet suits but the 80% rain has not showed up yet. Yes, the clouds have been black at times and on a number of occasions we have thought it was going to chuck it down but it hasn't and so we are now feeling like a boil in the bag meal. Its actually quite a warm day.

There is plenty of water coming down the hillside from Ramsden Clough reservoir and the waterfalls would have looked far better if I had brought my Olympus camera and not just my iPhone. 

The autumn colours are looking splendid throughout this walk.

From the towpath we didn't notice the impressive gates on the drive leading up to Stone House farm. It was only when we looked back and saw the stag. It called for further investigation and so we went back and crossed the bridge to the drive.

Stone House Farm Drive.

This place is ranked as the most expensive property in the area at £2.3 million. However, trying to find anything about it is like pulling teeth.

Approaching Warland with its castellated folly wall adorned currently with its Kindness banner we stood at the lock and was visited by a very friendly moggy. It was very playful and followed us a short distance before disappearing as quickly as it came. 

Then under a strange type of bridge. There doesn't seem to be any purpose to it being there. Upon further investigation I found out that it is carrying a pipe which feeds the canal with water sluiced from the large Warland reservoir high up on the moorland behind the village.

I am still a little perplexed about it because I cannot understand why a bridge is needed at all. Surely the pipe doesn't need to cross the canal to feed it and it doesn't need to be high up because the gravity pressure from the reservoir will be great. There won't be any back pressure if there is a sluice. I'm at a loss, so if anyone has any knowledge of this piece of engineering and the design I would be pleased to have a comment.

Warland Pipe Bridge.

The next poi was Warland swing bridge an unusual addition to the many bridges dating from 1804. Then the highest point of the day, "The Summit Lock" . The highest broad canal in England at 600ft.

Summit Lock

From here as they say, it's all down hill to Littleborough. The sun actually came out and the rain held off. On our left we passed a beautiful manicured remembrance garden worthy of noting before we started to enter the outskirts of Littleborough. I was getting rather hungry at this point and wished we had brought some snacks with us. A quick look around on old demolished mill ground and then into town for some lunch, even though it was 3.00pm.

A very demolished old mill at Lock 42.

We called in the Coffee on the Corner as we did on the GM Ringway trail a few weeks ago and enjoyed a well deserved feast.

And just as we sat down to eat the rain started. We could not have timed it better. 

 

GM Ringway Trail Stage 15. Blackrod to Wigan.

Monday. 27th October 2025.

Today saw Sheila and I making our way to Blackrod, north west of Bolton to join up with others coming a different route to hike the GM Ringway trail from Blackrod to Wigan.

Due to it being half term in the North West the transport system was enjoying a quiet period. The bus to the railway station was 3 minutes early, the train from Rochdale to Bolton was actually on time and although the connecting train from Bolton to Blackrod was 3 minutes late I don't expect the CEO to commit Hari Kari! we also had a seat the whole way, a miracle of the modern transport age.

We met the remaining crew at Blackrod station platform. 

Todays crew. Rufus the Bedlington Terrier, Paul, Alan,Sue, Jeanette,Rick, Martin and Sheila taking the photo.

We were soon off along the trail, crossing a couple of fields, before crossing the busy A6 road and making our way along an old cobbled pathway which is a legacy of the mining and railway industries. It ran down from the village to the colliery, Blackrod Mill and the railway station. 

 Castlecroft avenue. As its name suggests, was the site of an ancient castle. There are no remains on the ground now and probably dated from the early to mid 15th century as coins were found during excavations from the year 1467. More than likely built on the remains of a Roman post.

Walking through Blackrod on New St. we pass a row of Weavers cottages with quite a history. The main house on the end which bears a plaque Bobbin Hall Restored 1905 belonged to the boss who was a master spinner and owned the row. The cottages date from 18th century and all had inter-connecting doors so that the boss could walk through. The name Bobbin Hall has no relevance to the row of weavers cottages and the name is likely to come from the fact that the cellar used to make bobbins for the muslin factory in Rivington.

Weavers Cottages, Blackrod, New Street.

We left the village just before Mackinson's Farm and made our way across numerous fields guarded by electric fences to keep the horses at bay. A tractor caught my eye, it was a John Deere 3103. Quite unusual, this machine was built in Mannheim Germany in 1973. This factory used to be owned by the Lanz company who made the "Bulldog" tractor. It was heavily bombed during WW2. Deere acquired it in 1956 and built some machines with the name Deere-Lanz. I have never come across one of these machines, although I was sent a photo of a Bulldog tractor by JJ.

John Deere 3130

Goose and Gander Restaurant bar, Little Scotland.

Joining a road at the strangely named Little Scotland we passed and turn right at a pub called the Goose and Gander which was called the New Inn in a former life. It's now more restaurant than pub.

At the end of Blundell Lane a large pair of metal gates is the only tell tale sign that once the mineral railway line ran through here. It was from Brinks colliery which only had a short life, being worked from 1898 to 1901. In a field to the north of the gates is an old brick square which I guessed may be part of the engine house of the pit but a quick check tells me the shaft was nearer Aberdeen farm. The brick building looks more modern in hindsight. The mineral line served the many coal pits in the area and must have been quite a sight all those years ago.

The route of the Mineral railway Line ran through where these gates are today.

This is what I thought could be the Brinks pit head but now know that it isn't. 

I think it may have had something to do with the railway.

In the background is Winter Hill from Stage 14 walk.

We walked adjacent to the modern Aberdeen farm before joining the footpath of the now discontinued Lancashire Union Railway. I tried to find any memorabilia on the ground but alas none. A couple of bridges are still there. Formed in 1863 to transport coal from St Helens to Blackburn. It also transported goods from Blackburn to Glasson Dock. Apart from a short section still operational in St Helens the line closed in 1966.

A muddy route along the Lancashire Union disused railway line.

We came off the old line at the approach to Abbey Farm and crossed the Leeds Liverpool canal at what used to be Arley Hall and is now the 19th Hole of Wigan Golf club. For some reason at this point our route instructions and signposts says that no dogs or bicycles can use the footpaths surrounding Worthington Lakes. We had a dog with us and so we made alternative plans to meet up with Paul and Rufus a little further on whilst the main party stayed on route.

We did notice that during the walk round the lakes that the locals don't seem to take any notice of the signage. It's your choice.

Arley Hall is a magnificent building. It's moated and dates originally from the 12th Century. King Henry 1st confiscated it and then handed over to King John. Numerous wealthy families have owned it but for the last hundred years has been part of the golf club. 

As we made our way through the course, signs remind walkers to "Look right" for potential aerial bombardment of golf balls. I don't get why they shout four, we didn't see one!

Arley Bridge.

The 19th hole.

Once through the slippery slopes and stream crossings in Arley Wood we came out to see the lovely Worthington Lakes (reservoir). Built in the mid 1800's to supply water too Wigan. Today it is a 50 acre nature reserve. It's a pleasant walk with wildlife and at this time of year lots of fungi.

The River Douglas in Arley Wood. 

Worthington Lake. (Reservoir).

Heron silhouette 

Soon we were on a main road walking past the water treatment plant to Red Rock Brow and new housing development alongside the lake. A row of pleasant old Lakeside cottages, which were probably built when the bleach and dye works was operational here, led us onto a path up hill through water works farm, across the disused railway again and onto the Leeds Liverpool Canal. We were getting peckish now and started to look for a suitable spot to stop for lunch. We kept thinking that some benches will appear around the next corner but they didn't. We just sat down on the towpath for 20 minutes enjoying the brief sunshine.

Lakeside cottages.

Back on the towpath of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Red Rock Bridge.

Swan and signets also looking for lunch.

We left the canal a little further down at Sennicar lane and followed the busy minor road into Haigh Country Park. With it being school half term holiday we found out where all the kids and parents were. It was so busy and noisy. We made use of the toilet facilities before heading off through the throng of people, push chairs, dogs, ice cream vendors, fair ground rides, climbing frames etc etc to pick up the route into Haigh Upper plantation with it's narrow gauge railway that looked like it hadn't been used for years. I didn't take photos here because of all the kids. Sad times we live in.

Haigh country park climbing adventures.

The best bit of Haigh narrow gauge railway.

For some reason that I don't understand the trail doesn't go past Haigh Hall which for me should be an absolute must rather than go through the amusements areas. It wouldn't be much of a diversion and considering the route is only a little over 16km would only add a few hundred metres more to it. But we stuck to the proper trail. The Hall was built between 1827 and 1840. Is now owned by Wigan Council.

Permanently closed Haigh Hall. (Courtesy of Wigan Council.)

 It was opened as a 5 star luxury hotel with 30 luxury bedrooms, a fitness suite and spa but today it is permanently closed. An absolute crime in my opinion.

We crossed the Leeds and Liverpool Canal once again and made progress through Haigh Lower Plantation and noticed quite rare pivot bolt benchmark on the bridge parapet.

At a point in the plantations we came to a crossroads in the trail where we were at odds as to what was the correct route. Rick and I had downloaded the GPX file from the GM Ringway website and this showed the route to go straight ahead. Martin on the other hand had the trail printout with point to point instructions which showed we go right on a smaller path through woodland before exiting back onto the main path. You can go either way I suspect.

Just before crossing the very ornate metal bridge over the disused railway,  I spotted some fungi in the undergrowth and there also found a brick from the Orrell Brick and Tile co Ltd, near Wigan. This company closed in 1964 and was wound up in August 1978. The brickworks was taken over by Ravenhead and there is nothing left of the site today.

Walking the disused railway line.

Orrell Brick

From here the sounds of the busy main road through Wigan could be heard. It was getting towards rush hour. We approached the River Douglas valley which was now flowing very fast in comparison to the last stage when the river was just a small stream in Rivington.

The good path leads underneath the A49 road and curves round into Wigan central area. It goes through an old walled alleyway which I wouldn't fancy doing in the dark and then onto the main shopping street with Wigan Wallgate station just a hundred metres beyond. 

Trail through River Douglas valley.

Entering Wigan 

The back alley's

Wigan centre

Wigan Wallgate train station. The end of this stage and the start of the next one.

We all got the same train back into Manchester, we alighted at Salford Crescent and waited for the train to Rochdale. The others got off at Deansgate for the tram home.

Once again our luck with the weather had held out. It had been a perfect hiking day. Thanks to everyone for the company and completion of another stage of the trail.

Todays route. 16.20km. Click to enlarge.

Martin's blog post of todays walk can be found by clicking. Here.