Greenmount to Rowlands Rd

It’s believed that Ralph Rooney, a much loved Walmersley, you will note a distinct notch or vee 2 From the track take the path up to the gate, Walk 8 - character and famed long distance walker, was which is a classic example of a glacial overflow turn right to briefly join a section of the Irwell GREENMOUNT TO born in Shepherd Cottages (since demolished) channel formed during the last ice age. Carry Sculpture Trail, then cross the wooden board walk. in 1862. straight on passing by the pylon on the left to The Irwell Sculpture Trail is the largest public join Wood Road. ROWLANDS RD Turn left down the lane passing Tower Court, art scheme in England, commissioning regional, Distance: 2 to 3 miles previously a farm and stable block. Please note after heavy rain this first section of national and international artists. The trail includes the path, just after the stile may be flooded. The About: 2 hours Joshua Knowles built Tower Farm in 1840, with 28 art pieces and follows a well established 30- alternative is to return to the main road, turn Terrain: Ascent 174ft descent 200ft a wonderful, fifty square-foot crenellated water mile (48 km) footpath stretching from Salford left and stay on the footpath, take next left Quays through Bury into Rossendale and up to Parking: Plenty on Rowlands Road. tower with a row of small corbelled arches onto Wood Rd to re-join the route. around the top to replicate the projecting the Pennines above Bacup Just south of here is Public transport: Burrs Country Park and Castlesteads, the site 480, 481 - Bury via Walshaw & Tottington. gallery at the top of medieval castle walls Continue down Wood Road and through the hamlet years ago with openings in the floor through at the bottom of the hill, also called ‘Wood Road.’ of a ‘Promontory Fort’ overlooking the Irwell. 480 - Bolton via Hawkshaw & Affetside. which stones and boiling liquids could be Archaeological excavation of the site in 1992 Shortly after leaving the hamlet the road crosses 478 - Bury & Ramsbottom. dropped on attackers. Immediately above the revealed that it dates back to the late Iron-Age, the River Irwell. having been occupied between 200BC and AD250. Refreshments: imposing archway entrance to the courtyard This means that the settlement site continued in Toby Carvery (Previously the Bull’s Head) is the inscription J.K.1840. The construction is Immediately before the bridge on the left there modelled on Nuttall Hall Farm, Ramsbottom is a public footpath to Summerseat station and use long after the Romans had arrived in Britain. Garden Centre. The site is now a ‘Scheduled Ancient Monument’ Greenmount Village owes its existence to an earlier building with 14th century origins, now demolished. Tower Farm was built to in recognition of its national importance. the building of a Sunday school in 1848 in 3 Once over the bridge, take the steps on the stable the many heavy horses required to bring what was then the outskirts of the village right up to the pedestrian level crossing over the Turn left at the end of the wooden broad walk and coal from Mountain Mine in Affetside and of Tottington. The founders named it Green ELR railway line go through the next gate and follow the path up Mount Independent Sunday School. People transport raw goods to, and finished goods the field by the hedge on the left. The East Lancashire Railway was opened living nearby included Green Mount in their from Tottington Mill to Bury and elsewhere. in1846 to serve local mills, but closed to At the top of the field go through the gate to the postal address and this gradually extended Twelve years later both Knowles and one of passenger traffic in 1972 and then commercial right of the Chest Wheel Farmhouse and a further to the surrounding area and soon it became the Grants were on the committee of four who traffic in 1980. A spirited campaign restored two more around the front of the house. a village. The original Sunday school is now raised the funds and organised the building of the Bury to Ramsbottom line and it reopened the community centre owned by the church Peel Tower on Holcombe Hill using exactly the Join the track between the farm and Rowlands Road, in 1987. Since then this heritage line, now and now called Greenmount Old School. same architectural style. carrying 120,000 passengers a year, has been Turn right onto Rowlands Road. Continue down the track, past the cottages to 4 Start outside Greenmount Old School and extended twice to run between Heywood and 1 Continue for 100yards to Nabb’s farm and the the junction with Brandlesholme Road (built in walk down Brandlesholme Rd past the Medical Rawtenstall. It is run by volunteer members welcome sight of Falshaws Ice Cream Parlour, Café the early 1800s as a toll road). Centre. of the East Lancashire Railway Preservation and Farm Shop. Society every weekend and bank holiday The stone wall of its car park is the only Cross over, looking out to the right for the throughout the year (and mid-week in Public transport: remaining evidence that you are standing footpath sign by the hedge. summer). They arrange all sorts of events from 472, 474 - Bury / Ramsbottom on a bridge. The Bury to Holcombe Brook Take the path across the field and footbridge on a Real Ale Trail to Steam Experience Days, War 473,482,483,484 - Bury /Burnley, Bacup via electric railway line went under the bridge. to Longsight Road, also an early 1800s toll road. Weekends and Santa Specials at Christmas. Ramsbottom. During the 1960s the deep cutting was (Note. The kissing gate at the end of the bridge filled in before the houses could be built. is rather a tight fit for the ‘fuller’ figure) It is also an excellent spot to capture pictures of Refreshments: steam engines (including the Flying Scotsman) Falshaw’s Ice Cream Parlour on Rowland’s Rd Cross the road to enter the Kirklees Valley Cross over Longsight Road, go through the working hard as they round the bend coming Summerseat Garden Centre Café Nature Reserve, down the slope through what 5 barred gate opposite, take the path by the up from Bury and difficult to imagine years ago Toby Carvery (Previously the Bull’s Head), was Greenmount Station and goods yard. hedge on the left. every morning around 8.15 the London train, Greenmount. Continue following the main track until a lane Fifty metres along the path go left over the stile. biggest and heaviest of the day, made the ground (Shepherd St) crosses the track. Looking ahead at the hills in the distance above tremble, roaring south over this very spot. Walk Author Christine Taylor of Greenmount WALK 8 - GREENMOUNT TO ROWLANDS ROAD 6 7 8 Island Lodge.

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