Warpers Trail Walk No.4 8.5 miles (Easy with a few, short steep ascents) WALK4 WARPERS TRAIL 8.5 miles (easy with a The Warpers Trail forms part of the long distance Witton Weavers Way. This walk combines history, both ancient and modern, water and wildlife, to produce a fascinating walk for everyone. You are strongly advised to use these walk details in conjunction with OS Explorer Map No. 287 West Pennine Moors, on which the Witton Weavers Way is clearly marked. Stout footwear and waterproofs are recommended. N R START: Batridge Barn Car Park, off Greens Arms Road, off A666 (GR 721 172) U B K PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Alight at Entwistle Railway Station, on the Blackburn to Manchester C A L line and start the walk at point 31. B 25–26 Home Guard in the Second World War to protect access to At the far end of the car park, To the largest reservoirs in the Bolton with your back towards the area and keep watch over reservoir, observe two small Horrobin Mill, used for wartime gullies. Take the path towards storage. the right-hand gully and climb the path to the stile seen on Climb the stile down through the right (just before a tiny the wood and cross the bridge 2 reservoir). Follow the path up over Jumbles Reservoir . At the hillside. Cross the road, go this point you are within through the gate and continue Jumbles Country Park, and up the path. Turn right at there is an excellent information Greens Arms Road then left centre along side the reservoir. along a track at the bend in the The reservoir was built in 1971 road. You pass Clough House as a compensation reservoir to Farm on your left and 1. Turton Tower. Perfect stopping place ensure an adequate flow of eventually go through a kissing with tea shop and picnic area water into Bradshaw Brook to gate next to a large gate. keep the river system scoured re-erected by Turton Local downstream. If you are lucky History Society. you will glimpse birds 26–27 including the Grey Wagtail, Turton Tower originated in the Continue along the track as it Dipper or Kingfisher. 15th century as a Pele Tower curves down to the left with a and was then converted into a stream on your right to cross Tudor Hall and later as a over the Blackburn to Bolton Victorian country house, set in Railway line. Note the nine acres of gardens. It now decorated railway bridge built houses many fine treasures when the line was constructed with regular exhibitions, events in 1848. It is a legacy of James and a tearoom. For opening Kay, a textile entrepreneur and hours (01204) 852203. once owner who insisted on their style, to be in keeping After the Tower you will reach with the rest of the estate. You the B6391 Chapeltown Road. then pass an old waterwheel on Turn left, then at the point your left, just before Turton where the road curves to the Tower1. The wheel, originally left take the footpath on the from Black Rock Corn Mill right that passes the wartime near the Turton Bottoms road pillbox. The pillbox was 2. Jumbles Reservoir and Sailing Club bridge was restored and strategically sited for use by the few, short steep ascents) clad moors and woodland W onderful views across heather To Cranberry Darwen Moss 6 6 6 A D A Entwistle O R N 32 R STRAWBURY DUCK PUB 33 31 30 R O M G A RE N EN R AR O MS A RO P D AD B START 63 S 25 91 D A O R BARLOW N O T INSTITUTE L O B BLACK 29 BULL Horrobin Mill Bleachworks was demolished to make way for the reservoir, whose history went back at least to the ENCLOSURE & STONE CIRCLE early ‘bleach crofting’ days 28 of the early 1700’s. Turton 27–28 Bottoms Turn left along the path, Chapeltown following the reservoir as it TURTON narrows into Bradshaw Brook. 26 TOWER B 6391 On emerging from the woods at Jumbles Turton Bottoms, as this steep- sided valley is called, cross the cobbled bridge. From 1800 27 there was much industrial development in the vicinity including Springside Spinning Mill, Black Rock Bleachworks, Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Turton Colliery and Stone Mill Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council. in Turton Vale. Licence number L.A. 077178/00/02 JUMBLES VISITOR To CENTRE & CAR PARK Bolton P P WITTON WEAVERS WAY Continue along the road, after Go through the gate to the left two gateposts where the at the top of the field, and cobbles end take the track that continue along the path. Cross forks down to the right. After the footbridge and veer right to crossing the Packhorse bridge cross a second footbridge. Turn with its associated ford right along past the waterfall alongside you emerge onto and follow the path by the another cobbled road. This stream. After climbing the hill, early bridge was replaced in cross the track and walk up to 1796 by the road bridge when the Barlow Institute playground the road system was re-aligned and on past the bowling green on both sides of the brook. to reach the main Bolton Road. 4. The Black Bull at Edgworth on the West Pennine Moors The Barlow Institute was 28–29 dedicated to James and Alice Barlow who purchased 80 refuges. Wayoh also has a Turn right down Birches Road acres of land plus buildings in variety of plants like Hemp and go straight ahead with the Broadhead Valley to form Agrimony. Globe Flower and Printers Court cottages on your Crowthorne, a branch of the Water Avens. right. Turn left at the end of the National Children's Homes. cottages. Houses now replace Note the attractive sundial on the bleaching and printing the side of the building which 30–31 works of the Walker family, is set to British summertime. Cross the lane, go through the although the square stone gate following the reservoir chimney3 remains above, as edge and cross a footbridge does the lodge, given the local 29–30 over Broadhead Brook. Edgworth name of Old Russia Lodge. Turn left along Bolton Road to Turn right through the new E Brandwood Fold on the left. This upper part of the reservoir houses and take the steps that Brandwood Fold Farm was the can boast sightings of 148 go straight up the hill to the left birthplace of both James different species of bird, out of Quarlton Vale. Join a Barlow and his brother including great crested grebes track at the top of the steps Thomas, physician to Queen and winter visitors such as and pass the chimney on the Victoria, King Edward VII and Whooper swans, tufted duck B right. Go through a kissing gate U King George V. The Fold, a and pochard. Woodland birds R into an open field and continue Y listed group of buildings, is including tits, goldcrest and R O along the path up the field. A typical of early Folds in the finches also inhabit the areas D Below on the left, are lodges area. around the reservoir. including Old Russia. Cross Bolton Road and Shortly afterwards cross a continue down the hill to the second footbridge and take a Black Bull public house4. Take narrow path that leaves the the footpath at the side of the main track off to the right. pub to Wayoh Reservoir. As you Climb this path up through the approach the reservoir climb woods, ignoring the stile on the the path by the rails and right. You may notice the iron continue ahead. Keep to the gantry which crosses the path by the side of the reservoir footpath. This was part of the and you will eventually reach framework which carried a Hob Lane. pulley system used to carry Various sections of the materials between Entwistle reservoir have been designated railway station and Know Mill national Conservation areas Bleachworks. 3. Old Russia Lodge Chimney – a and are set aside as wildfowl remnant of the Industrial Revolution Climb the stile into an open On your right you are passing Entwistle Reservoir) and field to reach Edge Lane. Turn Yarnsdale and Fairy Battery, an Broadhead Brook (feeding right along this road and cross outcrop of rock popular with Wayoh reservoir). The the railway. You may like to climbers. The site was the Reservoir was completed in enjoy a drink at the walker's secret meeting place of non- 1834 by the bleachers and mill popular haunt, the Strawbury conformist worshippers in the owners along Bradshaw Brook, Duck5. 17th century. Opposite the to ensure adequate water flow outcrop on the other side of in the dry seasons to their the stream is a quarry complex industrial operations. Later it with extensive mine caverns, was used to supply the now filled in. growing water needs of Bolton. Subsequently Wayoh and then Follow the track down and Jumbles Reservoirs were built when you reach two ruined as the requirements escalated. parallel walls veer right, dropping down the field As you approach the end of the diagonally for a point between reservoir take a path on your the conifers on the left and the right, up some steps to return deciduous trees on the right. A to the car park. 5. The Strawbury Duck – good menu, gully soon appears; drop down good beer (also accommodation) it keeping to the right, and climb the stile in the bottom USEFUL INFORMATION corner of the field.