Rawtenstall, Cowpe Lowe, Rooley Moor, Rochdale.
[ 16.0 km] Fri 03 Jun 2011

SD 8124 2234
I left my car on Fallbarn Crescent, Rawtenstall and set off up the track in the general direction of Cowpe Lowe. After Hall Carr the track leaves the woods and ziz zags up to Whinberry Naze Farm. The building is no longer a farm but looks like a private week-end type residence. The track to it is rather steep and would be a problem is winter. The public footpaths are not very well marked so I took a line by a wall to the south of the buildings then a track steeply up the hillside. On the top of the climb was a new concrete and steel structure at ground level.

Ancient walls on Cowpe Lowe

I’m not sure what is was but it looks as though it could be the base for a mast of some kind, possibly a mobile phone network mast. Across a field I came to some old workings and ruined buildings. An information board calls the area Cloughfold Scrubbing Mill and it produced building stone and flags. I headed for the line of the substantial track of the Rosendale Way but left it at Whitaker Pasture to turn south and start the climb up to Cowpe Lowe summit. No paths are shown on the map but when I reached the summit plateau and old boundary wall of stone slabs there was a stile in the fence and a clear path to the O.S. trig point.

The path line continued SE then steeply down to rejoin the Rosendale Way. The views across to Cowpe Moss were very interesting as many scars show where tracks went for the various quarrying processes all across the area. I rejoined the line of the tramway which connects Clough Fold with Cragg Quarry. It is a very pleasant walk as there are superb views down in to the Rossendale Valley if the weather is clear enough.

I met my first person of the day, a cyclist, coming down the hill. The track is very interesting as it is surfaced with parallel lines of stone slabs which still bear the ruts of cart tracks. I reached the Rooley Moor Road and turned right towards Rochdale. I believe this stretch is known locally as the Cotton Famine Road.

I left it after a short while to have a look at the trig point on Top of Leach. From here I had a panoramic view and also views of the many wind turbines across on Scout Moor.

I re-joined the track which is still very well paved and continued over the summit to Rooley Moor Brow where I got a wonderful view down on to Naden Reservoirs. I stopped to take in the view by some large stone gate posts. Unfortunately I hadn’t done enough pre-walk research as I was now stood opposite where the Moor Cock Inn used to be. I missed it completely. The slab surfaced road was now cobbles, still in a wonderful state of preservation.

I reached the tarmac road and continued down in warm sunshine to the main Edenfield Rd (A680) where I turned left and continued to the main A58. I needed to get to the bus station so headed down a subway under the road which I hoped would get me to somewhere in the town centre. I emerged in to the covered market then out on to a walkway which took me to Newgate and the main town centre as I’d hoped. As I walked along I saw the bus station directly ahead and only has a short wait for the 464 bus back to Rawtenstall.