"Out of a surprising wooded gorge onto the open moors"
Walk directions
Walk north from the Heritage Centre, swinging left at the end of the buildings across a gated bridge. Keep right upstream beside the Spodden. Approaching a footbridge, climb left to the edge of a clearing and go right, soon re-entering trees. Approaching a deep gully, turn upwards to the left, later crossing the stream and rising to a green path. Keep climbing beyond the trees and continue to Smallshaw Farm.
Walk left through the yard, leaving along a sett-paved lane. At the end, turn right onto Rooley Moor Road, heading up towards the moor. Continue beyond the end of the setts to a fork and bear left.
Carry on beneath pylon cables, bearing left past a junction. Some 125yds (114m) beyond, turn right on to a path across Forsythe Brow. By a wall corner, bear slightly right over a crossing path and continue below Reddyshore Scar. Joining a wall, carry on past the ruin of Naden Head before dropping into a gully. Climbing away, swing right on a trod up Windy Hillock. Regaining Rooley Moor Road, go left to the ruin at Rooley Top, a fine viewpoint and ideal picnic spot.
Head back down the track for a mile (1.6km), cresting Top of Pike before descending more steeply down Pike Brow.
Beyond a section of setts, leave left on a rough track. As it then curves left, swing off right, dropping between stone workings to a parallel track. Walk right and then bend left to descend an old incline towards a ruin. Continue beside a wall past a reservoir and bear right through a gate along a walled track, emerging past cottages at Prickshaw. At the end go left and then right, following a sett-paved lane downhill.
As it becomes tarred, leave through a pinch-stile on the left, dropping to the trackway of a disused railway. Go right but then fork left across the River Spodden. Over the bridge, turn right through a kissing gate, joining a track to a road. Through a gap opposite, a stepped path continues above the gorge, passing Fairies Chapel and eventually reaching an information board above Th´Owd Mill I´th Thrutch.
There, cross a low slat in the fence and follow a sett-paved track steeply down into the gorge. Where it swings right, go left, dropping down to the river. Cross a water-cut on a stone slab and follow the path beneath the viaduct. Keep going as the water disappears into a tunnel, soon swinging left to emerge onto a rough lane by cottages. Follow it right for 0.25 miles (400m) back to the Heritage Centre.
Healey Dell is an unexpected gem, a dramatic contrast to the wilderness of the moorland heights above. It is packed with delights in a small compass and simply exploring its twists and turns could occupy hours. An industrial country park In classic Lancashire fashion, what was once an industrial... site is now a wildlife haven with industrial archaeology adding an extra dimension. The fast-flowing River Spodden has carved a deep gorge through beds of gritstone, which are interspersed with harder strata that have created several waterfalls. The fast-flowing river provided power for a succession of mills, initially grinding corn or fulling cloth but later diversifying into spinning, weaving and other industrial processes. In places, the valley was so narrow and Th´Owd Mill I´th Thrutch was supported above the river on two stone arches. Just downstream, a weir collected water for mills lower down the valley, which was conveyed in a channel that tunnels through solid rock to the mill pond reservoir. But the tight confines prevented expansion and rendered the mills unsuitable for conversion to steam, and they gradually closed down in the face of competition as the industrial age gathered pace. Near the start of the walk, where the valley is wider, several substantial mill buildings remain and one now houses a heritage centre. A branch railway Passing through the Dell was a branch of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, which ran between Rochdale and Bacup. The walk briefly joins the track bed near the site of the former Broadley Station and, lower down passes beneath an impressive eight-arched viaduct that carried the line 100ft (30m) above the river. The line opened in 1870, but was never an economic success and closed to passenger traffic in 1949, although coal trains continued to run into the 1960s. Rooley Moor Road The middle section of the walk climbs onto the hills along Rooley Moor Road, a substantial highway that was paved with setts as part of a relief project to provide employment for workers laid off during the Cotton Famine of 1862–3 when imports were disrupted by the American Civil War. Scattered around are heaps of debris and overgrown hollows, the remains of coal drifts and quarries worked during the 19th century. The walk leaves the moor along an impressive incline, down which trucks carrying the blocks of cut stone were lowered into the valley.
The Greater Manchester conurbation incorporates the towns of Bolton, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport and Wigan, and has the vibrant city of Manchester as its administrative headquarters.
Manchester was founded in Roman times, and developed during the 17th century as a textile town, becoming the centre of the English cotton industry.
"Out of a surprising wooded gorge onto the open moors"
Walk details
2hrs 30min
Difficulty:
Hard
Gradient:
Challenging
Distance:
5.5 miles (8.9kms)
Ascent:
1050ft (320m)
Walk directions
Walk north from the Heritage Centre, swinging left at the end of the buildings across a gated bridge. Keep right upstream beside the Spodden. Approaching a footbridge, climb left to the edge of a clearing and go right, soon re-entering trees. Approaching a deep gully, turn upwards to the left, later crossing the stream and rising to a green path. Keep climbing beyond the trees and continue to Smallshaw Farm.
1 of 7
Walk left through the yard, leaving along a sett-paved lane. At the end, turn right onto Rooley Moor Road, heading up towards the moor. Continue beyond the end of the setts to a fork and bear left.
2 of 7
Carry on beneath pylon cables, bearing left past a junction. Some 125yds (114m) beyond, turn right on to a path across Forsythe Brow. By a wall corner, bear slightly right over a crossing path and continue below Reddyshore Scar. Joining a wall, carry on past the ruin of Naden Head before dropping into a gully. Climbing away, swing right on a trod up Windy Hillock. Regaining Rooley Moor Road, go left to the ruin at Rooley Top, a fine viewpoint and ideal picnic spot.
3 of 7
Head back down the track for a mile (1.6km), cresting Top of Pike before descending more steeply down Pike Brow.
4 of 7
Beyond a section of setts, leave left on a rough track. As it then curves left, swing off right, dropping between stone workings to a parallel track. Walk right and then bend left to descend an old incline towards a ruin. Continue beside a wall past a reservoir and bear right through a gate along a walled track, emerging past cottages at Prickshaw. At the end go left and then right, following a sett-paved lane downhill.
5 of 7
As it becomes tarred, leave through a pinch-stile on the left, dropping to the trackway of a disused railway. Go right but then fork left across the River Spodden. Over the bridge, turn right through a kissing gate, joining a track to a road. Through a gap opposite, a stepped path continues above the gorge, passing Fairies Chapel and eventually reaching an information board above Th´Owd Mill I´th Thrutch.
6 of 7
There, cross a low slat in the fence and follow a sett-paved track steeply down into the gorge. Where it swings right, go left, dropping down to the river. Cross a water-cut on a stone slab and follow the path beneath the viaduct. Keep going as the water disappears into a tunnel, soon swinging left to emerge onto a rough lane by cottages. Follow it right for 0.25 miles (400m) back to the Heritage Centre.
Healey Dell is an unexpected gem, a dramatic contrast to the wilderness of the moorland heights above. It is packed with delights in a small compass and simply exploring its twists and turns could occupy hours. An industrial country park In classic Lancashire fashion, what was once an industrial... site is now a wildlife haven with industrial archaeology adding an extra dimension. The fast-flowing River Spodden has carved a deep gorge through beds of gritstone, which are interspersed with harder strata that have created several waterfalls. The fast-flowing river provided power for a succession of mills, initially grinding corn or fulling cloth but later diversifying into spinning, weaving and other industrial processes. In places, the valley was so narrow and Th´Owd Mill I´th Thrutch was supported above the river on two stone arches. Just downstream, a weir collected water for mills lower down the valley, which was conveyed in a channel that tunnels through solid rock to the mill pond reservoir. But the tight confines prevented expansion and rendered the mills unsuitable for conversion to steam, and they gradually closed down in the face of competition as the industrial age gathered pace. Near the start of the walk, where the valley is wider, several substantial mill buildings remain and one now houses a heritage centre. A branch railway Passing through the Dell was a branch of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, which ran between Rochdale and Bacup. The walk briefly joins the track bed near the site of the former Broadley Station and, lower down passes beneath an impressive eight-arched viaduct that carried the line 100ft (30m) above the river. The line opened in 1870, but was never an economic success and closed to passenger traffic in 1949, although coal trains continued to run into the 1960s. Rooley Moor Road The middle section of the walk climbs onto the hills along Rooley Moor Road, a substantial highway that was paved with setts as part of a relief project to provide employment for workers laid off during the Cotton Famine of 1862–3 when imports were disrupted by the American Civil War. Scattered around are heaps of debris and overgrown hollows, the remains of coal drifts and quarries worked during the 19th century. The walk leaves the moor along an impressive incline, down which trucks carrying the blocks of cut stone were lowered into the valley.
The Greater Manchester conurbation incorporates the towns of Bolton, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport and Wigan, and has the vibrant city of Manchester as its administrative headquarters.
Manchester was founded in Roman times, and developed during the 17th century as a textile town, becoming the centre of the English cotton industry.
