Rochdale Canal - walking end to end (almost)

[David Mack]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blake_Dean_Railway

http://www.milltownmemories.org.uk/mm8/7.html

Edited May 28, 2021 by David Mack

[magpie patrick]

Okay, I think my rough plan is

 

Piccadilly - Mills Hill
Mills Hill - Smithy Bridge

Smithy Bridge - Todmorden

Todmorden - Sowerby Bridge

Sowerby Bridge to Brighouse via the Hebble Train/Halifax branch (this may turn into two walks)

Brighouse - Huddersfield
Huddersfield - Marsden

 

After this it gets a bit hazy, but the plan is to cover the rest of HNC and the Peak Forest and Ashton between Marple and Manchester, which I think will be three walks - ten walks in total - if I do one walk each visit to dad it'll be the tail end of 2022 before I get to the end of that lot. 

A separate day out in Hebden Bridge is planned when Sara comes up with me

[dmr]

Between Warland (Summit) and Todmorden (and on to Hebden) there is some very good hillwalking so maybe a towpath-hill circular walk would be good.

 

The hills on the towpath side give some very good views, looking down onto the canal, river, road and railway all squashed into the valley bottom. On the non towpath side hills there are extensive reservoirs including various channels and sluices etc, some used, some long abandoned. Interesting stuff as much of it was built to supply the canal, there are a few Rochdale Canal "milestones" to be spotted.

 

At the lock before the summit (Manchester side) you can find quite a bit of the old leat which I believe connected to a steam engine taking water from Hollingworth lake.

 

The floods and lockdowns have resulted in a very extended stay on the Rochdale and we have explored extensively.

 

.............Dave