Down in the woods - and then out again

From the Bolton Evening News, first published Saturday 23rd Aug 1997.

THE West Pennine Moors Information Centre at Roddlesworth is an excellent place to begin and end a walk, for there are a car park, toilets, picnic tables and pub as well as an abundance of information. It's a frequent starting point for walks up to Darwen Tower, but this walk goes in the opposite direction and descends into Roddlesworth Woods, with a marvellous variety of trees as well as streams and reservoirs. The shorter walk (of 2½ miles) stays in the woods, but the longer one (of 3½ miles) climbs up towards Millstone Edge to give a completely different set of views, but it's rather rougher underfoot in places, so be careful if you take that option. You may not have the paths to yourself, but it's a super escape into the woods - and out again.

THE ROUTE:

Roddlesworth Information Centre - Upper Roddlesworth Reservoir -

Lower Roddlesworth - Rake Brook - Roddlesworth Moor - River Roddlesworth -

Roddlesworth Information Centre

Distance: 2½ miles or 3½ miles

Starting point: Roddlesworth Information Centre at Tockholes on the Ordnance

Survey West Pennine Moors Explorer Map, map reference 665215

How to get there:

By car - From Bolton take the A675 towards Preston and about 2 miles beyond Belmont turn right for Tockholes to the car park behind the Royal Arms car park about 2 miles after that junction.

By bus - on Mondays to Saturdays on the 528 Bolton to Belmont bus and there change to the 23 Belmont to Blackburn bus and on Sundays on the 535 Bolton to Blackburn via Belmont bus, in both cases to the Royal Arms at Tockholes. Note that the 23 and 535 buses are infrequent, so obtain a timetable from Bolton bus station or ring 0161 228 7811 for times. THE WALK:

From the car park, turn right along the road to the Royal Arms and then left down the path opposite. Keep beside the wall on the right and then continue down the stepped path along the edge of open hillside, with Roddlesworth Woods below you and Great Hill up to the left.

At the obvious crossroads of tracks, keep straight on through the stand of tall pine trees (where a grey squirrel hurtled across my path and up a tree), with a stream to your right. You come down to a promontory with a bench and a fine view down Upper Roddlesworth Reservoir, where an angler was fishing from a boat.

Turn left along by the fence above the mirror-still surface of the water, across a couple of streams and past a patch of aniseed-scented sweet cicely, to arrive at a bridge on the right over the River Roddlesworth, peaty-brown with earlier rain.

Cross the bridge and follow fence and path as they curve to the right and on along the broad path to the right through the wood. Slowly the reservoir reappears between the trees and you arrive at the end of the dam.

Keep on the tarmac track ahead and round to the left, through the kissing-gate with Millstone Edge ahead. At the farm at Lower Roddlesworth, go through the weighted wicket-gates under the catslide roof and out to the minor road. (If you're doing the short walk, turn left along the minor road and keep on along the road and the succeeding track until you reach the little car park just before a stone bridge on the left across the River Roddlesworth.) If, however, you are doing the long walk, turn right along the minor road and then, before the lay-by on the left, turn left over the stile and across the field to the gate on its far side.

Cross the road and climb the stiles beside the next two gates. The village of Withnell is clear to the right and further to the right is the wooded hill with Hoghton Tower concealed in the trees. Beyond are Beacon Fell, Parlick and the Bowlands, and behind you is Darwen Tower. Keep beside the left-hand fence, pass long-quarried rocks, and Abbey Village with its stone mill appears to your right.

You descend by a fine display of foxgloves to cross a footbridge over Rake Brook in its pretty little valley. As you continue beside the fence, Rake Brook Reservoir comes into view to the right and Pendle Hill further right. Keep ahead between fence and wall and round past a group of trees and a stone shed.

A sunken track comes up from the right and you climb the stile on the left and go up the track beside the tree. Behind you the Fylde stretches out to Blackpool Tower and Darwen Tower is up to your left. Keep on along the sunken track. Now I could look back to Heysham power station and the dim, dark outline of the Lakeland fells.

The track is between walls for a short distance. Where those walls separate, keep by the left-hand one until you can see the ladder-stile over the fence ahead round the fir plantation. Over that stile, turn right and down to the footbridge to recross Rake Brook, where a squadron of small tortoiseshell butterflies was feeding on thistles. Over the ladder-stile beyond, head uphill to the tree, through the ruins and up to the stile and gateway ahead. Now follow the track which converges on the line of poles and then follow them towards the right-hand edge of Darwen Moor. The track bears right to a gateway at the end of a line of small trees and you then head straight for the farm, with a fine view of Darwen Tower and Darwen Moor. Across to the left is the Royal Arms, your finishing-post. Go between the farm buildings and down to the road.

There turn right for a few yards and then left into the wood beside the footpath sign. The path is narrow and faint, but just about visible, bearing left as it reaches the denser trees. You should aim for the sound of running water, to arrive directly at a small car park. Don't worry too much if you lose the path, just keep on ahead to the track and turn right.

Those who have followed the path perfectly, those who missed it and had to turn right down the track, and those doing the short walk should all arrive at the car park by a stone bridge over the River Roddlesworth. Cross the bridge and climb the stepped path, to and through a group of tall firs and out of its top left-hand corner. The overnight rain produced a wonderful variety of scents from the different trees.

The path rises gently, comes out into the open with views to the Bowlands and the sea again, enters oakwood and has its final gorgeous stretch through a tunnel of beech. You emerge opposite the car park and information centre, with the pub just a little to the left.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.

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