Monday 8 June 2026 - GM Ringway Stage 10 - Newhey to Littleborough (2)

This was another of Jeanette's 'catch-up' walks, as she missed due to injury our previous outing on 19 August 2025, on which I reported at some length here, 

Five of us - me, Sue, Paul, Jeanette and Sue W, plus Rufus, met at Victoria station to catch a tram to Newhey. Thankfully the trams were now working normally so we didn't have to endure a repeat of last week's long bus journey between Victoria and Newhey.

With no café in Newhey to distract us, we got going soon after 10:45, most of us having caught a 9:30 tram from Timperley.

Given that I reported on this route in August, this time I'll just report - in the main - by way of photos and captions. Click on any image for a slideshow.

Newhey - on the slow tram line to Rochdale

I think Conrad arrived here several years ago and forgot where he left his car!

Newhey Stone Circle - probably not as ancient as the BMW above

A memorial to Alan Shaw, next to the cemetery

The memorial stone states:

This field was donated by a friend to Ogden Baptist Chapel
on Oct. 1st 1960
 in memory of Alan Shaw 166 Huddersfield Road, Newhey
 who passed away Nov 23rd 1959.
A perfect friend worthy of remembrance

Foulwater Lodge, a filter for Ogden Reservoir

Ogden Reservoir, still quite low, and the first of a number of wrought iron gates

 to a series of reservoirs that are now passed

Foxgloves have come into flower during the past week, in the warm, showery weather

After just 40 minutes, a pause for elevenses on the remains of an old farmstead

In between reservoirs, a small pond inhabited by Yellow Iris plants

We went nearly all the way around Piethorne Resevoir

Now we are on the Pennine Bridleway, with quite a few people about, looking back to

Piethorne Reservoir and passing beside the much smaller Hanging Lees Reservoir

A sharp descent took us back to the head of Piethorne Reservoir, then past a waterworks building

and a man-made waterfall and stepped weir below Norman Hill Resevoir

A good path leads around the Windy Hills high above the M62 motorway,

passing several stone posts on the route

The local farmer scrapped his Mercedes van several years ago in order to plug a gap in his fence

A flimsy strand of barbed wire and an intimidating notice ensure that we don't venture
 onto the farmer's land, which appears to be an unpleasant bog and hag zone

 that any sensible person would actively try to avoid

Approaching the Windy Hill telecommunications tower, which dates from 1951, at which point we join the Pennine Way and take the footbridge over the motorway, beyond which much recent work has taken place to create a footpath suitable for invalid chairs (see header pictuure)

The paved path leads all the way to the trig point on the top of Blackstone Edge,

our high point for the day

En route - lunch on the Pennine Way, serenaded by skylarks

Blackstone Edge summit and views

After rough going along Blackstone Edge, the Aiggin Stone is reached

There's a plaque next to a cairn that announces the stone as 'a medieaval guide for travelers some 600 years old', but the stone is what Sue is standing next to in the picture below

A sharp left turn takes us downhill, where we soon lose the Pennine Way path

 as we descend towards Littleborough

Foxgloves and Buttercups

On a sunny afternoon the dappled light through the trees is delightful

Beyond a path beside a golf club, rural footpaths lead to a set of picnic benches

 that are a fine venue for afternoon tea, and cake

Ox-eye daisies

After passing a RSPB visitor centre we soon reached the busy tourist spot of Hollingworth Lake

Our path took us down beside new housing to the Rochdale Canal towpath
 and an easy stroll to Littleborough station

Here's our route - 19km with 440 metres ascent, taking us less than 6 hours, after which train and tram got us back to Timperley in a shade over an hour.