From Wilderswood to the Coal Pit Road

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This walk was about 4-1/2 miles, taking in lots of beautiful moorland and covering part of a historic route of 1896 that ensured the general public continued to have access to this terrific area.

The map I used was OS287, West Pennine Moors (courtesy of TrackLogs Digital Maps).

As with many of my walks in this area I parked the car on Georges Lane, at the far end of Wilderswood (the small car park at the other end was already full). Having put on my walking boots and got the dogs out of the car (not that they needed any coaxing), we walked to the left hand bend in the road and went through the gate in the fence on the right. Grid ref: SD650 126. On the skyline can be seen the large telecommunications mast and the cairns on Two Lads hill.


The path up onto Winter Hill is well defined and easy to navigate, and is a popular route for local walkers, runners and mountain bikers. The first part is by the side of what was possibly once a large sheep pen enclosed by a wall, but that wall is well on its way to oblivion, whilst the sheep roam the moors at will. Although there were plenty of sheep about on this occasion, neither Brett nor Sam paid them much heed, being more interested in whether or not I had any tennis balls with me for them to chase. For them, walking 4-1/2 miles with me barely constituted a warm-up, running about non-stop for the next few hours was much more up their street.


Pretty soon we arrived close to the top of the climb, at what I think is part of an old, but no longer used water filter system that straddles a stream running down that side of the path. Grid ref: SD657 130.


Rather than continue straight on to reach the Winter Hill road, we turned left for the climb up to the cairns on Two Lads hill. This path isn't shown on the map but it is nevertheless a well used one and easily followed.


It didn't take long before we reached the top of Two Lads, to be greeted by the now rather bedraggled cairns that seem to have become a magnet for people who appear to like knocking things down. Grid ref: SD655 133


We didn't linger on Two Lads, but carried straight on over and followed another "unofficial" but clearly defined path heading towards the telecommunications mast at the top of Winter Hill. The picture shows a wooden footbridge over a ditch.


The path soon brought us out onto the Winter Hill road, where we turned left. Grid ref: SD657 136


After walking uphill towards the mast for a little under 1/2 mile we came to a path leading off to the right. For some time now this has been shown as a temporary route around the mast because the owners have been engaged on considerable maintenance and other work. Nevertheless this was the route we needed to take as it also led to the path over Smithhills Moor. Grid ref: SD660 142


As the first part of the path follows alongside a fence it is covered by paving stones and wooden walk boards to enable walkers to traverse what would otherwise be a rather boggy stretch.


At the point where the paved section comes to an end the path veered off to the right to begin the stretch over Smithills Moor. Grid ref: SD663 143


The path over Smithils Moor gradually descends for about 1-1/4 miles to its junction with the Coal Pit Road, and is a very pleasant stroll over rolling moorland. The picture shows a view off to the right, with the trees of Walker Fold Woods visible in the middle distance.


On the way down the path we came upon this old and derelict shooting hut that once belonged to former local landowner Colonel Richard Ainsworth. Grid ref: SD670 135


This picture shows a closer view of the hut. We didn't have time on this visit to explore it further, something for another time perhaps.


About 1/4 mile before reaching the bottom of the descent there was a stile in the fence on the right of the path leading into Roscows Tenement Clough. Although I didn't realise it at first sight, the path through the clough eventually came out onto the Coal Pit Road. Grid ref: SD672 133


A couple of hundred yards farther on we came to some wooden steps that led down to and back up from a stream that crossed the path.


This is a view to the left of the steps, showing the hillside that the stream descends from. This stream appears to come from the small Dean Mills reservoir that can be reached via an unmapped path over the hill on the right of the picture.


A the top of the steps I took this picture showing the view back towards Winter Hill.


The path continued to descend, now alongside this wall on the right. A look over the wall gives this view of Gilligants Farm.


Descending alongside the wall eventually brought us to the gate at the end of the path and at the junction with the Coal Pit Road. Grid ref: SD675 132


Just as you reach the end of the path at its junction with the Coal Pit Road, is this memorial stone. It reads, "Will Yo Come O' Sunday Morning? On Sunday 6th September 1896 10,000 Boltonians marched by this spot to reclaim an ancient right of way over Winter Hill. The path is now dedicated as a Public Right of Way for the enjoyment of all. 6th September 1996."


It appears that in August 1896, the local landowner and factory owner Colonel Richard Ainsworth, decided that a track known as Coalpit Road was private, and put a gate across it to allow him to use the whole area of open moorland for grouse shooting. Two local Bolton men, Solomon Partington and Joseph Shufflebotham, decided to organise a mass trespass to reclaim the "historical right of way". On 6th September, about 1,000 people assembled near Bolton town centre and set off on a seven-mile walk via the disputed track and over the top of the hill. More people joined the walk as they headed towards Coalpit Road, many of them employees at Ainsworth's bleach works. By the time the gate was reached, there were 10,000 walking, led by a brass band. The following Sunday a further 12,000 people did the same walk and, although the ringleaders were subsequently prosecuted and fined £600 each, these demonstrations led to the paths remaining as public rights of way.


After passing through the gate I turned right onto the Coal Pit Road and past Gilligants Farm on the left. A little farther on I came to Holdens Farm, (Grid ref: SD666 130) where a sign on the gate read "No Access, Private Property" (forgot to take a picture). However, although I didn't have my map with me I was certain that my route led on till just before the farm to a path that went left and around the farm buildings.


So I pressed on, and was rewarded by indeed bypassing the farm and onto this path. At this point there is a path off to the left that goes towards Burnt Edge and Walker Fold Woods, but my route was straight on.


The path from Holdens Farm eventually brought us to the junction with the path coming from Burnt Edge, where we turned right to head towards Winter Hill. Grid ref: SD662 129


A couple of hundred yards of uphill walking brought us to where the path turned left. There is an unmapped path that goes straight on past Holdens Plantation and eventually meets the Winter Hill road, but we opted for the shorter route.


Almost back to the Winter Hill road. Grid ref: SD657 128

Please excuse the very poor quality of this picture. By the time I got here it was about 5-45pm on this September evening and, as you can see, the picture is looking into the setting sun.


On reaching the Winter Hill road we turned left and immediately right to go through the gate on the other side of the road.


At this point on the path it looks as if we are headed back up to Two Lads, but I can assure you that I had no intention of going round for another lap.


Upon reaching the "water filter system" we took the path off to the left to begin the final trek downhill to Georges Lane.


As we reach Georges Lane the walk comes to an end for another day, so it's off home for a nice cup of tea.

Note to self 1: Taking this circular walk in the clockwise direction was definitely the best way for me. Doing so gave me a nice, long downhill stroll over Smithills Moor with the uphill "payment" coming in three much shorter instalments; two on the outward stretch and the other on the way back.

Note to self 2: On looking at my map when I got home I discovered that I should have gone left at the sign for Burnt Edge and Walker Fold Woods, because the Public Right of Way went that way and not via Holdens Farm. That will add about another mile to the full distance for this walk. Oops .