There are many paths to stroll along on and around Winter Hill. Some are shown on the Ordnance Survey maps, some are not. Today’s walk covered some of each as Brett, Sam and I spent a very enjoyable five miles and four hours of moorland meanderings. I realise that some folk may think taking four hours for five miles is a little excessive, but in my defence I did have lots of pictures to take and two dogs to entertain.


As with many of our walks around this area, I parked the car on the Winter Hill road, in the layby close by the first cattle grid. Grid ref: SD655 125.


Brett and Sam’s first priority before exploring the countryside was to water the low stone wall surrounding the road sign.


Once past the cattle grid we went through the stile on the right hand side of the road and over the fallen down wall.


From there we walked (well I did, Brett and Sam just charged about) uphill diagonally to the left towards the corner of the old stone wall.


On reaching the corner of the wall we turned left and descended toward the Winter Hill road. We could have simply walked up the road, but I prefer this longer but much nicer route – and it’s safer for the dogs to let off a little steam without me having to keep an eye out for cars.


Back at the Winter Hill road we went straight across and through the style to take the path that goes off to the right. Grid ref: SD657 128.


At the old water filter beds we carried straight on uphill towards Two Lads.


A short session of puffing and panting brought me to the cairns on Two Lads hill – Brett and Sam were just getting warmed up chasing sticks they found and persuaded me to throw for them. Grid ref: SD655 133.


After a brief stop to admire the view we set off again towards the telecommunications masts at the top of Winter Hill. Although you may not be able to discern the path on the picture, the one I chose headed in the direction of the left-most mast on the horizone.


Rather than head down to the wooden footbridge we took a less trod path to the left, still towards the left-most mast.


At the junction with the path coming from the Winter Hill road heading towards Georges Lane, we went straight on alongside a shallow drainage ditch and heading towards a point between the third and fourth masts on the horizon.


At this point our path met a wide gravel path coming in from the right, where we went straight across. Grid ref: SD655 136.


A little way further on there is a sealed off mine shaft at the side of the path (one of many on these moors).


The path gradually gets narrower as it wends its way upwards.


Eventually the path meets and crosses an old stone wall that is marked on the OS map as a county boundary. Grid ref: SD655 139.


Once across the wall we turned left and walked uphill alongside it towards to top of Winter Hill.


As you can see, as we approached the telecommunications masts, there is a lot of cotton grass dotting the moor at this time of year.


Arriving near the main mast we left the old stone wall to meet the Winter Hill road and turn left. Grid ref: SD660 143.


Our route now took us past the main building of the telecommunications system.


On the side of this building there is a plaque commemorating a tragic plane crash that happened close by in 1958 in which 35 people were killed.


A little farther on, on the right hand side of the road, there is a memorial to a much older tragedy. This memorial post is called “Scotsman’s Stump” and tells of a murder that took place here in 1838.


This extract from “Winter Hill Scrapbook” by Dave Lane tells the story.

“Henderson was a travelling packman or salesman who sold goods in the area for his Blackburn based employer. He travelled the same route regularly, and every other Friday he met another packman at the Five Houses beer house a little further down the Winter Hill road.. On this occasion Henderson never turned up for the usual meeting and his body was found on the hilltop, having suffered severe gunshot wounds. A number of people on the moor that day reported the presence of a man carrying a shotgun in the area where Mr Hendersons body was found. The man seen was said to be James Whittle, a 22 year old collier who lived in one of the “Five Houses” on the moor.

Whittle was arrested and stood for trial at Lancashire Assize courts but was found not guilty. The exact site of the murder was at the side of the road opposite the main entrance to the television station, and originally a tree was planted as a memorial to George Henderson. In 1912, the tree was removed and replaced by an iron post and plaque.”


A little farther on along the Winter Hill road, just where it bears left, we took the path off to the right. This path goes downhill to the village of Belmont, but we were not going to travel far along it before turning off.


As we approached the stile in the fence I noticed a plaque attached to the right hand gate post.


This also commemorated the aircrash of 1958, and had been erected by the members of the Horwich and Douglas, Isle of Man branches of the Rotary Club.


Once through the stile we turned right to follow the fence towards the Dean Ditch.


On reaching the start of the Dean Ditch we turned right again. Grid ref: SD663 145.


This stretch of path can be rather boggy during wet conditions, but the recent dry weather meant that I kept my boots free from mud, to arrive at the junction with the path that goes across Smithills Moor. Not for us today though, so we turned right to head back towards the Winter Hill road.


Back at the Winter Hill road we turned left and headed downhill. Grid ref: SD660 143.


After about a quarter of a mile we headed off left on a path across the moor. Grid ref: SD659 141


Here the water authority, United Utilities, have very kindly provided a wooden footbridge over what is often a rather muddy ditch.


Although this path doesn’t stray far from the Winter Hill road, it nevertheless is a much nicer walk and gives a better appreciation of the moorland around you.


Just off the path to the left is another sealed off mine shaft. Grid ref: SD660 139.


And here is another reminder of times past when this moor was a hive of industry, a long open culvert running past the old mine shaft.


I followed the culvert back to the path to continue on my way.


Almost back at the Winter Hill road, in an area known as Hole Bottoms, we took the left fork to take us on the next stage of this walk.


This area just behind the crash barrier on the Winter Hill road was once the site of the Winter Hill Brick and Tile Works, though all that remains now are piles of stones. Dave Lane’s Winter Hill Scrapbook Volume 2 gives this reference to the brick works, in the Bolton Chronicla of 1849:

“TO BE LET. An extensive and well established Fire Brick and Tile Works, situated at the Five Houses, Horwich Moor, the present proprietor being desirous of retiring from the business. The works are complete with Steam Engine, Grinding and Crushing apparatus, Stoves, Drying Houses, Ovens, Moulds and every convenience for carrying out business. The clay and coal being of superior quality, and are got on the premises at very trifle expense.

P.S. Any person taking the works can be accommodated with five or six acres of land and a few cottages adjoining. For particulars apply to Mr Wm. Garbutt in the premises, or on Monday at the King’s Arms and Four Horse Shoes Bolton.”

The “Five Houses” mentioned in the advert refers to there being a goup of five houses nearby, one of which was a beer house. There were also several cottages. Grid ref: SD658 132.


Our route took us along the left hand side of the ruins, to this stile. Once through the stile the path took us alongside a small stream that seemed to just appear out of the hillside. If you look carefully to the right just as you start to make your way along this path you will see the water spurting out of the hillside, as if being delivered by a pump at an unknown source.


A little way farther on the path descended via some steps to a small ford, before ascending some more steps to continue its way around Holden’s Planation.


Just as we turned the corner at the top of the plantation we took this alternative path off to the right.


Although this path rejoins the other one further down I think the view from this path is nicer.


On reaching the bottom of the hill, near the ruins of an old farm, we turned left.


A little further along we turned left again to head towards Holden’s farm. Grid ref: SD662 129.


The path takes you right to the edge of the farmhouse before veering off to the right to bypass it.


Just before the path took us completely around Holden’s Farm we turned right here. Grid ref: SD666 130.

PS: Please excuse the two headless dogs in the bottom right of the picture.


A little farther on along our route we passed through this gate and took the alternative path off to the right.


This took us to the ruins of what were once buildings belonging to a coal mine that was situated in this area. The south side of Winter Hill is riddled with old levels and shafts from the remains of coal mine workings. The mines worked the lowest of the coal measures – the Sandrock or Mountain seams. Mines on the hill included, Burnt Edge Colliery (which was this one here), Montcliffe Colliery, Wilderswood and Wildersmoor Collieries, Winter Hill Mine and many more.

The coal seams outcropped in many places and probably initially were worked by individuals for personal use and for small scale sale, before industrial commercialisation. It is known from archives the seams around Winter Hill were worked from the late 18th century onwards through to 1966 when the last mine, Montcliffe, closed. It is also probable they were worked in the late 17th century and possibly earlier as abundant outcrops encircle the hill. The seams were accessed via drifts and shallow windlass and ladder shafts. Around fifty shafts and 20 drifts are known to exist, the true figure may be twice as many. There is no access to underground workings and only surface features remain. The picture shows just a few of the wall fragments that still remain here (Holden’s Farm is in the background). Grid ref: SD668 126.


After passing the ruins the path rejoined the main one at the edge of Walker Fold Woods, where we took the path off to the right rather than the one areound the edge of the woods.


A few yards farther on we turned right again at this junction.


And at the next junction a few yards farther on still we went straight ahead to follow the path up towards Burnt Edge.


As you walk up this path, take a close look to the right and you may see this concrete cap on the former air shaft to the Burnt Edge coal mine. Grid ref: SD665 127.


Here is a close up picture of the cap on the air shaft.


Before reaching the top of the climb we took this path off to the left to take us up onto Birnt Edge near a small wood.


At the top of this climb we turned right then immediately left by the gateway at the edge of the small wood. Grid ref: SD663 126.


When we reached this junction a little way along the path we went straight on.


The path now started to descend towards Matchmoor Lane, but before reaching the lane we turned right at this signpost and went through the stile. Grid ref: SD661 122.


The path now took us alongside Montcliffe Quarry.


This picture gives you a viw of part of the quarry workings. When we came past here a few weeks ago a film crew were filming a “gun fight” between a group of “soldiers” and a group of “arabs”. I wonder when we’ll se that on TV, and in which programme?


As the path veered away from the quarry we crossed over this iron footbridge.


At this point the path came to the remains of a stone wall, where we crossed over and turned right.


A little further along we passed through this stone stile and turned immediately left to take a barely discernable path through the undergrowth.


The faint path now took us downhill diagonally to the left.


A short distance downhill we came to the stile leading onto the Winter Hill road, where we turned left and past the cattle grid to arrive back at the car.