thousandmilesblog | Walk Post 061 - What County is This?

Date of Walk: 19/09/10
Walk organized by: Tameside Countryside Service
Start time: 10:30
Start location: Mossley Market Ground, Ashton-Under-Lyne
Walk length: 6.97 miles
Weather conditions: Heavy rain

Looking across from Brown Edge to Quick Edge

Details:
If I'd got under the shower fully clothed, and stood there until the waterproofing on every item failed, I probably still wouldn't have got quite as wet as on this walk. Plus, I'd have probably remembered to put my phone somewhere more waterproof than in my pocket if I'd done the shower thing.

Starting from the market ground we went up past the Billy Goat pub and onto the hill towards Brown Edge. We passed the metal cross on the top of the hill, which gives me odd feelings best summed up by William Blake's The Garden of Love. From there we descended towards Grotton, passing through the old brickworks, where you can still see lots of bricks lying around and parts of the old kilns are visible. Apparently homeless people used to sneak into the kilns that were between firings and sleep there, because they were nice and warm. We passed through an estate of new houses, and turned down a winding road which we walked along for a while before going up a very steep cobbled lane that was quite slippy. We went through Leesbrook, crossing over the brook itself, which had turned into a bit of a raging torrent, and continued round towards Rocher Vale. Bits of Rocher vale were seriously waterlogged, and there had been some mini-mudslides that had destroyed part of the path, so we made some of the journey to Park Bridge on the road. We stopped at the visitor centre for lunch, where we were treated to warm hospitality and somewhere dry to sit for a while, but sadly not long enough to dry off much.

Back outside in the downpour, we made our way towards Hartshead Pike, which we climbed to the top of. There wasn't much of the usual views to be had, far too dismal a day, but it blew away any remaining cobwebs. No matter which side of the tower you stand, the wind is always blowing right at you up there. After a brief stop we walked across the hill past the farm and the stables towards Broadcarr Lane, crossed the lane and walked back across the hill to the path we'd first come up, down the hill and past the pub to the market ground.

Lots of local history on this one, about the old county boundaries and what was in which county. My geographical confusion got even worse on this walk. I'm familiar with the dispute about Saddleworth, which used to be part of Yorkshire and many would say still is, but I hadn't realised that by the old county boundaries I may have spent even more of my life than I'd thought living in Yorkshire. Still born in Lancashire though. I've lived in Lancashire, Yorkshire and Cheshire, and that's without any of that Tameside and Greater Manchester business. I just need to move a bit (not very far in distance but a really long way in house prices) and try Derbyshire at some point maybe. You can feel exceptionally well travelled without actually going very far in this place. You can also wonder where you live at times, even when you're absolutely sure where your house is.

I almost killed my phone on this walk. It is still sulking by switching itself off for no reason even more than it usually does. Thankfully I didn't lose anything stored on it, though I wasn't able to take any pictures after about the first third of the walk for fear of doing more damage. I may have to think about carrying it in something more waterproof than a pocket.