Mossley Cross

Introduction

Sometimes, even the most ardent blogger runs out of time, and so it is that this post is a catch-up from last week. Adam joined me for this trip to Tameside, and the village of Mossley, nestling in the Tame Valley to the north of Stalybridge.

I drove north through the pleasant bustling village to the Royal George pub on the A635. Immediately after the pub is a large lay-by with a catering van, and this was a perfect spot to park.

Travel time – 35 minutes each way.

Walk time 2 hours 45 minutes.

The weather was often sunny, crisp and cold, with some intermittent cloud.

The walk is a little over 6 miles with a few sharp inclines out of the valley, but plenty of flat sections in between. Dogs can run freely on the first stretch along the disused railway line and canal towpath, but there are some lengthy sections on roads and fields with sheep.

OS Explorer Map OL1

Tame Valley Way and Huddersfield Narrow Canal

We left the car park up and across the B-road, quaintly named “Well-I-Hole Road”, and take the path onto the Tame Valley Way, which heads downhill to the bed of a pleasant disused rail line.

The canal can be seen to our right and we take a path down to join it at the point where the towpath moves over from the far side to the near side of the water.

The canalside properties and the village are an attractive backdrop, and there are a couple of nicely designed locks along here.

After one of the locks, a wider area of water holds several duck, mainly mallards. Yet to our surprise and delight there is a bird that could be a mandarin, but doesn’t seem quite right. On closer inspection, it is clearly the similar, but much rarer wood duck – definitely bird of the day!

Scout Tunnel

Continuing on, we arrive at Scvout Tunnel. We could leave the canal and head off to the right, but elect to go through the tunnel and then double back over the canal and down to the River Tame.

Across The River Tame

A footbridge takes us over the river, which is flowing fast and fiercely.

At the main road we turn right, cross the road, and take the path left up the hill, on the dge of a quarry. Emerging from the trees, we turn right and take in the view down into the valley.

Luzley

After Scout Farm, a hairpin left takes us uphill through a tricky section of muddy path before we emerge on the ridge at Luzley, with views now appearing to Manchester to the west.

The Hare and Hounds Inn looks like a great spot to stop for refreshments….if only!

So we head north along the road across the ridge with more great views.

Mossley Cross

Crossing the A670 to continue on the minor road we met the |Tameside Way, leaving the road on the right. At the edge of the hill we turn left and arrive at the cross erected in 1994 by Churches Together in Mossley.

As we follow the ridge there are more great views to all sides, including a trig point at the high spot of 308m, just over 1000feet.

Eventually the path heads downhill, mets a fence where we go right, down to a road, turn left and then right onto the Oldham Way.

Oldham Way

We follow the Oldham Way east over a lower ridge to the hamlet of Quick, continue ahead over the A6050 and A 670, onto a field, around some farm buildings and down over the railway and River Tame to return to the A635 just below the Royal George and the car park.

All in all, an excellent winter walk with great views and landmarks!

And Finally…..

My mother-in-law has had a tricky week after a fall last Sunday, so I thought I’d play a song with her name in it. And it’s from one of this year’s best albums.

Here’s Betty from Taylor Swift’s album Folklore.