Introduction
Thanks to the M60 motorway, the West Pennine moors to the north of Bolton offer rich opportunities for walking within an easy drive from south Manchester.
Entwistle is a tiny hamlet, with a railway station and pub, so also easily accessible by train. I elected to drive, and chose to walk in an area I had no prior knowledge of.
Travel time – 50 minutes each way. Walk time – 3.5 hours plus half an hour for a leisurely lunch, and then another half hour for a crafty pint at the pub.
The weather was perfect, rising to 17 degrees C, a slight breeze, and blue skies as the current lengthy spell of high pressure continues. I used sun screen for the first time this year.
This walk was just over 8 miles, rising 845 feet, 260m.
Those parts of the walk on open moors, and near sheep require dogs to be kept on a lead but there were some lengthy spells where a run off the lead may be possible.
OS Explorer Map 287.
I parked for free on the roadside, at the station and pub.
Heading Out
I headed out on a lane in a northwesterly direction, and at Edge Fold turned north and took in the splendid views and a glimpse of Turton and Entwistle Reservoir to my left.
Heading off to the north, the country was characterised by rough, scrubby ground and occasional ponds.
I continued across country and was surprised by this apparently manmade landform, but there was no explanation for it.
These paths are not well used and finding the route was quite difficult, especially after leaving the road through the Christmas trees at the entrance to “Top of the Meadow Barn”.
Cuckoldmans
Eventually a small cottage appeared, and before it, was a gully crossing my path. This was where I turned east, uphill, and eventually crossed a road. I proceeded to “Cuckoldmans”, not a name you’d fondly give to your farm!! Here I had to turn north, briefly sharing a field with these beautiful beasts.
After the Highland cattle, a new pair of semis was being built. I liked them.
Behind them, a gate led into a horse field which I crossed diagonally, the horses showing no interest in me. A second field led down to the lovely Scotland Reservoir, and it has a bench, a perfect spot for lunch.
Hoddlesdon Moor / Grey Stone Hill
Beyond the reservoir, the path was clear, but after turning right, onto the moor, it became a little tricky. I kept the gully on my right, and just kept going on uphill, over the hummocky, and heathery terrain. The summit is marked by a small cairn.
Turning left, I headed for the corner of the wood. The path is not visible and even as I entered the wood over a stile, it was slow going due to the higgledy-piggledy nature of the straw-like ground. Had it been wet, it would have been very difficult.
At the edge of the moor, my only exit is to climb over a metal field gate, but at least there is now a track to follow.
Lower House and Naze End
I passed Longshoot, continuing up the track, then left through a gate and left again down a track towards the derelict Lower House.
This section of the walk brought out the best birds – wheatears, stonechats, meadow pipits, and then an owl that I scared from its roost in a tree at Lower House. My feeling was that it was probably a short-eared owl, as the habitat was right, and so was the size, and the fact it was active in the daytime. But I couldn’t be sure.
Naze End is also a derelict smallholding. Even the message “Unsafe Building” is now fading away!
Wayoh Reservoir
Heading on along the track, Wayoh Reservoir came into view.
I crossed the Roman Road and at Wayoh Farm I saw some people busying themselves in the garden. It’s now 2.15pm, and the last person I saw was at 11.30am, also in his garden, where I crossed the road towards Cuckoldmans – remarkable!
There was then a pretty walk down a wooded valley.
Eventually, I met the circular path around the reservoir, and I took a couple of pictures of the water from the road bridge crossing it.
North 
South
And so, I headed back up the road to the waiting Strawbury Duck, where a quick pint of Cumbrian Ales’ Loweswater Gold went down a treat.
And Finally…
Some will be too young to have heard of her, and those old enough may be surprised that at 70 she’s still making great music. This is “In The Dark” from the new album The Devil In Me,, by Suzi Quatro. Love that saxophone!