Daisy Nook Country Park To Hartshead Pike Featuring The River Medlock

Introduction

On the recommendation of Cal and Adam, today I took a different type of walk, in a country valley snaking through the Greater Manchester conurbation. As this photo of the OS map shows, you would hardly imagine there to be a lovely country walk to be had here!

Downstream, the River Medlock runs right through the heart of Manchester City Centre. On this walk, it forms the boundary between Tameside and Oldham Metropolitan Boroughs. It’s a great place for a family walk.

The weather was warm, cloudy, and quite windy at Hartshead Pike.

It’s a short drive round the M60 to the Country Park, taking just 25 minutes from Cheadle Hulme.

This is a steadily climbing 8 mile walk, that is never onerous, and is generally on good, well used paths. However, there are two sections where the Rights of Way I’d selected didn’t actually exist as paths on the ground.

I walked anti-clockwise , and it took 3 hours 45 minutes including lunch.

This walk is generally excellent for dog walking, but there were a couple of places where some (very docile, today) cows were grazing.

The walk is on OS Explorer Map 277.

I parked at Daisy Nook Country Park car park whose postcode is M35 9WJ.

Daisy Nook To Holden Clough

The path leaves the car park on a disused rail line.

Just before the bridge over the river I turned right. There is a high path and a lower one. I took the high one along a delightful avenue of beech trees.

A left turn drops down onto a wide track, then a right leads to the A627. Up the road I then went left on a drive over open fields, and into Holden Clough. At the disused railway, I went left along it.

To the right, I caught my first view of Hartshead Pike monument. The track swerves right at the point where the railway would once have crossed the now demolished Park Bridge viaduct.

After crossing a road I came to a junction of paths.

I was going right, but was interested in the path and closed off bridge to my left.

There just isn’t any money to repair it!

So, I now made my way across pasture to Fields Farm. The cattle here were very friendly.

After crossing the road, the monument was looming above me.

I found the path to the right at Port Mahon, and then arrived at a junction of 5 public rights of way. If you try this walk, just turn left and follow the Tameside Way up the hill. The route I’d planned wasn’t shown as a path, and it went through a series of boggy fields, with particularly deep mud at the gates between them. The fields were well used by cattle, and let’s just say, it wasn’t pleasant mud!

However, the reward for my trouble was this splendid view of contrasting landscapes, which epitomises what I love about living here.

Holden Clough To Hartshead Pike

And so, I arrived at Hartshead Pike, said to be the best view of the city of Manchester.

The tower was rebuilt in 1863 by John Eaton to commemorate the marriage of the future King Edward VII to Princess Alexandra.

The Views from the top are indeed spectacular, as shown in the featured picture at the top of the blog.

This is the view to the south-west.

And this is east to Mossley and Stalybridge.

Hartshead Pike To Rocher Vale

Now I could head downhill, firstly north along the bridleway that is Back Lane, then taking a left into a field just before reaching the road.

The field was home to a fine black horse.

Beyond the field, the path comes to Oldham Golf Club. This green, at some height, with trouble on either side, is the target for a par 3 tee shot. Good luck when the wind is blowing like it was today!

The course is somewhat reminiscent of Mellor and Townscliffe, and I wouldn’t mind trying it (on a balmy summer’s day)!

My route shows a public right of way running down the fairway of the next hole and into Wildmoor Leach Wood. There are no signs indicating this, and when I reached the wood, there was no path through it. I followed the right of way using my GPS. It was lovely down there, but very difficult, with there being no path.

Should you choose to do this walk, I suggest you head to the golf clubhouse, then down the road to join the B6194.

The path into Rocher Vale is higher up the busy B road than the map indicates. It quickly drops back down on itself to reveal a lovely valley.

I felt I was being watched. Aah, there you are!

Handily, United Utilities have built a “Detention Tank” with some sheltered seating, at the side of the valley. I stopped here for lunch. Not pretty, but very functional.

The valley is lovely here.

As it narrows, the autumnal orange colours seemed to be shining brightly.

With the bubbling river, tumbling over low weirs, it seemed like I was in Dove Dale or Lathkill Dale, not Manchester.

All too soon, I was back at that closed bridge from earlier in the day.

On reaching the road, I turned left over the bridge, then right, and after a short distance, came to the former industrial centre of Park Bridge, which is now a Heritage Centre.

Park Bridge To Daisy Nook

This, I thought, was definitely a place for a separate visit, so I just read the Information Board before moving on.

The route follows the road and river until it meets the A627, which the path diverts beneath.

HOn the other side I find myself at the dead end of the Fairbottom Branch Canal.

Following the canal, it transpires that it is long since closed and unnavigable.

After enjoying the walk along the towpath, a left turn took me down to the old railway bridge over the Medlock, and then back to the car park.

This is another super walk, full of points of interest, and close to home. I’d highly recommend it.

And Finally….

From a really soulful album called Volume One, these are The Soul Dogs featuring Lifford Shillingford. This track is called Karma.