Wild Bank Hill And Swineshaw Reservoirs From Stalybridge

Introduction

With rain forecast from lunchtime onwards, I was up early and starting this walk before 9 o’clock.

I had high hopes for this route, and wasn’t disappointed.

It’s just a 35 minute drive from Cheadle Hulme to Stalybridge.

The walk was about 8.5 miles, and took 3hours 30 minutes. It’s quite a hike, rising 1280 feet to the summit of Wild Bank Hill! However, it’s downhill all the way once you’ve topped it!

This walk is Ok for dogs, with canal towpath, town park, woodland, fields and Water Authority tracks, as well as moorland where leads are essential at this time of year.

I walked in an anticlockwise direction.

The walk is on OS Explorer Map OL1.

I parked at the free Stalybridge Country Park car park on Hartley Street, postcode SK15 3EZ, What 3 Words ///credible.stall.demoted

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Huddersfield Narrow Canal

I set off back down Hartley Street crossed over and along Grove Road. Part way along, the tarmac stopped and the lovely old cobbled surface emerged.

At the bottom of the hill, I joined the canal towpath, at a point where the waterway is definitely one way at a time.

There were lots of Canada geese frequenting the canal, and also this lovely female goosander.

There were some well designed waterside properties as I reached Stalybridge.

At the large Tesco store, I left the canal, and crossed the car park and a busy road.

Cheetham Park And Eastwood Nature Reserve

Cheetham Park is a smart town park with play areas and civic structures.

As the paths rise up, the park merges into ancient woodland, a real haven for birds. I captured pictures of a couple, nuthatch and ring necked parakeet.

The path is wonderful, perched on the edge of a steep valley with a stream at the bottom. It’s a lovely spot, and worth a longer visit to explore.

At Bower Fold, the path passes a familiar landmark from Stockport County’s darker days in non-league football – Stalybridge Celtic.

Wild Bank Hill

I crossed the A6018, and wandered through an area of lovely housing, all the properties having great views to the woods and the plains to the west.

A path between the houses took me onto a large grassy field, and as I rose above the roof lines, I too could enjoy the view.

Suddenly, everything had a rural feel, and I stopped to photograph a friendly sparrow and some stabled horses at Higher Harpley Farm.

Beyond the farm, pasture soon turned to heath; the moors would be next!

The final ascent is really steep, so I kept stopping to take pictures of the spectacular view!

I was delighted to reach the trig point!

Looking south from here, I could make out the ubiquitous shape of Shutlingsloe in the distance.

As I left the top of the hill, I could now see to the east, with Arnfield Reservoir and Bottoms reservoir prominent in the Longdendale Valley.

Swineshaw Valley

As I descended gradually over Hollingworth Moor, Lower and Higher Swineshaw Reservoirs came into view.

The path traverses the hillside above the lower reservoir, before crossing the dam of the higher one, with views down the valley to the lower body of water.

From here the United Utilities roadway leads down the valley, passing a disused quarry before Brushes Reservoir and Walkerwood Reservoir appear ahead.

The day’s last bird was this handsome male pheasant! Gorgeous colours!

I crossed the valley at the dam of the latter reservoir.

Beyond the reservoir the path enters Stalybridge Country Park, with many alternative routes down the valley.

I chose this interesting one which, I suspect is a concrete encasement of a pipe from the reservoirs.

And so, I beat the predicted rainfall, and returned to the car.

Well, this is a really great walk with so many varied environments. It’s a challenging ascent, but very much worth the effort.

And Finally….

On the long journey to and from Wembley on Sunday for the Vertu Trophy Final, we enjoyed some great tunes. I chose Skinny Lister, Jordan chose The K’s, who we are going to see in July. I loved this track… probably because I think the intro is stolen from The Stooges, for which I’ll forgive them! This is “Sarajevo”.