{"id":1004998,"date":"2022-03-03T16:44:34","date_gmt":"2022-03-03T16:44:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.half-daywalker.com\/?p=1004998"},"modified":"2022-11-04T15:43:22","modified_gmt":"2022-11-04T15:43:22","slug":"ludworth-moor-to-shiloh-road-near-rowarth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.half-daywalker.com\/?p=1004998","title":{"rendered":"Ludworth Moor to Shiloh Road Near Rowarth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With rain forecast for most of the day, I made an early start and travelled just 25 minutes to a sort of no-man’s land between Marple Bridge, Compstall, Charlesworth, Rowarth, and Mellor. The walk straddles the Stockport \/ Derbyshire border, crossing a mix of moorland and sheep pasture. There are no villages or even hamlets, just isolated farms and regular intervals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s now March, and it soon became clear that meteorological spring had brought ornithological spring along too. So there was much to see and listen to along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As it turned out, not a drop of rain fell throughout the 2 hour 45 minute 5.5 mile walk!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are plenty of sections on the walk where dogs can run free, interspersed with equal amounts of sheep pasture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was quite muddy today, but in drier weather this would be a fairly easy-going walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To find safe roadside parking on Sandhill Lane, I had to drive on beyond April Cottage, SK6 5NP, and up a short hill, where it was easy to park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The walk is on OS Explorer Map OL1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ludworth Moor to Ayton Farm<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There was a dank feel to the day as I headed back down the road to wards the path on my left up to Ludworth Moor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The hawthorn bushes have long since been stripped of their berries, but there were large flocks of Scandinavia bound thrushes gathering on the moor – redwings, fieldfares, blackbirds and song thrushes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Then the thrushes gave way to throngs of swirling and diving lapwings, beginning their mating rituals with the classic peeee-wit call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After crossing Gun Road, I made my way on to Robin Hood’s Picking Rods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Historic England’s Official Scheduled Monument Listing states:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wayside crosses are one of several types of Christian cross erected during the medieval period, mostly from the 9th to 15th centuries AD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robin Hood’s Picking Rods is a well-preserved example of a simple wayside cross set in its original location on a path across open moorland. It is unusual in that it includes two cross shafts, both of which are true columnar shafts and are, therefore, one of the rarer forms. It lies outside the two main areas of distribution for wayside crosses and also served as a boundary cross marking either early medieval district or ecclesiastical divisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More information –<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/historicengland.org.uk\/listing\/the-list\/list-entry\/1008595?section=official-list-entry<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next bird to rear its head was a magical skylark, rising vertically on fluttering wings with its unmistakable mesmerising song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Near Slack there is a dramatic derelict barn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The views were quite dramatic from here, but this misty murky day didn’t make the atmospheric air very photogenic!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ayton Farm to Hilltop Farm<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After dropping down from the southern end of Cown Edge, the route down from Ayton Farm crossed a delightful narrow clough with a babbling stream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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My path now passed near to the village of Rowarth. The Children’s Inn Outdoor Centre oh Hollinsmoor Road has acquired one of the giant frogs that were dotted around Stockport a few years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The track near Hollins Farm is very attractive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The track emerges into a field and I could hear a bird singing in the hedgerow as I progressed. It was a reed bunting. It is in this photo, honest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A friendly horse greeted me on the approach to Shiloh Road!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The weather conditions were unchanged. As were the underfoot conditions. Here, I was delighted by a curlew passing by in full whirring song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hilltop Farm to Cloughend<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The tracks to Hambleton Fold Farm gave up this great treescape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The farm itself is beautifully maintained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chatterton Lane Farm is equally impressive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Before I’d reached Brook Bottom, a brook was finding the bottom of the path to be an attractive way down the valley! I got through with my feet still dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At Brook Bottom itself, the track is quite uneven too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This was now the home stretch. A lovely house next to an old millpond was followed by a pretty stream in a clough that was tricky to cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Colourful gorse then gave way to the distant tree-lined ridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And then, in no time at all I was making my way back up the road to the car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bonus Time!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Having started out early on a relatively short walk, I’d yet to take lunch, so I took the short drive to Etherow Country Park, sat in the car eating my sandwich, and watched the model boat racers show off their skills!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And Finally……<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Last Friday, went to see Echo and The Bunnymen at Manchester Albert Hall. I hadn’t been too familiar with their work, not sure why, but this track has quickly become a favourite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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