{"id":1007539,"date":"2023-08-31T20:45:27","date_gmt":"2023-08-31T19:45:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.half-daywalker.com\/?p=1007539"},"modified":"2023-08-31T20:45:30","modified_gmt":"2023-08-31T19:45:30","slug":"warland-and-white-holme-reservoirs-from-the-rochdale-canal-nr-littleborough-todmorden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.half-daywalker.com\/?p=1007539","title":{"rendered":"Warland And White Holme Reservoirs From The Rochdale Canal Nr Littleborough & Todmorden"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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

With reasonable weather expected, I decided it would be a good day for a Pennine moorland walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a good walking day, 16 degC, with a mixture of cloud and sunshine!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The walk started on the A6033 between Littleborough and Todmorden, a 50 minute drive from Cheadle Hulme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The walk is 10 miles with almost 1000 feet of ascent. It took 3 hours 45 minutes, plus 15 minutes for lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outside the bird nesting season, this is a good route for dog walkers – just a couple of short sections with sheep grazing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I walked in a clockwise direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The walk is on OS Explorer Map OL21.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a small pull-in car park where Bottomley Road leaves the A 6033, use postcode OL14 6UQ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Bottomley<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I set out down Bottomley Road, crossing the pretty stream…..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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….and then the Rochdale canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The valley here is very steep. Within 10 minutes I had great views down it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At Bottomley, there is an interesting blue plaque with historical information about the hamlet. Immediately after the plaque I turned left through a gate and immediately right, once again straight up the hill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any excuse for a rest. This lovely magpie wing feather was a good one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Warland Reservoir And Drain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At last I reached the moor, and the slope was not so steep. Late August is a great time to enjoy the heather up here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The outfall from the reservoir was ahead, it’s design very much taken from railway architecture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The reservoir was silent and smooth, with no birds present. It appeared almost frozen!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I turned left, briefly following 2 other walkers, at the side of the drain which collects water from the gullies on the moor, feeding it into the reservoir.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The moor here is a vast plateau, broken only by the winding stone slab path alongside the drain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In the near distance is the monument, Stoodley Pike , sitting high above the town of Todmorden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The drain, and I, turned right here. The sign is a perfect description of this walk.!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Heading east, I looked down on Withens Clough Reservoir.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Here, I reached the end of Warland Drain, which was now housed in a surface laid concrete pipe. I continued on towards the start of White Holme Drain, first passing the aptly named Cloven Stone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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White Holme Drain And Reservoir<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The drain starts out as a small channel which is choked by vegetation..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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25 minutes later, it is a broad channel, opening into the reservoir.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A good spot for a rest, and lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The path took me along 3 sides of the reservoir and over a short rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Light Hazzles Reservoir To The Rochdale Canal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once more the spectacular views to the south-west came into view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Light Hazzles is a narrow strip of water between its two larger neighbours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Arriving back at Warland Reservoir, the stone pillars recognised the original water company, it having been built by The Rochdale Canal Company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I walked halfway along the dam, took one last look at the panorama, and headed down the steep side of the valley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The path down is steep, and wet and marshy in places. Halfway down, it reaches a farm, and becomes a minor road. Through the trees there is a beck tumbling down the hill. At the bottom, I took a detour to check out the lowest section of the waterfalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From here, it was just a short stroll along the Rochdale Canal, alongside fields heaving with Himalayan Balsam in full flower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This is a simple route, and definitely one for the aficionados of the Pennine moors! I had a good day!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Finally….<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is a song from David Woodcock. I’ve not heard of him before, and, well, his name’s not exactly very rock’n’roll!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, I love his songs, music and lyrics reminding me of the late 70s – Dave Edmonds, Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The album is Pictures Of Me, and this track is “Indifferent”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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