A Jaunt From Edenfield

This route comes courtesy of a good friend of mine who is ever in search of monuments, towers and other places of interest to tick off his ‘to walk’ list. The eleven-mile route from Edenfield, in the Rossendale borough, is easy-to-reach, easily navigated, and easy under foot – therefore a good option for the winter months perhaps, or after a period of rain. It requires OS Explorer Map 287.

We began from the pay & display beside the Rostron Arms (postcode BL0 0JZ), which in usual times, offers real ale on tap. We walked along Rochdale Road, away from the centre, as far as Plunge Lane – a turn to your left. Following this private road, it soon becomes greener and at another gate, (leaving the main track as it curves) you can divert to view a lovely waterfall beneath the trees of Dearden Clough and beside what appears to be a former mill of sorts, presumably Plunge Mill (SD 806 191).

Returning to the main track, follow it up as it curves behind a farm, through a metal gate and passing a second gate to join a path. A gentle ascent to another gate passes between trees and a field. Continue up then take a right turn at a ladder-stile. For some time you make a steady ascent on the well-defined, stony, gravelly track, gaining height upon the moorland. As the height increases, the views expand – Peel Tower, an almost ever-present point of orientation, is visible behind, towering above Ramsbottom. The track begins to curve, and you will pass some ruined stone buildings, eventually reaching Waugh’s Well, above Scout Moor High Level Reservoir. This Victorian memorial is named after Edwin Waugh, a dialect poet originally hailing from Rochdale. The well was converted to a memorial in 1866, despite the poet remaining very much alive at the time. He had acquired such fame by his death in 1890 that he was known as both the “Laureate of Lancashire” and “The Burns of Lancashire.” He was attracted to the moorland here by its isolation, drawing inspiration from the solitude of the spot, which he visited whilst staying with friends close by at Fo Edge Farm. Much more information can be found via the link found beneath this article.

The track you are following, incidentally, is the Rossendale Way – a 45-mile circular route along the boundary of Rossendale. Much of the route is clearly way marked and you return to it several times along this route. You should pick up the first way-marker as you face the wind turbines: you peel off to the left and meet a gate with the signage for the Rossendale Way.

At the summit, pass between the stone pillars, follow the route round and at a distinct junction atop the plateau, turn right as a diversion to reach the cross that teeters on the roof of Whittle Hill.

Return to the Rossendale Way bearing east. It then turns right to begin a long descent. Further below, pass above Fecit Farm (steering right off the obvious continuing track ahead) and continue until the path (shown as Coal Road on maps) meets the main road, the A680.

Turn right along the road for a short distance, then take a waymarked path leaving on the left-hand side. This descends beside a house, through trees and undergrowth and a flat complex, emerging at the Fisherman’s Retreat, a restaurant and wedding venue that boasts a broad range of Scottish Single Malts situated beside a fishing lake. Keep on the lane, passing The Stables luxury B&B. keep on Bury Old Road, a right turn to join Bamford Road, left at junction with Church Road then on to A56 by way of Bye Road.

Turning right, take the pavement for a short stretch then carefully cross over. Turn left after a church (marked Leaches Road and way-marked) you then re-join the Rossendale Way as you turn left to cross the motorway. Meeting Bolton Road at Stubbins Bridge turn left over the bridge then immediate right to follow a passage between the houses and gardens alongside the river.

Reaching a quiet road, pass left under the railway bridge, again left under a second bridge and follow Stubbins Vale Road for a long stretch between a former mill, now a factory. Beyond this, turn right at the junction, up Stubbins Street to East View, turn right between the cottages and pass through a gate beneath some trees to follow the track through the woodland.

Easily missed, there is a sort-of-stile on the left-hand side after a while, above which sits the Tentering Tower. Clamber up to the beautiful carcass of a building, once used to stretch cloth suspended from “tenter hooks” (hence the phrase). The mill producing the woollen, linen and cotton cloth was called Stubbins Vale Mill, and was built by the Porritt family in 1851.

Above it, continue in the same direction as before across the field and the path returns to the main track. Pass behind the care home to reach a footbridge and then bear right beside the stream, once again following the Rossendale Way for a short distance.

Below, turn left to follow the dismantled railway for some time until reaching a viaduct. Here, turn off the railway (right) and a path forks left at a gate towards Great Hey Farm, before which turn right, towards Alder Bottom, then a clear track brings you back to the A56. Cross over, turning left then right to meet Market Street, where a right turn returns you to the start.

Further info can be found at these websites:
https://thejournalofantiquities.com/2018/03/04/waughs-well-scout-moor-near-edenfield-lancashire/
https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101254273-the-tentering-tower-rossendale
https://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/industrial-sites/5785-tentering-tower-stubbins-lancs-06-08-a.html#.XvJt4ZpKjIU

A full route map of the Rossendale Way can be found here: https://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_name=Rossendale+Way