Hikers go for a day in Glossop

ALARGE group of walking enthusiasts from Runcorn and Widnes travelled to Glossop just outside the Peak District National Park to trek routes around the area.

The Halton Ramblers visited the High Peak District in Derbyshire, which sits close to the borders of Greater Manchester and Yorkshire with many commuters to Manchester making it their home.

Glossop is also the start of two famous Pennine routes, the Snake and the Woodhead Passes.

It also has many of the popular walking paths passing through or nearby including the Trans Pennine Trail, Longdendale Way, and Pennine Way, making it a hit with walkers and cyclists.

Glossop has many historic buildings which still dominate the town, although now turned into modern day use such as flats and retail accommo- dation.

Old Glossop was used in the filming of the BBC drama series The Village.

The group had four leaders who had reccied their walks for the day.

The A party used several of the major paths including Pennine Way, Pennine Bridleway, and the Trans Pennine Trail.

Eric Fenney led the group starting by climbing to Shelf Moor passing the Herne Stones.

From here they moved to the Wain Stones and the site of an aircraft crash where there are still many of the aircraft parts visible.

The group climbed to Bleaklow Head before descending into Longdendale Valley for their walk back into Glossop via the village of Padfield.

The 12 mile B walk led by Marj Halliday left Glossop via Manor Park, an area left to the district of Glossop from the Howard family who left the area in 1925.

The group took paths to Shire Hill and Shelf Moor before arriving at Doctor’s Gate and Snake Pass.

Here they turned south west to make their way back over Moss Hill and Burnt Hill joining Monks’ Road and paths took them back into Glossop.

A hard C walk was led by John Cormack who had planned a 9.5 mile route.

The walkers made their way south to Chunal Moor to climb to their highest point of the day at Harry Hut.

They walked on paved paths which has often been done by volunteers to enable walkers to traverse the moors without falling into the bogs.

The group continued west to Crown Edge before descending into Glossop.

The shorter of the walks was led by Val Hennessey who took her group through Manor Park and country lanes to Swineshaw Reservoir.

Crossing fields to descend into Padfield, they joined good paths down to cross the Longdendale Way and onto the Goyt Valley Way.

Walking alongside Bottoms Reservoir, the lower of the five in the Longdendale Valley which provide drinking water for Man- chester, they turned to start their return journey picking up the Longdendale Way into Hadfield.

The village was made famous from the filming of the television comedy The League Of Gentlemen.

The group had a sting in the tail having to climb through Castle Hill Woods to walk by Mouselow Castle, a medieval motte and bailey believed to be on the site of an iron age hillfort.

From returned Glossop.

A Ramblers spokeswoman said: “The day remained dry and all the groups were able to do their walks without getting wet, arriving back in time for a welcome drink in some of the local public houses and cafés.”

The group’s next trip is to Gargrave in North Yorkshire on Sunday, October 15.

To join call the booking secretary on 07842 160 944 on any day except Sunday between 6pm and 9pm

Alternatively, visit nmcramblers.org.uk here downhill they to