West Pennine Way – A walk around the West Pennine Moors

Wednesday 16^th September 2026

6^th of 9 sections of the West Pennine Way, Roddlesworth to Bull Hill.

On a very wet and misty morning eleven hardy walkers met at Roddlesworth Information Centre and Café, which was not open, perhaps as well as we may have spent the day in the café. Following the orange way markers, we started the steep climb up to Darwen Tower. Darwen Tower, also known as Jubilee Tower, was built in 1898 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee and to celebrate the local community's victory in securing public access to the surrounding moors.

Climbing through the mist onto the moos

First view of the tower

As we could only see a distance of a few meters, we felt it pointless to climb the steep steps of the tower, but instead we continued along the very wet footpath behind the tower. We soon started our descent across the wet moor, before reaching Prospect Farm we sheltered in a small wood top shelter from the rain and enjoyed our morning coffee. Once in the farmyard we made the collective decision to go down the farm track to the A666, by passing Bull Hill Farm, with its threating notices, to walkers. After turning right on the footpath, alongside the A666 we completed this section of the West Pennine Way, to be resumed on Wednesday 21^st October.

One of many stiles

After turning right, we walked for a short distance along the footpath, to a gate on our right, which we went through to join a section of the Witton Weavers Way. By this time the clouds had started to clear so we made use of the ruins of an old farmhouse to eat our lunch.

Lunch stop

Once refreshed we started the steady climb back onto the moors, where our views were better, as the mist had cleared, but the footpaths were more like streams as the water descended from the moors.

Sunshine at last

River walking

At the top of the climb once again we made a joint decision, this time not to attempt to go over Cartridge Hill as we had had enough mud for one day. Instead, we continued along the track down to Tockholes Road, which we crossed into Thorny Bank Plantation and joined a footpath leading to Hollinshead Hall, the hall was built in 1776 by John Hollinshead.

Thorny Bank Plantation

Hollinshead Hall

From the ruins it was a short walk through Tockholes Plantation, back to Roddlesworth, having covered a wet and misty but rewarding eleven miles.

Monday 7^th September 2026

Greenmount to Village Link from Nangreaves to Nuttall Park.

On an autumnal feeling day, twenty one walkers left Greenmount and headed through Summerseat, past Bast House and up to Bury Old Road, Nangreaves where we had completed the first section of the Village Link.

Re joining the Village Link Route

After turning left on the old road, we made our way to Grant’s Tower, where we stopped for our morning coffee break. The tower was built in remembrance of the parents of the Grant family, who established a calico printing business in the area. The tower, which was built in 1827, stands on the spot where the Grant family first viewed the Irwell Valley in 1783, having arrived from Morayshire, Scotland. Due to a lack of maintenance, the tower collapsed in 1944.

Grant's Tower

View from the tower

Continuing along the Link Route we headed down to Park Farm and once across the busy main road we walked through the fields to the top of Jacob’s Ladder, which we descended into Nuttall, which was once a thriving village with several mills.

Jacob's Ladder

After joining a narrow path, that followed the River Irwell, we crossed over the river to the site where United Utilities had just completed the development of a large underground water storage tank.