Fifth section of the West Pennine Way, Abbey Village Great Hill & Hollinshead Hall.
The walk started at Roddlesworth Information Centre & Café, with fourteen walkers crossing the road into Tockholes Plantation and heading down the steep slope to the reservoirs. Once on the main track we turned right and followed the path through the woods into Abbey Village.
Roddlesworth Reservoirs
After crossing the road, at the Hare & Hounds, we made our way along Dole Lane until we reach a footpath sign on our left where we followed a track up to Millstone Edge. Once on the moor we made use of a broken down stone wall to stop for our morning coffee break.
Heading for Millstone Edge
Coffee break
Refreshed we headed across the moors to one of the many ruined farmhouses, that was cited above Brinscall. At the top of Edge Gate Lane, we joined a wide track which we followed until we arrived at the route of the West Pennine Way (WPW). This is where the route coming up from White Coppice and the completion of section four which we walked on the 17th June.
Ruined farmhouse
Joining the WPW
Continuing past the ruins of Drinkwater Farm we followed the WPW to the summit of Great Hill where we had three views over Lancashire and beyond. Following the WPW route we descended to Piccadilly and Belmont Road, which we crossed and headed to the ruins of Hollinshead Hall, where we stopped to eat our lunch.
Great Hill
Lunch stop
The hall dates back to 1776 when John Hollinshead built the house on the site of an old farmstead. In the 1900s the hall and surrounding land were bought by Liverpool Corporation Waterworks to build new reservoirs in the area.
Well House
Heading back
After lunch we followed the WPW route through Tockholes Plantation back to Roddlesworth IC, having completed the fifth section of the West Pennine Way.