Friday 12th June 2026

Friday 12th June 2026

Come Walking Series of Walks: Rivington and Lead Mines Clough.

 On a beautiful summers evening twenty five walkers met at the car park on Moor Lane, overlooking Anglezarke Reservoir. We started the walk by heading back down Moor Lane for a short distance before taking a narrow footpath on our right that took us down to a coppice, dedicated to the memory of George Arthur Irwen, 1968-1998. Once through the coppice we continued down to the bottom of Moor Lane where we turned left and followed the road to the Yarrow Reservoir. On reaching Alance Bridge, at the head of the Yarrow, we continued along a track that took us into Lead Mines Clough.

Lead mines started here in 1692 by Sir Richard Standish in partnership with two farmers and a mining engineer. It is recorded that 73 tons of lead was produced in 1788 – 1789. Mine shafts were up to 240ft deep.  The mines were abandoned in 1837 and excavated in 1982.

After crossing a footbridge, near the waterfall, we joined a narrow path, that climbed steadily up to the memorial, erected in 1953 by Horwich Rotary Club in memory of the six airmen who were killed, on the 12^{th of} November 1943 when their Wellington bomber crashed into the hillside.

After spending time admiring the views over towards Rivington Pike we joined a footpath at the back of the memorial and walked through the woods to a gate that brought us to a small wood called The Flat. We continued to walk around the wood into Rushy Brow, eventually arriving at the Pike Stones. These large stones are thought to be the remains of the entrance to a Neolithic burial chamber some 4500, years ago.

From the stones we continued to cross the moor, where the views over towards the reservoir were enhanced by the setting sun. Once at Jepson’s Gate, we turned left and continued down Moor Road, back to the car park, having covered 3.5 very sunny but windy miles.