Second time of walking Ramsbottom to Burrs 19 Nov 13

At the end of my blog "Rawtenstall to Burrs" I apologised for my lack of photos as I walked from Ramsbottom down the Irwell, so I decide to walk it again and take more photos this time.

As soon as I started the walk I realised why I had not taken many the first time. The sun was going to be in my eyes, except when I was under trees, for the whole of the walk.
Never mind I did the best I could.

Bus to Ramsbottom Walked down to the Train Station.
If you walk down the road by the station you can get to Nuttall Park, but I am going a different way.

Go by the signal box and across the level crossing.

I think I should explain about the railway. 

Its called the East Lancashire Railway, it is run by volunteers mostly. When British Rail closed the line the volunteers opened it up again. They ran a steam train service from Bury to Rawtenstall, mostly in the summer, but also weekends in the winter, they recently reopened the line to Heywood and run a service to there as well. Along with the steam engines they also have some old diesel engines which they use. The line runs close to the Irwell and crosses it many times, if you are ever in the area it is worth a trip

Any way back to the walk. Once over the level crossing you cross the Irwell and come to where I came out of when walking from Rawtenstall.

Which is here at the end of Kenyon Street. 

 Up the hill passed The Hearth of the Ram pub restaurant on the left, good food and drink if you are in the mood.

Take the road to the right were the lorry is coming from.

As you walk up the hill you may notice this path,  Like a couple of others it 

also goes to the park, not easy walking though, stick to the road. 

Not far to the turning  at the top of the hill.

The lane down to Nuttall Park.

Not an unpleasant walk but watch out for the cars .

These where the servants quarters for Nuttall Hall, still there but the hall is long gone. The lady lives in the first house. The colour of the block is what all the sandstone houses should look like but the smoke from the industrial revolution turned them all black like the uncleaned one pictured below.

Hard to believe the difference, all the walls are the same. Could not have been doing our lungs any good.

The road runs done the side of the park and now gets muddy

The park is large in area and has football pitches, a bowling green and plenty of swings and things for the children. The river runs along one side of the park, and sometimes it floods the whole area. Two years ago water reached the building in the picture and flood the bowling green.

If cleaned the wall would be a sandy colour.

Getting near to the footbridge over the Irwell.

If you want to walk down the left side of the river you go through the gap and walk down the other side of the wall. Not recommended at the moment far to wet.

The path down the left of the river.

I went over the footbridge and down this path. Sun in the camera lens.

This house is partly cleaned partly new.

By the house the path splits, last week I went to the left, very very wet. Today I went right up the hill. and then left, you end up in the same place, by the footbridge.

Up the hill, left at the dog muck bin.

Nice dry path.

This is down by the footbridge, there are three paths to choose from. This time I took the up passed the wall still brought me to the same place as last week, at the top of the hill.

You pass the end of the rail tunnel from Summerseat,   

and then left behind the gardens.

Left here and you are where I was last week, but of course I took the cobbled path, much easier and dryer.
Why a cobbled path? I can only think that it was put there when the rail tunnel was constructed, as it goes to the other end of the tunnel.

and then down into Summerseat.

Passing the other end of the tunnel.

Until you come out behind some cottages with road at the end.

You can go down this road, keeping by the river and end up in the same place as I do by going the other way.

Under the rail bridge to the river bridge.

Before the river bridge, this is were you come out if take the paths by the river.

Once over the river go to the right and behind the cottage in the distance on to Miller Street.

Miller Street.

Starts off paved then goes muddy.

What did I say about the sun.

Still Miller Street, this is the way up to Summerseat Station, for a small place it has a very long platform. There used to be lots of mills in Summerseat so perhaps the long platform was for the loading of all the cotton goods from the mills, just a guess.

the path up to the platform and the platform run for the length of the wall and a bit.

Very wet in places, nearly at the end of Miller Street.

The Station car park, we go under the bridge on the left and then sharp left.

If you had taken the road earlier this is were we would meet, the river is under the bridge on the right.

This house by the river is just over the bridge, it's called The Pines, very nice.

Back to the walk, this is were we go.

At the bottom is another bridge over the river, but we go left over the rail tracks.

Take care crossing the line.

Its straight across then up the hill.

Go to the right. If in doubt follow the Sculpture Trail.

 One or two gates and paths going off. Remember Sculpture Trail.

A reservoir that was for the old, now gone, Brick Works

Peel Tower on Holcombe Hill.Can't miss it around this area.

At the tarmac road turn right and go down the hill.

Sign says DOGS on leads not logs.

Entwistle's Farm.
Two ways through you choose.
Couple of snappy little dogs may greet you, all bark defiantly no bite.
Had a chat with a lady of the farm and Mr Entwistle the farmer very nice people.

Rail bridge just through the farm.

Take the path through the gate, gets very muddy for a while.

That sun again.

 The river is quite a long way down from the path.

Be careful coming down these steps.

At the end of the muddy path we have reached the Burrs weir and feeder. Path to the left takes you by the show ground, the right for the feeder and river.

The river below the weir. Pictures of the weir in the earlier blog.

The feeder.

A couple of friendly Moor Hens (Water Hens)

Path to the river on the right.

Canoes in the river they must be mad it was freezing cold.

This part of the river has been adapted for the canoes.

 Yes that's frost on the grass.

The river splits and the left channel has been made into a kind of slalom for the canoes.

The feeders aqueduct.

and then the road bridge.

Burrs Country Park near Bury is a place worth a visit. Among the things there are a Caravan Club site, a camp site, fishing,  canoeing, a show ground, walks by the river, items from industrial past of the site  and The Brown Cow public house( good food) plus two sculptures and plenty of parking space(no charges). 

 

It says on the platform "picnic area"

The Brown Cow at the entrance to the caravan site.

Part of one of the old mills.

Part of the mill race that took water to the water wheel that power one of the mills.

Had a interesting talk with a gentleman that I met here. One of the thing a like about getting out and about is the people I meet and chat with, so many nice people in the world.

And Bobby was most defiantly one of those.

The sign that welcomes you to Burrs.
You will love the feel of driving down the cobbled road, takes you back to your youth, if you are old like me that is.

There is also another public house as you get to Burrs.

Little bit farther down the road you can watch these contented cattle having a feed.

Farther down the again road, take this turning which takes you over the river again and into Bury Town Centre.

The path did take you passed Peel Mill, but like nearly all the mills in the area, it has recently been demolished, this is all that is left of one of Bury's iconic mills.


I think a have gone a bit overboard with this blog.