Hike File

Distance: 20 km - Climb: - Time: (excluding breaks)

Start: Padfield Village, Peels Arms 

Finish Diggle - Diggle Hotel 

Start: Padfield Village, Peels Arms 

• Turn left out of the front door of the Peels and turn right up Main Road. After just 50m there is a gap in the houses that leads to a track running NE through the fields After 1.5 km you gain access to the track that runs along the Old Woodhead Railway, now the Longdendale Trail.
• 1.5 km Longdendale Trail - The old Manchester to Sheffield railway via Woodhead has long been disused. The section from Hadfield to the Woodhead tunnel is now the part of the Longdendale Trail. We follow it for 3 km to bottom of Toreside Reservoir.
• 4.5 km Toreside Reservoir - Whilst it may be possible to cut the corner a bit, Buddy and I were too busy talking on this easy part of the walk to work out a shorter route. Better to go as far as the crossing with the B6105 Woodhead Road (yes the same road we met yesterday). This takes you 200m passed the end of the reservoir so you have to loop back to walk across the dam. You are now back on the official Pennine Way. At the far side of the dam take a new path going east along the north bank of the reservoir to the A628 (T) Manchester - Sheffield Road.

Follow the road to the east and after a few metres fork left up a track above the road. After 700 metres we find a track branching north up Crowden Valley.

If you go straight on east you will come to Crowden Youth Hostel.

If we are in good shape we go north. 

Crowden Accommodation

Crowden YHA, - SK 073993 Tel: 01629 825850 Accommodation: 50 Beds Price per person B&B: £9.25 Transport: Bus: National Express Manchester-Sheffield

6 km Crowden Valley

• Turn north and climb up the track that goes parallel with Crowden Great Brook. The track becomes a path that winds up and down the side of the valley. The valley is really a gritstone ravine and on an overcast day can look very sinister and threatening; a place of hobgoblins and giants. After 2 km the path starts to climb steeply crossing Oakenden Clough and upto Laddow Rocks. The climb from Crowden to the rocks is over 250m in altitude and the ground is very uneven so allow at least one hour for this climb.

• 8 km Laddow Rocks - - The Pennine way follows the edge to the NE, but the challenge here is to find the start of the path that runs NW towards Chew Reservoir. After 100 m from the start of the rocks a small stream runs to the left up onto the moor. Follow this for a few metres and you should pick up a chain of cairns that mark the way over the moor.

10 km Chew Reservoir

• At 480m above sea level this is the highest reservoir in the land. It is so flat and bleak here there is little more to be said. From the dam at the bottom of the reservoir is a metalled road, built by the water board, down Chew Valley.

Now if Crowden Valley was sinister, Chew Valley is evil. Black rocks hang threateningly from the rim of the deep ravine and huge boulders strew the valley. None of the rocks have moved in years but they look poised like props in a set to tumble down on the innocent hikers in some horror film. You have 2.5 km to savour this image before you reach the relative tranquillity of Dovestones Reservoir

• 12.5 km Dovestones Reservoir - - Here we join the well waymarked Oldham Way (owl symbol) and follow it all the way to Diggle. We go North, anticlockwise round the reservoir, to the dam across the bottom of Yeoman Hey reservoir. Climbing up through the forest plantation we reach to the Bin Green car park on the A635 Greenfield Holmfirth road.

14.5 km Bin Green car park

• Here there are toilets if you need them. Cross the A635 going slightly down hill for 50m and a track forks up to the right. This circles first west then north around the base of Alderman’s Hill and upto the obelisk at Pots and Pans.
• 16 km Pots and Pans - Pots and pans stone is a boulder with strange cup shaped dishes weathered into its top surface. The boulder is not high, so climb up and have a look for yourself. The view is something special. The obelisk is really a war memorial. On the Sunday nearest to the 11th of November, a brass band will climb upto this point 420 m above sea level for a rememberance service. As you scramble up the steep climb to the summit thank the almighty that you do not have to carry a tuba.

From Pots and Pans head straight onto the moor for 400 m NE to the Sugar Loaf rock. From here keep left along the rim of Saddleworth valley for another 500m. The path leads off the moor from here going west again. You should see Saddleworth Church ahead of you with a fine square tower.

• 18 km Saddleworth Church - - Here there are two great pubs, the first one you come to is the Cross Keys. You have walked 18 km and climbed twice to nearly 500m altitude so you will need some rest and recuperation. The Cross Keys has a stone paved bar at the back and is a favourite with walkers and climbers.

By the church, would you believe, there is the Church Inn, also worth a visit (hick!).

If you’ve time or energy its well worth hunting out Bill’s o Jack’s grave, at the south west corner of the grave yard. There carved on the tombstone is a gory tale of murder.

From the church itself take the lane going north for 2 km towards Diggle

• If you keep with the lane going north you will come out in the tiny hamlet of Diglea. Here you will find the Diggle Hotel
• 20 km Finish Diggle - Diggle Hotel