GM Ringway stage 12 Norden to Bury

his long but scenic stage includes Knowl Hill, peaceful valleys and a pretty village.

Highlights include:

• Views over the chain of reservoirs in the Naden valley.
• Knowle Hill, topped by its wind farm, with panoramic views that sometimes extend all the way to Snowdonia
• Deeply Vale, a remote valley featuring waterfalls and evocative industrial remains
• Birtle village with its pretty cottages, church and two fine pubs
• Chesham Woods, a lovely area of mixed woodland on the edge of Bury
• Burrs Country Park, featuring dramatic sculptures, riverside paths and passing steam trains.

Note that parts of the trail may be damp, muddy and slippery at any time of year and especially after periods of wet weather. Please bear this in mind when planning your trip.

Map and Directions

This walk is available on the user-friendly Go Jauntly walking app. Here, photographs and written directions will enable you to follow the route on your phone. You can also download a printable PDF of the directions from the same link.

Alternatively, you can follow the route (without written directions) on the mobile-friendly Plotaroute site. To use Plotaroute on your phone’s browser, simply click the map. Then, when you’re ready to start walking, click the tracker icon (bottom right) to show your position as you follow the route.

We recommend carrying an additional power source and/or map when following online routes on your phone.

Terrain

This stage – rated as challenging mainly because of its length and some of the tricky paths involved – includes only one major ascent, mostly fairly gradual, within the first 2.5 miles / 4 km of the walk.

The paths used vary greatly in quality. These range from hard-surfaced multi-user paths (near Bury) and country roads (where you need to watch for vehicles) to boggy or damp paths across Knowl Hill and in the Cheesden Valley. Note that parts of the hillside path above the Naden Valley (between the 1-mile/1.6km and 2-mile/3.2 km points) are narrow, with a steep drop to the right. The path rising from Cheesden Valley at the 6-mile/9.5 km point is also fairly narrow.

Mud and puddles are very likely on certain sections.

Stiles have to be crossed on the ascent from Greenbooth Reservoir near the start and on the Cheesden Valley section.

Facilities

There are no public toilets en route until Burrs Country Park at the 11-mile/18-km point. However, there is a pub, café, and fish and chip shop in Norden at the start point, and then two pubs in Birtle village, at the 7-mile/11.5-km point. Further pubs and cafes can then be found in Burrs Country Park and on the subsequent route to Bury at end of the walk.

Go to person: Amir