Hawkshaw and Affetside

Overview

A fairly demanding but very pleasant walk, taking in lanes and field paths through attractive moorland edge scenery, as well as two pretty wooded valleys. The northernmost part of the route at Holcombe Moor Training Camp is occasionally closed for military training purposes, so you may wish to ring 01204 882991 to check on this before setting out. Also look out for warning flags in this section of the walk.

Along the way, look out for Redisher Woods (point 7 in the walk description). Here you can explore 14 hectares of ancient woodland, largely unchanged since the mid-19th century. Redisher Wood Local Nature Reserve – a wooded valley at the base of Holcombe Hill, in the north of Bury – is one of the finest ancient woodland sites in Greater Manchester and home to a number of important woodland bird communities. In late spring, the steep valley sides are carpeted with bluebells, while lesser celandine lines the banks of Holcombe Brook as it passes through the middle of the valley.

Accessibility

Because of the varied terrain and gradients involved, this route is not rated as suitable for wheelchair and pushchair-users.

How to get there

The start point near the Hare and Hounds pub is served by frequent buses from Bury Interchange with its Metrolink services.

To work out how to get to and from the walk start point, simply click the Google Maps link on this page. Then click ‘Directions’ and enter your postcode or location in the relevant field. For public transport options, click on the train icon.

Alternatively, input the postcode(s) shown on this page into the TfGM journey planner at https://my.tfgm.com/#/planner/