Knowle hill and Naden reservoirs

Knowle hill and Naden reservoirs - 10/5/20

What a difference a week makes to the weather! In fact yesterday it was T shirt and shorts and barely a whiff of wind. Today it's blowing a gale and the windchill is 3c, but it feels like -3c.

Looking for a local walk this week but without the usual start from home, we decided to drive about ten minutes to the Owd Betts pub on the road to Rochdale. Built in the late 18C, it is a well known point of reference for travellers. It's named after a previous Landlady who ran it for many years.

Knowle hill stands out clearly about a kilometre behind the pub and our walk started on a clear path from the main road. Looking back as we climbed we could see the Ashworth reservoir on the other side of the road

Knowle hill is at the southern end of Scout Moor which is now home to a 25 turbine wind farm. We could really appreciate the logic of building it up here as the bitter winds sapped our body heat encouraging us to walk more quickly to warm up.

The summit has clear views all around and it's possible to see three National Parks from here, The Peak District to the south, Snowdonia to the south west and the Yorkshire Dales to the north. But today we weren't hanging about to spot them.

We dropped down quickly the other side following a wide path to what looked like endless moorland. But as we approached a stone wall the ground ahead gradually opened up to reveal a steep drop down to a series of reservoirs. Climbing the wooden steps over the wall we suddenly felt the stronger gusts of wind coming from the valley trying to knock us over. We made a quick decision to take the gentler but longer route down as it just felt safer.

Down in the bottom the wind was more bearable and suitable for trees. This mountain ash or rowan is covered in white blossom, but in the autumn it will have beautiful red berries. If it looks a bit blurred, blame the wind.

The Naden reservoirs, higher, middle and lower were built in the late 18c to supply water for the growing population of Rochdale. Rochdale people being a thirsty lot, a fourth reservoir was built on the site of Greenbooth village in the 1950s. Hopefully the residents moved out first.

More mountain ash coexisting with gorse beside a water collection channel.

After a pleasant walk around the four reservoirs it was time to climb out of the valley and head back. We opted for a more sheltered climb through a small wood. If it looks flat it's misleading. See the next picture.

Help, throw me a rope!

Still windy up here. Those turbines must be on full charge.

Back to the main road. Tributes and thanks the NHS workers were all along the grass verges, despite few people living up here.

Get the car open, I'm freezing!

So what better to warm us up. Sausage butties!

Will that be all madam?

Statistics: distance 9.7 km, elevation 315 m, time 2 hr 36 m.