GM Ringway 11 Littleborough - Norden 2024

by Andrew Read
2 years ago
Near Caldermoor, GB

3284 views

GM Ringway Stage 11 (Littleborough - Norden) offers lovely moorland walking interspersed with canals, reservoirs and waterfalls.

This route has been fully updated and checked in autumn 2023, with changes made near Clough and by Watergrove Reservoir because of path problems. Unfortunately the toilets at Watergrove are no longer open, as previous versions of this map indicated. However, those shown at Broadley near Healey Dell are still available.

We have had reports (in March 2024) that the paths from the canal (just before the 1-mile point) are blocked. We have therefore shown a temporary diversion on the map via Calderbook Road.

Highlights include:
- A pretty section of the Rochdale Canal
- The shores of the expansive Watergrove Reservoir
- Panoramic views from the Pennine Bridleway and from the 'Cotton Famine Road' on Rooley Moor
- A full circuit of the gorge-like Healey Dell, with its spectacular waterfalls and dramatic railway viaduct
- Beautiful views over Greenbooth Reservoir.

Careful attention to the route is needed in parts.

Although the route does not go as high as the preceding or following stages, it is best suited to experienced walkers with good map-reading and navigation skills. Most of the paths are well made but a few parts can be boggy or slippery, even in summer.