Stage 2 Bolton Rotary Way

The ROTARY WAY STAGE 2 Little Lever to Walkden

We leave this delightful township to experience lots of peaceful canal and two crossings of the River Irwell a wonderful walk through Giant’s Seat Wood before experiencing the huge car-scar as we cross the footbridge across thirteen lanes of motorway on Kearsley Moss before skirting Blackleach Country Park to arrive in Walkden
Cross over Stopes Road and walk down Hayward Avenue. At the T-junction at the end with Ladyshore Road, turn left and continue along the cobbled track, bearing left at the gateway to Ladyshore House, and cross the Bolton-Bury canal immediately after a gap stile at the canal bridge . Turn right, through a kissing gate and left (westwards) along the towpath and through a gap stile on the towpath. Eventually, after the canal runs into a drained section, go through the loading bay of a large building over the now-disused canal and pass under the Mytham Road bridge shortly afterwards to continue along the old towpath. The path then skirts round the site of the long-since landslip which drained the old canal. A little further along the old towpath cross over the Meccano Bridge, and descend what used to be a flight of locks, and through a gap stile to the Nob End basin. Go around the basin, crossing a footbridge over a disused leg of the canal and head southwards on the next canal towpath, across the canal viaduct above the River Irwell and through a gap stile to the next bridge across the canal.
Here you have an option of a short cut which would cut about a mile and a half off the full stage, albeit also missing some wonderful walking.
If opting for the full stage walk, bear right before the first canal bridge after Nob End basin and cross the canal over the bridge and the two stiles on the far side. Continue up the field with the field boundary on your right until reaching a junction of field boundaries a few hundred yards ahead. There turn right, keeping the new field boundary on your left and follow that field boundary until arriving at Oak Hill farm. Go through and turn left on Prestolee Road, which is more of a quiet farm access track. Continue on this for about three quarters of a mile to A667 Kearsley Road.
Bear left, then shortly turn right into Ringley Road and, after about a hundred I yards, opposite a derelict farm-building on I the right, take the track on the left through a gap stile to Higher Heaps Farm. This path eventually joins the access I road to the farm. Immediately past the farm buildings in front of the entrance to Heaps Cottage, follow the track to the I left at the end of the laurel hedge and then bear right alongside the top of the old railway embankment. Ignore the long flight I of steps to the bottom of the cutting and I keep along the farm track. At the entrance to the scout camp, go straight ahead, keeping to the left side of the open field and, at the far end of the field, bear left on the footpath to descend diagonally down the slope through Giant’s Seat Wood. At the foot of the hill, go across a stream near a small pond and bear right to emerge on a track leading right to Red Rock Road. This is the most easterly point of the walk. Follow the road to the right, alongside the River Irwell. Before the road swings left round Ringley Fold Waste Water Treatment Works, turn right in front of Lock House along a track which joins a path leading round the corner of the works close to the railings. Follow this path, along the line of the old canal at the rear of the sewage works at the junction of another path. Go straight ahead to arrive behind the Horseshoe Inn to arrive on Fold Road. Turn left towards the old tower and bridge at Ringley. Cross the old bridge to Kearsley Hall Road and there you may find those on the short cut waiting for you.
Turn left along Kearsley Hall Road opposite the Lord Nelson pub. At Hulme Road bear left, go across a roundabout and under the narrow road tunnel beneath the railway to arrive on Slackey Brow. Cross the road and climb the grassy slope ahead left, past the pylon, to rejoin Slackey Brow and continue to the A666 Manchester Road at the Spread Eagle pub.
Turn left along Manchester Road and then take the first road on the right, Moss Lane. Beyond the houses, where the lane forks, bear left away from the golf driving range. Just after a gate leading to a house on the right, turn right into the golf course and keep to the left of the boundary, the pond and the fir trees to arrive at the motorway embankment. There enter a wooded area turn right, along by the fence, to the massive footbridge, Cross the motorway by the footbridge and, on the far side, through a gate to follow the farm track ahead , through another gate near the first house, the track turns right continue as far as the left-hand bend shortly after Linnyshaw Moss Farm. Here follow the footpath through the hedge ahead and diagonally across the field to join a footpath along the disused railway to Worsley Rd, Walkden.

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