Countryside Health Walks in Oldham and Tameside

Castleshaw

Length: Shorter Walk 1.5KM (1 mile)

Longer Walk 2KM (1¼ miles)

If walking in the countryside is new to you, to get the best out of this walk why not go with your partner or a friend?

Walk Summary

Two short walks, mainly on quiet surfaced lanes, although with a few hundred metres on the longer walk along a field footpath beside the Hull Brook. The longer walk includes a gradual climb up Millcroft Lane. Note : apart from the picnic tables in the car park at the start there are no seats on this walk.

Landscape

The walk is based on the Lower Castleshaw Reservoir in a splendid setting in the Pennine hills above Delph village.

How to get to the start

The walk starts from the Castleshaw car park. Turn left off the A62 1.5 kilometres (1 mile) out of Delph village, and go along Waterworks Road to the car park near the Castleshaw field centre. There are no convenient buses to the area.

Toilets, Refreshments and Information

None on route.

Map

Map Key The numbers on the map correspond with numbers in the text

Directions

1. Leave the car park by the kissing gate at its far end, and go forward across the field corner to another kissing gate leading on to a lane. Turn left.
2. Go down a slight dip and up to a fork just before a cottage. Fork left.
3. o across the dam of Castlefield Lower Reservoir to its far end. If you wish to avoid any climbing, or unsurfaced paths you could return to the car park from here.
4. Go through the gateway at the end of the dam and immediately left through another gate, before the cattle grid. Go forward across the grass to a stile by the reservoir spillway.
5. Go down the field, keeping roughly parallel to the wall on the left to a footbridge across the stream (Hull Brook).
6. For the shorter walk: Cross the footbridge and take the grassy path going slightly left and uphill to reach a kissing gate and a flight of steps leading up to the top of the dam. Return to the car park by your outward route. For the longer walk: Do not cross the footbridge, but turn right, with Hull Brook on your left.
7. Cross a stile in a fence. Soon after cross a footbridge, and continue with Hull Brook on your right.
8. A stile leads on to a quiet lane (Millcroft Lane). Turn left and follow this lane gradually uphill (take it steadily) to reach a crossroads of lanes at the top.
9. Turn left and follow the level Waterworks Road for 300 metres back to the car park.

If you have any comments about this walk please the Strinesdale Centre on:

Oldham Countryside Service, Strinesdale Centre, Holgate Street, Waterhead, Oldham, OL4 2JJ
0161 620 8202