Birtle: Passing the Old Policemans' Lodge

After the Pack Horse, I reached the last part of my Birtle-Carr Wood-Ashworth Valley circular walk.

Heading back towards Castle Hill Road, I found myself passing the Old Policeman's Lodge:

The lodge seems to be now, in some way, connected to the new housing development on Elbut Lane.

 With only the housing scheme residents allowed to walk round the lodge.

Turn right at this clutch of houses below, and you can actually walk underneath a house into the Secret Garden:

 Shortly after this, I saw the Old Hanging Barn in the distance:

Have never really found out if the barn was really used as a place for hanging felons in the past or whether this is just an old wives' tale (years ago, a friend used to tell me all kinds of old wives' tales about Birtle, probably passed down from his mother).

Ashworth Valley to the Pack Horse

 After crossing the green bridge and climbing a small hill:

 Getting out of Ashworth Valley was easy:

 A nice walk across the damp fields took me to the Pack Horse pub:

 And a pint of ale was really tempting during a long walk, of course.

Finally Seeing Hooverphonic with Geike

A few shots from a fantastic evening with Hooverphonic yesterday.

This was the third time I'd seen Hooverphonic over the years, but the first time with Geike (I rather foolishly missed the opportunity to see the band with her many years ago).

Last night, it was an absolute treat, as the band started off with the whole of The Magnificent Tree album, with the title tune and Out of Sight really sticking out for me.

 

After The Magnificent Tree, it likewise remained one great track after another (Eden, You Love Me to Death, Anger Never Dies, The Night Before etc.).

 

With Geike singing the songs from all the Hooverphonic eras beautifully, of course. 

Ashworth Valley: A Big Surprise

Upon entering the wonderful Ashworth Valley:

 I was greeted by a big surprise:

Yeah, someone had built a kind of wooden hut.

From all angles, the wooden hut looked great:

I showed these pictures to a friend in Kent, who, quite rightly, stressed that somebody has put a lot of hard graft into the hut:

Inside the hut, there was no wooden floor, just thick mud, but wooden sleeping places were attached to the sides of the building.

All in all, seeing this wonderful hut was well worth my brief venture into Ashworth Valley.

From Carr Wood to Ashworth Valley

Upon reaching the waterfall at the top of Carr Wood, instead of going straight ahead to Norden, I turned left hoping to cross into Ashworth Valley somewhere.

 

Not long up the road, I passed a small, still used church hall:

 

 

Not long after, I found myself turning left again, and this time passing a small group of sheep:

Then a pack of silage bags:

 And a farmstead:

 Which all kind of led me into Ashworth Valley:

It was great to be away from Bury town centre, which, rightly or wrongly, is often viewed as a sh%thole.

Through Simpson Clough and Carr Wood

Now on the Heywood side of Rochdale Old Road, I found myself turning left past Simpson Clough Mill and looking at the stream running through Ashworth Valley:

But Ashworth Valley would have to wait till later as I made my way through the caravan park and into Carr Wood:

 Know this path well, one of my favourite short walks anywhere:

It was great passing a small retaining wall I built years ago (middle left-hand side of the picture):

 And then I was fully in Carr Wood, the fast-moving brook taking centre stage:

Hats off to whoever built the green bridge:

Passing a waterfall making its way into the brook:

 Coming out of Carr Wood at the top end, rewarded with the waterfall:

Amidst old industrial ruins:

 Never tire of going back to see Carr Wood, the place is magic.

From Elbut Lane to Rochdale Old Road

Near the new red-brick dwelling-places on Elbut Lane, instead of walking straight down to Rochdale Old Road, I took a country lane:

 Underneath a an overhead pipe:

 Past a farm:

 And a house on a corner:

And hey presto, shortly after, I was on Rochdale Old Road, much further up than if I'd walked straight down Elbut Lane.