Tunstead and Diggle RFM Blue Line Walking with Peter
Tunstead and Diggle
RFM Blue Line
Walking with Peter
18/04/26
This walk was designed to mimic the kind of ascent and distance we will encounter doing the 3rd section of our CtC at Borrowdale in a couple of weeks time. It was tough.
We parked near the Church in Greenfield on a chilly, dull April morning. This was a big challenge and we were both a little apprehensive of what was to come.
We headed up along quiet country roads towards Brockley Moor.
We left the road and set off up the very steep hill towards Hawk Yard. Now that's a name that conjures all sorts of options for its origins. I fancy it was a place where knights kept their hawks....well you never know.
The 2 small goats frolicked in the field as we passed them. The word cute doesn't do justice to the encounter.
A quick ascent is hard but the views soon became long and lovely.
This sheep takes the prize for the scruffiest looking sheep this year. She had 4 good legs though for some reason she was balancing on 3. The lamb on the other hand was pristine.
In the landscape odd features are encountered and this sunken path was strange but I am sure there was a good reason originally for the effort in its creation.
We reached the green Long Lane and got our first view of the obelisk at Pots and Pans. Another name that warms my heart. The lane headed off towards Dovestones hugging a contour.
As we followed the lane the main road was rising up the valley to meet our level and Alderman Hill was starting to look like a serious challenge. We had to cross the road to get to the car park so my blue lines meet on the map. Ok I know it is a bit obsessive but painting the map blue is my hobby and all the walks have to touch each other or else it does not work for me.
The route up to Alderman Hill was straight up the hillside. Very tough so we had plenty of stops to get our breath back. The views over Doverstones and the Ashway Moss edges was very familiar as we have walked over practically every inch of this valley.
This was a really hard ascent and we had to fight the hill rather than work with it. There is danger on these slopes, slipping could be a real problem so we were methodical in our ascent.
We hadn't been walking for long but we were now near the top and Manchester was visible in the distant gloom.
The top of Alderman was hard won and the weather was changing almost by the minute. Luckily the rain was light and the showers passing quickly. We planned to have a stop on the top of each of the main hills on this walk so I was pleased to consume a breakfast sandwich in the wind on this wonderful summit. The views from here were fantastic and it was hard to leave.
The rocks at Sugar Loaf were typical of Peak District edges and offered some magnificent views.
We followed our route around Running Hill Pits which was a fascinating series of abandoned quarries. Unfortunately the route was not a right of way and we reached a gate covered in barbed wire and bearing a sign saying private property. So we had to climb an unexpected hill to get to the quarry lane that was a right of way.
The views were good. This was the start of our long descent into the valley bottom.
The quarry lane was deeply entrenched suggesting the passage of thousands of stone laden vehicles. The wall on the left was epic in its scale and really well built.
The quarry lane was deeply entrenched suggesting the passage of thousands of stone laden vehicles. The wall on the left was epic in its scale and really well built.
At Running Hill Head we headed down a very steep tarmacked road and turned right at the houses along a path next to a moss covered wall. The moss was very thick, soft and spingy.
The route along the hillside all the way to Diggle was hard to follow as there was no discernable path but we managed it by sticking to the route on the map. The lambs here were so young they were still wet.
We followed a short road to the houses at the bottom of Diggle where there was a well defined path to cross the river and reach the road on the other side of the valley.
A series of uphill sections over rough ground got us onto the moor above Diggle at Billy Ground. Another name that fires the imagination.
As we climbed this grassy hill up undefined paths we could see the res and the shooting range below us. We had been listening to the guns for ages but now we could see the shooters. Not my kind of hobby but I guess it takes all sorts.
This was our second hill and we intended to have lunch when we reached the summit. It was much different from Alderman more of a diagonal path up the tufted grassy slope. We paused quite often and enjoyed the view.
The panoramic view shows the weather quite well.
We reached the summit and stopped for lunch just off the top on suitable rocks. The shower hit us almost immediately and it was cold, windy and wet. The lunch was completed quite quickly.
The route along the hillside all the way to Diggle was hard to follow as there was no discernable path but we managed it by sticking to the route on the map. The lambs here were so young they were still wet.
We paused on the bridge over the stream as is our norm and enjoyed the ambience of this low point.
A series of uphill sections over rough ground got us onto the moor above Diggle at Billy Ground. Another name that fires the imagination.
As we climbed this grassy hill up undefined paths we could see the res and the shooting range below us. We had been listening to the guns for ages but now we could see the shooters. Not my kind of hobby but I guess it takes all sorts.
This was our second hill and we intended to have lunch when we reached the summit. It was much different from Alderman more of a diagonal path up the tufted grassy slope. We paused quite often and enjoyed the view.
Our route down was blocked by a fence so we had a short detour straight down the hill on a slippy steep slope to a gate.
We descended past a quarry down to a house at Standedge Tunnel and picked up the Oldham Way. This was so different to the last few miles as we travelled along this recently purpose built path. At this point we started passing dog walkers taking advantage of the easy way. Every one we passed either chatted or exchanged hellos.
We followed the Oldham Way all the way to the end of the rail tunnel at Diglea.
There were no real hills left just a couple of short sharp ascents but we had a long way to go along the valley to get back to our cars.
We were expecting to walk along roads down the valley but it was a very nice country walk along old railway lines and modern paths. It was very nice and the nearer we got to Greenfield the more people we passed.
We followed the Oldham Way all the way to the end of the rail tunnel at Diglea.
There were no real hills left just a couple of short sharp ascents but we had a long way to go along the valley to get back to our cars.
We were expecting to walk along roads down the valley but it was a very nice country walk along old railway lines and modern paths. It was very nice and the nearer we got to Greenfield the more people we passed.
A heron watched us pass and then took off when a family with a dog walked past.
Finally we were in Greenfield tired but not too bad for such a tough walk. Then it was in the car and home.
OS maps
https://explore.osmaps.com/route/31556523/tunstead-and-diggle-rfm-blue-line?lat=53.56947&lon=-1.99213&zoom=14.8402&overlays=os-obstacles-layer&style=TopoAuto&type=2d
Comments