BBC Walks

The Kirklees Valley

Walk Details:
Start Point: Kirklees Street, Tottington, Bury
Countryside Rangers Office: 0161 253 7984
Ordnance Survey: Explorer 287 - map ref: SD780130
Distance: approx 2km (1.2 miles)
Time: approx 1 hour 15minutes

Walk Conditions:
The disused railway line is flat with an all weather covering. There are a number of gates along the old railway line that are wheelchair and buggy friendly. All gates have RADAR locks fitted. Away from the disused railway line paths are variable. Some are cobbled, uneven and will be muddy and slippery when wet. Due to the nature of the area, caution is needed close to mill ponds and on non-established paths.

Tottington Station -Walk down the pathway from Kirklees Road. At the bottom of the path turn right and you will see the remains of Tottington Station on your right.

Our walk begins at the site of the old Tottington Railway Station. Just a little further along the path you can see the entrance to the old Goods Yard. Freight trains ran on this line until August 1963.

The Bury and Tottington railway went as far as Holcombe Brook. Annually, on Good Friday, hundreds of passengers would use the line as part of their pilgrimage to Holcombe Hill.

Now re-trace your steps and head back along the old railway line.

Viaduct and Island Lodge - Continue along the old railway line until you are on the viaduct. To the right you will see Island Lodge, the largest of the mill ponds in the area.

Looking down to the right from the viaduct you can see Island Lodge and Kirklees Brook.

This is a high gradient river with a turbulent flow. Usually these would be quite clean, but because of the industrial nature of the area it's not as clean as it could be.

Holcombe Moor - The view north from the viaduct includes the southern end of Holcombe Moor with the monument of Peel Tower.

Peel Tower was built in 1852 at a cost of £1,000. The tower is made using grit stone quarried from the very ground it stands on, without the permission of the landowner!

The area of Holcombe Moor where the Tower stands is high ground capped by a tough, erosion-resistant, sandstone bed which is well exposed (with abandoned quarries) at the summit. This high ground was overridden by ice during the Ice Age.

Greenmount Station and Old School - The old railway line ends at the former Greenmount Station. Follow the path up to the main road (B6215).

If you look over to your left you'll be able to see Greenmount Old School. This was built in 1848 and was originally a Sunday School founded by Samuel Knowles (of Tottington Mill), Robert Hadfield and Samuel Beswick.

It was named Green Mount and soon the surrounding area became known as Greenmount.

Tower Farm - Following the road round you will see Tower Farm just ahead of you. Follow the path around to the left passing in front of the very grand main entrance.

Tower Farm was built in 1840 as stables for work horses. There were also dwellings for farm workers.

The building was modelled on a tower built by Knowles' former employers at their 14th century home, Nuttall Hall Farm (now demolished).

Tottington Mill Printworks - Follow the cobbled path down to the left towards the brook.

The cobbled path used to lead inside Tottington Mill. If you stop about halfway down the path and look back towards Tower Farm it is thought to be the place LS Lowry stood and painted the Mill Yard, Tottington in 1921.

There had been a mill on this site for a number of years before Joshua Knowles arrived in 1820 and expanded it into a successful calico printing industry.

Exploring the rocks and cobbles

In the area around where Tottington Mill once stood you can discover much about the history of the area and Britain.

Beneath the superficial deposits of clays and sands are the solid rocks. There are no readily accessible exposures of these rocks along the line of the walk. However material representative of these rocks is to be seen in many places along the walk. In particular there are sandstones, buff in colour and tough, which have been worked in local quarries and used extensively in building construction.

The end of the walk and beyond - At the fork head right up to the cobbles ans along the path past the cricket ground. Walk through the housing estate and turn right. Contiune along until you reach a T-junction and turn left back onto Kirklees Street where the walk began.

This walk has covered only a small part of the Kirklees Valley. You may wish to explore the area further.