THIS walk takes you from the industrial village of Barrow Bridge up the Miners Steps to the lower slopes of Winter Hill along the little escarpment known as Burnt Edge.

It also passes the ‘Will Yo Come O’ Sunday Morning’ monument commemorating the mass trespass of Boltonians onto the moor in 1896. The route returns via Smithills Hall, the former home of Colonel Ainsworth, the landowner responsible for blocking the right of way on to Winter Hill that led to the protest of 10,000 townsfolk.

The walk also passes the Barrow Bridge mill chimney restored by Fred Dibnah, which dominates the view for most of this walk.

Turn left out of the car park, where there is an info board about the 63 Miners Steps, and when the lane soon turns sharp right over the brook go through the gate straight ahead.

Take the right forking path, the lower path, which runs alongside the brook to reach the Miners Steps. Climb these steeply uphill through woodland and continue straight ahead to a kissing gate.

Go straight ahead up the spur of the hill and the path forks. Take the left fork to a stile in a fence alongside a stream.

Cross this and follow the fenced path with Dakin’s Brook on the left. This path runs uphill for about ¼ mile to a kissing gate where it meets Walker Fold Road.

Almost opposite (slightly to the left) join the narrow lane signed as Matchmoor Lane.

Follow this as it zigzags uphill revealing a good view back towards Bolton, Manchester and the Pennines. Keep to the lane for about half a mile until the point where it turns sharp left at a crossroads of tracks.

Leave the lane here and continue straight ahead along a farm track leading to Slack Hall Farm on the left. Go through gates and continue straight ahead along a wide grassy track with a wall to the left.

The track follows the ridge of Burnt Edge and eventually swings right at the head of a little valley and joins a bridleway at a path junction.

Follow the bridleway around the top of the valley to reach another junction of paths close to woodland. Ignore the bridleway turning left but head for the little plantation and the path turns sharp right, crossing a footbridge over the stream by the trees.

The path continues around the hillside to Holden’s Farm. Follow the waymarked path around the farm and continue straight ahead on the far side of the farm to reach the end of a tarmac lane.

This lane, Coal Pit Road, is followed straight ahead for nearly two miles. Almost halfway along it a gate and signpost on the left mark the start of the Victorian disputed route on to Winter Hill, now marked by a memorial stone just the other side of the gate.

The lane eventually meets Scout Road at a crossroads. Cross with care and continue straight ahead down Smithills Dean Road heading back in the direction of Bolton.

When signed tracks are reached on either side of the road you can turn left, at the cottage, and follow the access road which soon crosses a brook alongside woodland.

Turn right after this and head slightly downhill to join a track, going through a gap by a gate, to join a woodland path alongside a high wall.

Turn right at the end of this to reach the Smithills Hall complex.

To return to Barrow Bridge follow the main driveway leading out of Smithills Hall, which brings you back to Smithills Dean Road.

Almost directly opposite join the signed footpath that leads along a narrow ginnel between garden fences. This soon crosses an estate road and continues straight ahead through woodland, becoming a cobbled path that drops downhill and swings left to reach houses.

Turn sharp right along the lane which leads uphill to the junction by the tall mill chimney inscribed with Fred Dibnah’s signature.

Turn right at the junction and follow the pavement of Barrow Bridge Road through the village until the car park is reached on the left.

GETTING THERE

START: Barrow Bridge car park, at the top end of Barrow Bridge village. BL1 7NH

DISTANCE: 5.5 miles (allow 2 - 3 hours)

MAP: OS Explorer 287 West Pennine Moors