Barrow Bridge is often described as a model village, but that doesn't mean it is very small and made of Lego. The cottages were purpose-built by an enlightened mill owner, and unlike those in the dark, back-to-backs of the towns, the workers here lived in a delightful country setting. Now the village is a conservation area and above the stream, that once powered the mills, rise the slopes of Smithills Country Park, while in the wooded cloughs the beech trees glow golden in the autumn sunshine.
LOCATION: North Bolton
START: Barrow Bridge, off A58. Car park beyond bus turning circle Grid ref: SD687117 Postcode: BL1 7NH
DISTANCE: 4.5 miles
GRADE: Moderate
TIME: 2.5 hours
MAP: Explorer - West Pennine Moors Landranger 109
REFRESHMENTS: Pack a flask
EN ROUTE: Smithills Country Park, Winter Hill, Dean Brook, Walker Fold, Burnt Edge, Sugar Loaf, Brownstones Quarry, Old Colliers Row
This walk was originally published by
The Manchester Evening News