Encircling Watergrove reservoir rises a tempting skyline of high moorland summits. It's easier than it appears and this switchback over five tops is one of the best walks in the South Pennines. When we first did this walk it felt truly wild and remote, then came the windfarm. Surely it must be spoilt, we thought. But returning to this high moorland (that's why they built the towering structures here!) it seems to have won the battle and retained a feeling of wildness while the swish of the blades seems muted as if even technology can sometimes be in awe of nature.
LOCATION: Four miles north of Rochdale
START: Watergrove Reservoir car park above Wardle village
Grid ref: SD912176 Postcode: OL129NE
DISTANCE: 6.5 miles
GRADE: Moderate, but not recommended in bad weather
TIME: 4.5 hours
MAP: Explorer OL - South Pennines Landranger 109
REFRESHMENTS: Pack a flask
EN ROUTE: Brown Wardle, Hades Hill, Rough Hill, Long Causeway, Crook Hill
This walk was originally published by
The Manchester Evening News