Tandle Hill is a delightful place, especially in autumn when the trees turn gold, while in spring there are rhododendrons in flower. But surprisingly the trees were originally planted not to attract people, but to stop them coming here. The problem was politics. After the Manchester Peterloo Massacre in 1819 Tandle Hill was a handy open space for holding political rallies. This had to be stopped, said the authorities, so they planted the whole area with beech trees. They could hardly have chosen trees more attractive than beech and now solitary walkers, groups of walkers and families with children enjoy a visit, while the dogs greet everyone enthusiastically as a personal friend. The children especially love racing to the top then, ignoring parental commands to walk not run, fling themselves down the steep slopes. Tandle Hill is not a long walk, perhaps one of our shortest, but take a picnic and you can have a most enjoyable half day outing.
LOCATION: Three miles north of Oldham
START: Tandle Hill Country Park signed from A671
Grid ref: SD906087 Postcode: OL2 5UY
DISTANCE: 2.5 miles
GRADE: Easy
TIME: 1.5 hours
MAP: Explorer - Manchester & Salford Landranger 109
REFRESHMENTS: Tandle Hill Tavern and Tandle Hill café
EN ROUTE: Thornham, Oldham Way
This walk was originally published by
The Manchester Evening News