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TAKE A WALK IN BLUEBELL WOOD
Pauline Journeaux takes us on a walking tour of
the Ogden, Kitcliffe and Piethorne Reservoirs, and
Bluebell Wood.
This route follows public footpaths, and is a medium
difficulty, medium length walk that took roughly
one and half hours, but may take you a little longer
depending on how often you stop to take in the
stunning views.
Stout footwear is recommended.
The area is used for farming, recreation and nature
conservation, dogs must be kept on a lead as there
are farm animals and sheep wandering on the moors.
Bluebells are protected under the Wildlife and
Countryside Act 1981. It is a criminal offence to pick
or remove the bulbs of wild common bluebells.
Ogden is just outside Newhey off the A640,
Huddersfield Road, there is a small car park on
Ogden Lane, Springmill or if this is full parking is
available on the road.
Start from the car park and walk up Ogden Lane,
past all the cottages with Ogden Reservoir and
Kitcliffe Farm on the left, and through the gate at
Piethorne House.
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Carry on up the hill past the water treatment plant,
straight on to Piethorne Reservoir and past
Knowsley Wood Plantation.
The path then carries on up the hill, but I turned left
and followed the walk around the reservoir.
Go through the kissing gate and follow the path
around Piethorne Reservoir.
The path meanders around the reservoir and
finishes at another kissing gate and on to a lane.
Turn left and follow the lane past the end of the
reservoir, this is the view from the end of Piethorne
Reservoir looking back on to
the path just walked around and Knowsley Wood
Plantation.
Walk up the hill past The Limehouse, to the woods
and the two gates.
Just before the gate, on the lane, there is a This mixed woodland provides a valuable habitat on The path then comes on to Binns Ruin. Binns is an
kissing gate on the left, go through into the high moors, although how severe weather stunts area of mixed ruins which date back to the 13th and
Bluebell Wood. the trees and sometimes blows them over can be 15th centuries. A very old inhabited site, records
seen. Beech, birch, rowan and sycamore are present have shown that as early as 1610 Jeffraye Turnough,
Although known locally as Bluebell Wood, its proper with taller Scots and Corsican pine in some areas. Yeoman, lived there.
name is Old House Ground Plantation.
The path goes through the woods, and it is a real Turn left and follow the path down the hill past the
pleasure to take time wandering through. ruins; the main path continues on back up the hill
and on to the Rochdale Way.
At the end of the wood go through the kissing gate
and on to the moors; dogs will need to be kept on a At the bottom of the hill cross the stream and
lead from here as there are sheep and lambs loose. continue on down with Ogden Reservoir on the left
and a wood on the right. Through the kissing gate at
Follow the path over the moors keeping Piethorne the end and on past the wood.
Reservoir on your left and Kitcliffe Reservoir below
and in front. There is a wall on the left and Ogden Reservoir
below on the left and the wood to the right.
The path goes down towards Kitcliffe Reservoir
and joins another path on the left. Join this path and Find the gap in the wall and go down to the
carry on past Kitcliffe Reservoir and on towards reservoir, take care, the gap is small and steep.
Ogden Reservoir.
Carry on across the reservoir path and then down
Follow this path, keep Ogden Reservoir on the left. the other side back to the car park.
21 REAL ROCHDALE - SPRING 2019