It was one of those really wet days when you wonder why on earth be a ride leader, but noblesse oblige and all that, so after picking Eric up in the village off we went to Bury to see if anyone else was daft enough to fancy a ride in the rain!  Welcome daft Ian who was waiting in the car park and daft Jackie who turned up just in time to catch us before we departed then departed herself after a while to do other things!

A good day to test your waterproofs - Ian was not so daft after all in choosing to bring his cape!

So up the old railway line we went towards Tottington where I couldn’t resist a little ginnel which popped us out into a car park just by the junction we needed for the road to Affetside - ‘affet - side in Bury - ‘affet side in Bolton - up the old Roman Road of Watling street then down to follow the old Bury Road to Edgeworth and respite from the rain in the lovely Post Office Cafe for an early lunch.

Thereafter it was up, up, up to past the orphanage at Crowthorn - now turned into very upmarket apartments - as far as the Maggot Farm - forever to be known as such though it’s maggot breeding business may have passed into history - perhaps someone can tell me.

There begins the most wonderful three miles of bridleway in Lancashire, Moorbottom Road, skirting Holcombe Moor with views below of the firing range and on a good day across Manchester to Cheshire and beyond; this was not a good day!  The descent to the fording of the Red Brook was always difficult and has been recently washed away so we heeded the warning signs and picked our way precariously down to the ford over the Red Brook which was as full if not fuller then we’d ever seen it.

It really is a pleasure to ride this bridleway and a double pleasure to introduce Eric to its delights for the first time.  However we decided to quit while the going was good and bring the ride to a slightly premature end. We eschewed the delights of the slippery cobbles of the old Holcombe Road and took the tarmac route down to Holcombe Brook where we made our way down to the River Irwell at Brooksbottoms to be rewarded with the sight of one of the East Lancs Railways steam trains crossing the bridge.  The whole hamlet is dominated by Brooksbottom Mill, now up-market apartments but the original mill cottages still stand, neat and tidy and no doubt too very desirable.

Read a bit more about the mill here:

So up the rough track of Wood Road Lane to the Brandlesholme Road then swiftly back towards Bury before cutting through a housing estate back to our cars at Burrs Country Park.

Thanks everyone for great company and exceptionally good cheer on what otherwise could have been a morale sapping day!

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