What a day for a Saddo! The promise of sunshine all day plus some extra advertising through the South Pennines Walk and Ride Festival brought a bumper turnout to the Lime Kiln Cafe including four newcomers - welcome all!
The format for our Festival Saddo is pretty much set and the morning's tour of the local beauty spot of Dovestone Reservoir could not fail to impress in the morning sunshine. The route takes us along the canal to Frenches Marina before leaving the canal for a bit of a muddy track and then along the road to Tanner's Lane where we take a wooded path past the remains of Fletcher's Mill which used to make virtually all the cigarette paper used in the country before market forces took their toll. Read a bit more here:
Then it's up to the dam of the first of three picturesque reservoirs, Dovestone, Yeoman Hey and Greenfield nearly at the top of the valley. Here we paused for a group phot before retracing our steps back to the Lime Kiln for an excellent lunch.
We lost a few for the afternoon ride, some claiming prior commitments but nonetheless a jolly crew set off once agin along the canal towards Frenches Marina, along the aforementioned muddy track then up along the Pennine Bridleway, the former Micklehurst Loop Line (Steam buffs read more here:) until we rejoined the canal at Mossley. There's always a choice here of going through Scout Tunnel or over it and the group inevitably splits to rejoin a little further along before coming off the towpath at Millbrook with a splendid view of the "Conveyor Belt in the Sky that used to take coal from the sidings across the canal and the River Tame to the Power Station. (Some remarkable photos of the disused power station can be viewed here:)
A good climb through Stalybridge Country Park, a disused and partially filled in reservoir, then along the dam wall of the next reservoir up the valley before speeding back down to Millbroook and rather than joining the canal immediately we took a wonder through the rather spooky and in one place exceptionally muddy woods where the sidings used to be. It was then back down to the canal and home.
A great day out in superb countryside with excellent company and splendid weather - thankfully the monsoon did not hit Saddleworth until later that evening!
Set off with 22 arrived back with six! Not quite a record!
Rob Newton