Salter Rake

The forecast was good for today although around lunchtime there was a small squally shower. Other than that the day was perfect.  Today I headed off to Todmorden to walk up around following the historic packhorse path. 

That was the plan anyway – it didn’t turn out quite as planned but never mind it was a great day.The way forward was clear to start with – up Honey Hole Road, passing an old classic car on the way. 

The path was steep but pretty straight forward passing a Quaker burial ground on my right.

Eventually came out by the Shepherds Rest pub.

 From here the directions were go straight across through the stile and onto Langfield Common – the direction said after a minute bear right onto the well preserverd causeway of Salter Rake.  I couldn’t see it – lots of people were going straight up the hillside, no one was going on a path to the right.  So I decided to follow the crowd, this was half an hour of steep up hill walking. As I got near the top I realised where I was Gaddings Dam.  At least I knew where I was now.

So I decided to walk along the Dam banking to the right and then take a path down from the right-hand corner. I knew there was a path there as I’d taken that path before.  As I walked along the banking I saw a man towards the end taking his shorts off – I thought nothing of it really just assumed he’d been swimming and was drying off before getting dressed. Oh no – he proceeded to lay a towel out and lay in the sun – wearing nothing but a hat. As I walked past him I kept my eyes on the footpath and focussed on the way forward.  Surprising what you see when you’re out isn’t it. At the end I turned down and came to a familiar boulder, the path continued down to the crossroads of paths that were mentioned in the walk.

 So I was now back on track – I’d merely taken a detour up to the dam.  Turning left on the Salter rake and the stone slabs – the pack horse route taking salt over the pennines from Cheshire.  From here is was a steady walk down to a small hamlet and continuing down to a house dated 1805 where a Nobel prize winning scientist lived – Sir John Cockroft.

The way back from here was along the Rochdale Canal. The book said 4 ¼ miles but seeing as I’d gone wrong it had become a 5 ½ mile walk.  It was good I’m glad I went wrong and found Gaddings Dam again.