Why Tameside and Glossop
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Glossop
Glossop is situated in the extreme north west of Derbyshire surrounded by some of the
most magnificent scenery of the Peak District and yet is only 14 miles from Manchester
and 24 miles from Sheffield. Glossop Heritage Centre is situated at the top of Norfolk
Square.
The Longdale Trail
The Longendale Trail was opened in the early 1990s and follows the track of the former
Woodhead railway from Hadfield to the entrance to the Woodhead tunnels, a distance
of about 11km. It is a pleasant cycle ride or an easy walk, but there are few alternative
return routes - the adjacent roads are not pleasant for cycling.
The trail starts just outside Hadfield station, not far from Bottoms Reservoir, and follows
the chain of reservoirs up the valley. Along the way it offers fine views along
Longendale and across to Black Hill.
Melandra Roman Fort
Melandra 'castle' is the only significant Roman relic visible in the Peak. A small garrison
fort, it is situated on the western edge of Glossop with the Gamesley estate encroaching
upon it from the south. The fort has been excavated by Manchester University and is a
scheduled monument in the care of English Heritage.
Tameside
The Metropolitan Borough of Tameside is a metropolitan borough of Greater
Manchester in the North West. Its western border is approximately six miles east of the
centre of Manchester. It consists of the nine towns of Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw,
Denton, Droylsden, Dukinfield, Hyde, Longdendale, Mossley and Stalybridge.
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It was named after the River Tame, which runs through it. It borders Derbyshire to the
east, the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham to the north, the Metropolitan Borough of
Stockport to the south, and the City of Manchester to the west.
The Tame Valley
The river that gives the Borough its name begins high in the Pennines above Oldham,
carving a deep valley on its way through the hills in the north of Tameside, past Mossley
and Stalybridge. Although characterised for a time by mills and other industry as it
bends west beyond Ashton-under-Lyne and Dukinfield, the valley opens out on its way
past Hyde and Denton, with pasture and fine woodland a feature all the way through
Haughton Dale Nature Reserve to Reddish Vale and on to Stockport, where the Tame
joins the Goyt to form the Mersey.
In the valley there are countryside centres at Reddish Vale on the boundary between
Stockport and Tameside, and at Brownhill above Uppermill in Oldham. In Tameside the
river passes the Portland Basin Museum.
Hartshead Pike
The tower on top of the Pike, a well-known landmark visible from miles around, was
built in 1863 to celebrate the wedding of the then Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) to
Princess Alexandra of Denmark. The tower stands at nearly 300 metres above sea
level. The Pike at one time probably served as a beacon hill to warn of the approach of
the Spanish Armada.
Werneth Low Country Park
Offers pleasant walks, a visitor centre, and events for all the family all year round.
Werneth Low has long been famed for its stunning views. On a clear day the hills of
North Wales are visible beyond the Cheshire plain. The towns of Greater Manchester lie
nearer at hand, while southwards and eastwards the scene is dominated by the Peak
District valleys, hills and moors.
The Country Park is jointly managed by Tameside Council and the Hyde War Memorial
Trust.
Stalybridge Country Park
Lying just over a mile to the north-east of Stalybridge, this country park centres on two
areas. Firstly, the Brushes Valley, with its four reservoirs running up into the Pennine
Moors, and secondly Carrbrook, lying in the shadow of Buckton Castle a 12th/13th
century stronghold. Linking the two areas, although outside the Country Park
boundaries, is a good rights of way network, which also takes visitors into the Tame
Valley, Longdendale and the Peak District.
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The Country Park is managed by Tameside Council in partnership with North West
Water.
Broad Mills
Once the site of a huge complex of cotton mills, the site of Broad Mills at Broadbottom,
adjoining the Lymefield Visitor Centre, has been carefully reclaimed, and the remains of
the mills, with their complex arrangement of mill races and sluices, restored for visitors
to enjoy. Self-guided trails leaflets to this and other nearby features of interest are
available from the Tameside's countryside ranger service.
The Eastern Moors and Longdendale
The largest area of open country in Tameside is the extensive area of high heather
moorland east of the Tame Valley, linking to the high Pennines within the Peak District
National Park. The highest point in the Borough on Hoarstone Edge (at nearly 500
metres above sea level) lies at the northern end of the area.
Some of these moors are now open access and a number of rights of way cross them,
or skirt the edges, enabling visitors to enjoy real hill country, with far flung views.
South-eastwards the moors give way to the hill farming country, wooded cloughs and
more pastoral countryside around Hollingworth Hall, overlooking Longdendale and the
Etherow Valley.
The Medlock Valley and Daisy Nook Country Park
From the Pennine fringes north-east of Oldham the River Medlock follows an attractive
valley between Oldham and Ashton, continuing all the way to the city centre of
Manchester. The river enters Tameside through the gorge of Rocher Vale, overlooked
by the tower of Hartshead Pike a kilometre or so to the east, and flows through the
former industrial settlement of Park Bridge, where you will find the Park Bridge Heritage
Centre. (See above for information about Park Bridge).
A further two kilometres downstream lies the popular Daisy Nook Country Park, 35
hectares (85 acres) of woodland, riverside meadow, lake and canal, straddling the
boundary between Tameside and Oldham. The John Howarth Countryside Centre here
provides information, displays and refreshments.
There is pastoral farmland south of the valley at Littlemoss. The former Droylsden
railway, now a landscaped walkway, links Audenshaw with the Medlock Valley.
Audenshaw Estate
The largest areas of water in Tameside, and the home of wintering wildfowl, are the
Audenshaw Reservoirs, and the Gorton Reservoirs on the boundary with Manchester.
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With the exception of the Lower Gorton Reservoir just in Manchester, public access to
the water areas themselves is restricted. However, pleasant rights of way cross the
open land between the reservoirs.
The Etherow Valley
For its first miles through impressive Longdendale in the Peak District National Park, the
River Etherow has been impounded to form a chain of five reservoirs. From
Hollingworth, where the river enters Tameside and is once more running free, its course
lies through Pennine foothill country, with fine view to Werneth Low and Cown Edge.
The mixture of woods, farms, stone villages and hamlets, and areas rich in industrial
history, like Broad Mills at Broadbottom, make this an especially interesting and
attractive length of valley.
Knott Hill and Silver Springs
Between the Tame and Medlock valleys lies an area of pleasant, mainly farming
countryside. A network of paths crosses the area, making it possible to walk from
Stamford Park, between Ashton and Stalybridge, by way of the area of open land called
Silver Springs, to either the Medlock or Tame Valley, to Knott Hill Reservoir (now
attractively wooded), or to the Hartshead Pike viewpoint.
The Canals and Portland Basin
During the Industrial Revolution a network of canals was constructed, linking the area to
the rest of the country. Today these canals provide leisure and recreation opportunities
to canal cruisers, canoeists, anglers, walkers and wildlife enthusiasts.
The three main canals, the Manchester and Ashton-under-Lyne Canal, the Peak Forest,
and the Huddersfield Narrow, join at Portland Basin, with its Museum. Here you can find
out about the history of Tameside from pre-industrial times to the present day. From the
basin you can follow the Ashton Canal west towards Manchester, or take the Peak
Forest or Huddersfield Narrow Canals, parallel to the River Tame, out to open
countryside.
Some sections of the former branch canals have long since disappeared, but remaining
stretches, such as the Hollinwood Branch Canal, nowadays provide rich havens for
wildlife, with easy walking through the countryside along their towpaths.
Everyday contact with nature is important for well being and quality of life, and everyone
should be able to enjoy this contact in safety without having to make a special journey
to do so.
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