Rochdale Ramblers September 2017 Newsletter.

ROCHDALE RAMBLERS.
Keeping You Informed.
Find us on Facebook and Twitter.
Newsletter No.91. 1st September 2017.
1. Local and National News.
There is plenty of walking to be done this month with our own walks and those
in the South Pennines Walk and Ride Festival programme. If you fancy the
Calder Woodland Way you can do it all in one day or do it over 4 days on walks
led by Rochdale group members. No excuse for not getting out this month
with so much on offer.
Ramblers Exhibit at the Rooley Moor Neighbourhood Forum event.

The annual field event by the RMNF went well on the 13th August with
hundreds of people turning up to enjoy the day. The Ramblers had a stand
manned by Freda Moody and myself to promote walking which attracted a
good deal of interest. We also promoted other groups such as the Long
Distance Walkers Association, Rochdale Field Naturalists, Lancashire Wildlife
Trust and many others. The handout for Walking for Health was very popular
as was the Ramblers programme. We look forward to attracting some new
members.
The Autumn and Winter Programmes 2017-2018.
The programmes are now complete so a big thank you to those members who
volunteered to lead walks and to Gill and David, and Maureen and David for
putting the programmes together. We will continue to use electronic mailing
where possible but will send out printed copies of the programmes on the 20th
September to those members who do not have access to the Internet and to
members who still prefer a printed copy. Please let us know before the 20th if
you want us to send you printed copies. Walk details will also be on the main
Ramblers website at the Group Walks Finder and on our own website as soon
as possible.
Rochdale Group Committee Vacancies.
Footpath Secretary, Countryside Secretary, Newsletter Editor, Minutes
Secretary
We already have a vacancy for a Minutes Secretary but by the end of the
Summer we will be looking for a new Footpath Secretary, a Countryside
Secretary and a Newsletter Editor. We want to identify these new post holders
before our AGM in November so that we can have a period handing over
responsibilities. If you would like to take on any of these roles please contact
either our Chairman Richard or myself as soon as possible.

Coach Trip to Richmond, North Yorkshire, Saturday 23rd September.
Will everyone going on the trip please be at Manchester Road (cul de sac near
Dixons Funeral Parlour) before 8.30am so the coach can depart on time.
We will travel directly to Calfhall Woods near Richmond, about 2hours, where
the first of the two walks starts. Public toilets.
David and Maureen Butterworth will lead this walk of about 10 miles which
goes to Marske and then back to Richmond. This should finish around 4pm or
a little before.
The coach will drop the second group at Yorke Square car park in Richmond.
David and Gill Hollas will lead a walk of about 7 miles. This should finish a little
after 3pm.
Both walks cover parts of the Coast to Coast Trail and end in Richmond which
is classic market town with a range of shops, tearooms and pubs to suit most
tastes. Coach will depart 5pm and arrive back in Rochdale about 7pm.
All 48 seats are now booked but keep checking with Joan in case any seats
become available.
The South Pennines Walk and Ride Festival.
This year’s South Pennines Walk and Ride Festival will take place between
Saturday 9th September and Sunday 24th September.
We have 4 members, Mick Chatham, Andrew Underdown, Richard Gibbons
and Jim Hargreaves who are all leading walks in this years Festival and
hopefully our members will join the walks and take advantage of the other
varied walks on offer in this years programme.
Mick Chatham is leading 4 circular walks from Brighouse to Walsden titled
WALKING THE CALDER WOODLAND WAY. These are on 11th, 12th, 18th, 19th
September. Mick is also leading the TODMORDEN CENTENARY WAY in two
parts on 16th and 17th September.
Jim Hargreaves is leading a walk near Marsden, the STANDEDGE CLASSIC on
14th September and Richard Gibbons is leading a walk in Todmorden to
GREAT BRIDE STONES on 17th September, both of these walks are part of
Rochdale Ramblers summer programme.
Andrew Underdown is leading a Long Distance Walkers Association walk as
part of the Festival on Thursday 14th September. Details : CALDER
WOODLAND WAY : 25 miles ( severe) a challenging 8/9 hour linear walk at a
brisk pace for experienced walkers. It follows the route of the Calder Valley
starting at Brighouse Railway Station and finishes at Walsden Railway
Station.8.30am start. It involves 4,700 feet of ascent.

Jean Norman from the Dunwood Park Nordic Walkers invites members to an
ARCHAEOLOGICAL NORDIC WALK on 10th September when Archaeologist
Mike Nevell will be talking about the industrial archaeology of Crompton Moor
( booking for this event is essential : cost £3 per person )
Further information on these walks can be found
on http://www.walkandridefestival.co.uk/ and Richard and David Butterworth
have some walk booklets.
Manchester City Centre Walk : 11am Saturday 7th October.
Following a quest to offer more diversity and social opportunities Richard has
arranged for a professional tour guide to lead a 2 hour walk in the city tracing
our industrial past with the theme "POLITICS and POVERTY". John Alker will
lead the walk and it promises to be an interesting diversion from our usual
programme and following the walk we will be able to partake in some
refreshments (to be arranged). The finer details have yet to be arranged but
John can deliver the walk up to approx 30 people and the more members we
get the less cost to the individual. Richard anticipates that the cost per
individual will be about £4. Please contact Richard on his usual numbers to
confirm your participation. If successful and there is enough interest we can
arrange further walks in our walks programme.
Rochdale Ramblers Theatre Group.
Following members interest in setting up a Ramblers theatre group to sample
some local productions this autumn, Richard is asking if any like minded
member would help him to organise and promote this social activity. In the
first instance it would be useful to establish numbers who are interested in
being part of the theatre group so please confirm with Richard if you are
interested.
Group Committee Meeting and Postal Night.
Our next Group Committee meeting is at 7.30pm, Wednesday 20th September
at the Unitarian Church, Clover Street, Rochdale. 7pm for the mail out team.
Bollington Walking Festival.
The Festival takes place between 23rd September and the 1st October with 46
free guided walks in the Cheshire Peak District over 9 days. For more
information see bollingtonwalkingfestival.co.uk
2. Out in the Countryside.

Success with Off Road Bikers.
On Sunday 13th August Police seized two uninsured vehicles used to
transport off-road motor bikes up to the moor from Rooley Moor Road. On the
same day in a separate incident the Police seized an off-road motor bike
leaking petrol into a feeder stream to Naden reservoirs and the rider was
reported for summons.
Scout Moor Wind Farm Expansion Plan.
Peel Energy have not appealed against the Secretary of States decision to
refuse the 14 turbines in the Rossendale area and time has now run out. We
don’t know at this stage whether the 2 planned for Scout Moor in Rochdale will
still go ahead.
3. I Didn’t Know That.
The Coiners of Cragg Vale.
Bell House, former residence of “King” David Hartley.
The Cragg Vale Coiners were a band of counterfeiters based in Cragg Vale.
They produced fake gold coins in the late 18th century to supplement small
incomes from weaving.
Led by "King" David Hartley, the Coiners obtained real coins from investors
sometimes on the promise that they could "grow" the investment by smelting
the original metals with base ores. They removed the coins genuine edges and
milled them again, collecting the shavings. The coins were only slightly
smaller. They then melted down the shavings to produce counterfeits. Designs
were punched into the blanks with a hammer and coining kit and the fake
coins circulated. The Cragg Coiners were so successful because Yorkshire
was quite isolated from central England.

In 1769, William Dighton, a public official, investigated the gang. A Coiner,
James Broadbent, betrayed the gang and Hartley was arrested.
Isaac Hartley, "King" David's brother planned to have Dighton killed. On 10th
November 1769, two Coiners, Matthew Normanton and Robert Thomas,
ambushed Dighton in Halifax and shot him.
Charles Watson-Wentworth, a former Prime Minister, was tasked with hunting
down the killers. He had thirty Coiners arrested by Christmas Day. David
Hartley was hanged on 28th April 1770, and buried in Heptonstall. Isaac
escaped and lived until 1815. As for Dighton's murderers, Normanton was
hanged on 15th April 1775 and Thomas was hanged on 6th August 1774.
Check it out on James’s walk on the 9th.
4. Our Walks in September.
Close Gate bridge, Marsden. Jims walk on the 14th.
We have 7 group walks this month, details as follows :-
1. On Saturday 2nd join James Tew for our leisurely walk Redisher Woods. The
walk starts at Laurel Street, Tottington, near Town Meadows (the bus terminus
for Rochdale buses is nearby). Toilets available in the library or main street.
Route :- The walk takes us along the Kirklees Trail towards Greenmount.
Across the golf course towards Hawkshaw, along Hawkshaw Lane to Redisher
Woods. Return via Summerseat and Brandlesholme. Leisurely walk not more
than 5 miles. 1pm start.
2. On Sunday 3rd it’s the Kirklees Roamer with Tony Bevan. Route :- The walk
will be taking in great views, woodland, forest, pasture, waterfalls and villages.
It is an undulating walk taking in many stiles and a visit to the centre of
Holmfirth for a short break and toilet stop. Moderate. 10.5 miles. 10.30am start.

3. On Saturday 9th James Colgan introduces us to the The Coiners of Cragg
Vale. Route :- Please note the Starting Point and details are still the same as
on the website (Withens Clough Reservoir Car Park) but please use post
code HX7 5UB. This is a walk exploring the history of the infamous Cragg Vale
Coiners. The apparent tranquility of Mytholmroyd belies a murky past
involving an 18th century counterfeiting gang, the ‘Cragg Vale Coiners’. This
gang's activities were said to be so damaging that they threatened to wreck
Britain's currency. We will visit the homes of the leaders of the gang, visit
landmarks, discuss the history of the gang and the broader
counterfeiting issues of the times. Moderate. 8 miles. 11am start.
4. On Thursday 14th James Hargreaves does the Standedge Classic. Route :- .
This walk starts North on the Pennine Way over Millstone Edge (1470`) to
Oldgate Moss and then over the old pack horse route to Close Gate Bridge via
Marsden Moor.We then ascend Pule Hill (1433`) before returning to Brun
Clough Reservoir via Redbrook Reservoir. The walk offers a combination of
packhorse trails and a national trail with potentially classic wide South
Pennine panoramas. Intermediate walk. Approx 7.5 miles 11am start.
5. On Sunday 17th Richard Gibbons takes us up to Great Bride Stones. Route
:- The walk leaves the Hare and Hounds Car Park skirting Harley Wood over
Hudson Moor to join the Calderdale Way. We then head to Shore before
reaching our lunch stop at the waterfall at the entrance to Eleanor's Wood.
After lunch we proceed over Bride Stones Moor to the Stones which are
outcrops of odd shaped millstone grit rocks over half a mile in length at 1,400
feet above sea level. Richard will give you a little history and tell you some
myths about this fascinating area. We return to the car park via Windy Harbour
and Whirlaw before touching on the Calderdale Way again at Hole Bottom.
This is a scenic valley walk with some steep sections but on well established
paths. Moderate. 7 miles. 10.30am start.
6. On Saturday 23rd it’s our coach trip to Swaledale and Richmond, meeting
instructions above.
Route :- David &Maureen walk. Departing from Round Howe car park (toilets)
and crossing the Reeth Road the walk follows the valley of the River Swale to
Applegarth Farm and continues towards Marske. Returning towards
Applelgarth the route takes us up Deep Dale to follow the ridge above
Whitcliffe Scar with fine views up and down Swaledale. After visiting
Willance's Leap we return to central Richmond by Whitcliffe Farm and Hurgill.
10 miles Moderate.
7. On Thursday 28th we visit Marsden with Eric Lord. Route :- The walk starts
from the station car park at Marsden. It will be a circular walk around Marsden

incorporating the wild side of Butterley Reservoir ( A Walk on the Wild Side ?)
which should give good hillside views over Marsden, the Colne and
Wessenden valleys. The route takes us up Spring Head Lane to Nether Wood
Farm, through Park Gate Clough, past Slaithwaite Hall and back down to the
canal. At this point we’ll cross the A62 to pick up the Colne Valley circular
path, past Scout Quarries, up to Binn Edge and then drop down to Butterley
Reservoir to follow the path through the Wild Wood (a recent planting by the
Colne Valley Tree Society, expanding the White Rose forest up to the
moorland fringe). At the dam we drop down the steps to join the track through
Crowther’s Mills and head back into Marsden village.
The walk is a mixture of lanes and paths, the majority of which are good but
expect some muddy patches, overgrown sections and short steep descents
and climbs, as we pass through the Cloughs and Wild Wood sections. Bring a
walking pole for the rougher bits which include stream crossings, one of
which is very slippery. Intermediate walk. 7 miles. 11am start.
Rochdale Group Membership at the 31st August 218.
The photograph of Bell House is the copyright of John Darch, the photograph
of Close Gate Bridge is the copyright of Bryan Pready and both photographs
are licensed for re-use under the Creative Commons License.
Roy Thorniley.
Footpath and Countryside Secretary on behalf of the Committee.