Launch of the Reservoir Trails Project

Hollingworth Lake, Littleborough

A Reservoir Trails project, which includes eight new walking routes around the reservoir landscape in the moors between Littleborough and Saddleworth, is being launched.

The new trails aim to open up the South Pennines landscape to new audiences through the latest technology with an ‘app’ for mobile devices and audio trails and walk guides available to download at www.watershedlandscape.co.uk

Part of the Watershed Landscape project which is managed by Pennine Prospects, the project also includes:

A new exhibition, with interactive materials, at Hollingworth Lake Visitor Centre.

Leaflets, available from Hollingworth Lake Visitors’ Centre, Touchstones Rochdale, Saddleworth Museum, and the Brownhills Countryside Centre, in Uppermill a booklet, which celebrates this fascinating landscape as seen through its history, water, wildlife and wide variety of recreation opportunities, available to buy at Lake Visitors’ Centre.

Councillor Aftab Hussain, Pennine Prospects Board Member and Chairman of the Pennine Township Committee, which part-funded the project, said the trails are a great way to encourage people to explore the beautiful South Pennines landscape and said: “The moorland and reservoirs in this area offer a stunning backdrop to our daily lives but we don’t necessarily go out into the landscape to enjoy them.

“These Reservoir Trails offer everyone a chance to find out more about and explore this wonderful resource. With this new app we’re hoping to reach a different audience and encourage even more people to go out into the landscape to experience for themselves the beauty of the South Pennines.”

The Reservoir Trails bring together new walking routes, based on existing rights of way, in the uplands of Rochdale and Oldham and currently include the upland reservoir network stretching from Warland and Light Hazzles through Blackstone Edge and Hollingworth Lake to the Piethorne Valley and beyond, to include Denshaw and Castleshaw Valleys in Saddleworth. Each of the eight circular trails, around or near reservoirs, can be walked as an independent route or linked together via the Pennine Bridleway for more challenging long distance walking.

“The new resources have been developed to help people explore just a handful of the huge number of reservoirs in the South Pennines,” explained Pam Warhurst, Chairwoman of Pennine Prospects. “People in Greater Manchester have a direct connection to the moorland landscape through their tap and water supply, yet the story of the construction of these reservoirs, which were incredible feats of engineering, remains largely untold.

“The leaflet guides visitors around the trails whilst the booklet includes more information about the history and development of the reservoir network. This brings the story of the local reservoir landscape right up-to-date alongside information about the activities which keep our water supply clean and flowing and protect the moorland landscape as well,” Pam added.

The Reservoir Trails project is a joint initiative with Rochdale and Oldham councils and United Utilities, generously funded by Pennines Township. The Watershed Landscape project is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and the South Pennines LEADER programme, (the Rural Development Programme for England), which is jointly funded by Defra and the European Union.