'Winter warmer' walk with Ron Freethy

TO many people the idea of a walk in and around Haslingden might not seem to be all that appealing. Don't be put off, however, because there is plenty of history and natural history on offer.

I started off in the graveyard of St James Church (pictured). The view from the church is stunning with the new road leading to the M65 running along the valley bottom.

Above the valley are soaring hills which have been settled since Iron Age times and the Roman road from Chester and Manchester to Ribchester passed through what is now the town.

Most historians accept that the hillside location of the church is on the site of an Anglo Saxon religious centre, which may have been either a simple building or a cross.

There was a Tudor building here in the 16th century but the present building mostly dates to the 18th and early 19th centuries.

Enjoy the view by all means, but don't forget to look closely at the gravestones which have now been laid flat to produce a path around the church. Here are lots of publicans, as well as shoemakers and textile operatives.

Many of the inscriptions are still easy to read. I love looking at these memories as it is like studying history literally laid out in tablets of stone.

One of the easiest to read mourns the passing of James Lane, an innkeeper during the 19th century.

Apart from being on the old Roman road, Haslingden had a turnpike system which linked to Manchester and Blackburn. What we now know as the Grane Road was the anicent highway. Haslingden was an important stopping point for coaches and this is no doubt why there were so many ale houses. Perhaps a lot of people walked because there were also a lot of shoemakers.

No doubt this latter tradtion may account for the fact that Rossendale still has a shoe industry.

The people who lived in the valley were often known as Graners and they made a living from farming, weaving, quarrying, while some were known as whisky spinners. This was an amusing term for those who illegally distilled whisky.

On the Grane road is a pub known as the Wellington and also a car park and visitor centre run by North West Water and inside is a display of local life, including a whisky still.

Calf Hay Reservoir is the focal point of a circular walk. It was built between 1854 and 1859 to supply drinking water to Bury and Radcliffe. Also on the catchment area is Ogden Reservoir (not to be confused by a site of the same name near Barley).

This 'Grane Ogden' was completed in 1912 and this involved the flooding of a couple of mills and associated cottages.

In the early years the water companies were quite aggressive and had a policy of keeping people away from catchment areas and parts of the Grane were almost deserted after centuries of being a busy place.

Things have now changed and responsible visitors are made very welcome indeed.

The Grane Road is always one of the first to close when winter snows hit the valley and even in normal winters this can be a cold, wet and windy spot.

I have heard it said that neither Calf Hay nor Ogden are good places to enjoy nature but this is not true.

There are days when the bird watching can be spectacular and I have seen merlin, short eared owl, lapwing, snipe, skylark and common sandpiper all with a 40 minute walk on a morning in late May. The flowers can also be interesting and bog asphodel, tormentil and heather are found in abundance. The common red campion can also be attractive and clumps of these flowers look beautiful when reflected in sunlight especially after a shower of rain.

Those who want more information can obtain free leaflets from the North West Water Visitor Centre on the Grane Road and Rossendale Leisure Services also produce an informative Haslingden Town Centre Trail.

Although there are seasons when the Grane is gentle, there are good reasons to visit the area in winter.

Firstly, however, let me give a word of warning. In snow and freezing conditions the West Pennine Moors are as life threatening as any mountain and walkers should take all safety precautions and should not venture into the uplands in foggy or snowy or other adverse weather conditions.

In winter, however, when vegetation is low, the foundations of the old Graners dwellings can be seen more easily and visibility can be spectacular especially around the reservoirs.

Haslingden is the perfect place to set forth in search of the 'Holy Grane.'