Glossop Low

 

GLOSSOP LOW

 

April 1st 2026 

 

OLD GLOSSOP, HOPE STREET, CHARLES LANE, COCK HILL, GLOSSOP LOW, CLOUGH EDGE, REAPS FARM, TRANS PENNINE TRAIL, GLOSSOP CEMETERY, B6105, SWINESHAW RESERVOIR, CASTLE HILL, QUEEN’S ARMS IN OLD GLOSSOP

 

 

Distance: 8.0 miles​  Ascent/descent: 1344 ft

 

Difficulty: Moderate. One long climb

 

Weather: Mostly fine & dry, 1 very short light shower 

 

Walkers:  Andrew Blease, Mike Cassini, Jim Riley with Flossie, Greg Owens, Hughie Hardiman with Coco, Mark Enright, Steve Brearley.

 

Alternative walkers: Jock Rooney with Milly

 

Apologies: quite a lot

 

Leader: Blease, Diarist: Blease

 

Starting point: Rough car park opposite The Wheatsheaf, Old Glossop. SK13 7RS

 

Starting time: ​0945​​  Finishing time: 1330

 

This was a copy of the walk that we had done just under one year earlier on the 9th April 2025, these notes have been heavily plagiarised from the notes written at that time by Russell, who I think in turn had plagiarised notes previously written by Alan Hart.

 

Everyone arrived approximately on time so we set off, turning right out of the car park opposite we ascended Hope Street and turned left in to Charles Lane, where at a private drive leading to Moorlands, we took a narrow and partly concealed path on the left signed to Access Land.

 

A steep, rocky ascent at first on the enclosed path brought us on to the open moors, the path eventually emerged at the trig point on Cock Hill (1,398 feet). From here the gradients eased and we soon reached the familiar ruins of the shooting box at the Glossop Low summit (1,574 feet), the highest point of the walk.

 

Usually, Pie time is taken here but we arrived slightly ahead of 11am and decided to walk on and take lunch around 12 noon.

 

From the ruins of the shooting box we took a less than clear path down to reach the Pennine Way at Clough Edge. Once on the Way we were treated to clear views of Longdendale with Torside Reservoir and its sailing club below us, and above it Woodhead Reservoir. Together with Rhodeswood, Valehouse and Bottoms reservoir just below these, this group formed the largest expanse of artificially-constructed water reserves in the world when they opened in 1877. They provide around a quarter of Greater Manchester’s water.

 

 

The path dropped steeply as Reaps Farm came in to view. We reached a broad track at the foot and turned left to reach and cross the B6105 road to join the six-and-a-half mile long LongdendaleTrail, which also forms part of the Trans Pennine Trail between Liverpool and Hull. The trail follows the route of the Manchester to Sheffield rail line, which closed in 1981.

 

The Trail is a nice and easy flat walk. After about 40 minutes we stopped for lunch, a check on the time led us to the conclusion that we would not make the Queens Head in Old Glossop at the agreed time of 13.30. In order to cut approximately two miles off our planned route, we took a footpath on our left, this led us through a couple of fields, we eventually emerged on the driveway of Glossop  Cemetery, we were back on the planned route.

 

Walking through the Cemetery we exited via a shallow stile in the wall to cross into a field, turning right into a cottage garden (which looks like a stonemasons yard). We crossed the B6105, where we did a right and immediately left over a stile to more fields.

 

Instead of turning right at the second field, we followed the other path, past the reservoir and down across the brook, which took us past ‘Reubens Retreat’ a charity for bereaved families (where the white and multicoloured peacocks roam). It was then a short walk back to the car park. We de-booted and drove our cars down to the Queens Head to meet Jock and Millie for refreshments, just about on time.

 

Details of next week’s walk – Mark volunteered an absent Dean to lead a walk starting from the George Pub Car Park in Hayfield(SK22 2JE) at 0940 and finishing at approximately 1345. To his credit, Dean has since accepted this challenge and will lead a walk which will include going over Dragon’s Back. Refreshments will be taken at the Hayfield Club which will open its doors at 1330.

 

Happy Wandering!