3:48pm Monday 8th March 2010
By Ron Freethy
THERE is no point in strolling close to a steam railway if you don’t take the time to enjoy a trip, so this is definitely more of a stroll than a walk.
It can be done in either direction but my favourite is to take the train from Ramsbottom to Summerseat and stroll back.
Plan your visit by consulting the East Lancashire Railway timetable (0161 764 7790).
I prefer to choose a steam train rather than a diesel, be sure to ask which is in service at the time of your trip.
THE WALK Get off the train at Summerseat which is set amid very scenic and historic countryside. This spring is an ideal time to visit to appreciate how important this hamlet once was.
Its name is old Norse and means ‘summer shelter’. It was a place where livestock could fatten up by feeding on the lush pastures following a bleak winter.
From the station turn left and follow the obvious track to reach a building complex of flats and an old restaurant on the banks of the Irwell.
From here you can see both the waterside complex and the River Irwell at its best. The area was converted from a once thriving cotton mill initially powered by the Irwell.
Over the years, the hundreds of cotton mills killed off the wildlife in the river where the otter population was at one time one of the highest in England.
Now cotton has gone, the river is much cleaner and the fish population has increased. Hopefully it will not be long before the otters return.
Continue from the waterside complex and cross the Irwell.
Pass beneath the splended viaduct, a triumph of the Victorian railway architects in the 1850s.
Approach a tunnel area and ascend to the left. Look out for the railway track as it emerges from the tunnel and then enters a cutting.
Turn right and then descend to the left keeping the Irwell on your right.
Cross the Irwell to reach Ramsbottom Station. The level crossing is close to an impressive bridge overlooking a huge weir which once provided power for yet another cotton mill complex.
Ramsbottom is set in a deep valley and prior to the Industrial Revolution it had ‘nowt to do with sheep’. The name comes from the Anglo Saxon name for wild garlic which was Hramsa. So we have the damp valley where the ramsoms grew. This is still accurate today where the aromas of wild garlic add to the experience of the walk.
All this and a steam railway as well. It is really hard to beat and those who share route really are on the right track!
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/trade_directory/