HE clump of moorland rising above Egerton is boggy most of the year so now is the perfect time to walk across it during one of its drier spells.

The walk climbs from Entwistle Reservoir to the flat-topped plateau linking Turton Heights with the good viewpoint of Cheetham Close where the remains of the prehistoric stone circle are getting increasingly hard to trace.

The view from here takes in Bolton, Manchester, the Pennines, Winter Hill and Belmont.

The walk returns via the shady woodland alongside Wayoh Reservoir, below the high Victorian viaduct of the Blackburn-Bolton railway.

If parked on the lower car park next to the dam turn left along the access road then climb the steps to the higher car park at Batridge Barn.

Join the surfaced path in the near left hand corner of the higher car park which climbs uphill, crosses the access road via gates, and reaches Greens Arms Road.

Go straight across the road along the path that leads to a track.

Turn right along this track heading back to the B6391 road. Just before the road is reached turn left and cross a stile to join a footpath heading over the moor.

This is easy to follow, ignore the waymarked path pointing left, and leads to a boggy duckboard then a stile in a wall corner.

Follow the well used path heading diagonally left from the stile.

This climbs gradually then turns sharp right following an old wall boundary along the flat plateau. When you reach an old Bolton Waterworks metal boundary marker turn left and follow the well used path straight ahead to cross a stile that leads to the eroded trig point on the highest point of Cheetham Close.

Continue the walk by going straight ahead in the direction of Manchester’s tower blocks with Bolton over to the right.

The footpath is vague but eventually leads to a gate in the left corner where a fence and wall meet.

Turn left and go through the gate, continuing straight ahead with the wall on the right.

The path drops slightly and passes through several gates, leading through woodland and meadows to reach a farm track. Turn left along this to pass Clough House Farm on the right.

After passing the farm and a little woodland on the right look out for a stile (currently broken!) on the same side next to a gate.

Leave the track on the right here following the field path along the right field edge downhill only as far as the next waymarker post, after which you swing left downhill and cross the pasture to reach a hidden stile in a little wooded ravine on the far side of the field.

Cross the stiles on either side of the delightfully named Billy Brook.

From the stile on the far side of the brook the path is vague but generally heads straight across the field heading for the nearby farm.

Cross a stile next to a gate then turn right to go through a gate and reach Spring Bank Farm. Turn right down the drive in front of the farm. This leads back to the B6391 Greens Arms Road. Walk straight ahead across the road bridge over the railway.

On the far side join the signed footpath pointing left into a little cluster of houses.

Keep left then right then left around the pretty houses, joining an asphalt drive that soon ends at Armsgrove Farm but continues straight ahead as a grassy track which drops down to join the main shoreline path around Wayoh Reservoir.

Turn left then almost immediately fork left joining the concessionary path (not the causeway path) which passes through woodland and crosses under the railway viaduct.

Keep to this path all the way back to the Entwistle car park. It bears right and is waymarked just before the car park is reached.

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