+ 17
Harrock Hill Loop
Hiking Trail
Easy
3.45 mi
303 ft
A bucolic stroll through some lovely fields and past some fascinating ruins.
Starting and ending at a country pub, and with all sorts of interesting things to see en route, this is what hiking in the English countryside is all about!
There are various ways of accessing the hike but we've drawn it starting and finishing at the Rigbye Arms pub, home to a lovely beer garden, a bowling green and some excellent food. There's also some parking close to the pub if you don't want to take up a parking space while you hike.
Head east out of the pub on High Moor Lane and take the first left onto Harrock Lane. This is a private drive which leads to Harrock Hall but the first section of it is a public right of way. Make sure not to leave the lane itself, and not to go any further up it than shown here - doing so might endanger the right of hikers to use it in future.
When the lane begins to bend left, turn right onto a small path through the charmingly named "Butteries Wood". The path climbs up to open fields, at which point Winter Hill and its huge radio mast become visible to the east. Turn left and make the scenic but often-muddy traverse across fields over to the Harrock Hill windmill. There's enough of the windmill left to give a good impression of what it might once have looked like, and you'll be able to pass a fun half hour studying the ruins and trying to figure out how the operation might have worked when it was in use.
From the windmill head east on what was once the access track to it, and head down towards the top of Coopers Lane. Shortly before reaching the lane, turn right at a stile and cross a field. At the far side, follow a rough path which traverses all the way around the eastern and southern edges of Harrock Hill all the way back to Harrock Lane. Turn left and retrace your steps back to the pub! Written by Charlie Boscoe
Starting and ending at a country pub, and with all sorts of interesting things to see en route, this is what hiking in the English countryside is all about!
There are various ways of accessing the hike but we've drawn it starting and finishing at the Rigbye Arms pub, home to a lovely beer garden, a bowling green and some excellent food. There's also some parking close to the pub if you don't want to take up a parking space while you hike.
Head east out of the pub on High Moor Lane and take the first left onto Harrock Lane. This is a private drive which leads to Harrock Hall but the first section of it is a public right of way. Make sure not to leave the lane itself, and not to go any further up it than shown here - doing so might endanger the right of hikers to use it in future.
When the lane begins to bend left, turn right onto a small path through the charmingly named "Butteries Wood". The path climbs up to open fields, at which point Winter Hill and its huge radio mast become visible to the east. Turn left and make the scenic but often-muddy traverse across fields over to the Harrock Hill windmill. There's enough of the windmill left to give a good impression of what it might once have looked like, and you'll be able to pass a fun half hour studying the ruins and trying to figure out how the operation might have worked when it was in use.
From the windmill head east on what was once the access track to it, and head down towards the top of Coopers Lane. Shortly before reaching the lane, turn right at a stile and cross a field. At the far side, follow a rough path which traverses all the way around the eastern and southern edges of Harrock Hill all the way back to Harrock Lane. Turn left and retrace your steps back to the pub! Written by Charlie Boscoe
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