Water, Lumb, Waterfoot and Cowpe

With village names like Water and Waterfoot, one would expect this to be a watery valley and it is. Whitwell Brook flows discretely down the valley, concealed in places, by the development of mills and terraced dwellings disappearing and reappearing at whim. It merges with the River Irwell at Waterfoot, finally flowing into the River Mersey at Irlam, near Manchester.

Expect a day of fresh air in this valley of water. Pathways are plentiful; quite a chunk of the Mary Towneley Loop weaves its way up to the boundary with Burnley. Look out for the route, marked with an acorn, its part of the Pennine Bridleway national trail so it can be used by walkers, mountain bikers and horse riders. A good place to join the path is at the bottom of Cowpe Road, Waterfoot.

To see the valley from a different perspective you might like to venture out with the Peers Clough Packhorses. These locally bred Fell ponies with wide bodies and sturdy legs are ideally suited to the terrain, providing riders with a sense of comfort and security. Rides vary in length from one hour to five day mini breaks; for rider’s age 13 years and over.

You can enjoy more of the outdoors, by trout fishing at Cowpe Reservoir. Located at the top of Cowpe Road, just off Waterfoot centre, this secluded valley provides the ideal spot to fish. Day permits are available with a three fish limit from Mace Express Newsagents.

Keen sports people visiting the Valley would do well to visit the Perform Centre in Waterfoot. With state of the art sports fitness facilities including acclimatisation chambers for high altitude work.

If you are fortunate enough to be in the area when the Horse + Bamboo visual theatre company are staging a performance, make the effort to go and see one of their unique productions. Music and story-telling are central to their thought-provoking shows and they stage a broad range of productions throughout the year.

Click here for accommodation

Click here for attractions

Click here for restaurants, tearooms & cafes

Click here for events

Click here for shopping