Hawkshaw valley, between Turton Road and Bolton Road, Greater Manchester

Two Brooks Valley

Valley

Source image

5.8

Wildland

1–2 hours

Time

Check

Cost

Peaceful

Feel

ValleyWoodlandRiversideFarmlandWalkersHistory loversPhotographers

Why it's Wildland

5.8

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the valley supported a working community of mills, other industrial works, farms and cottages. Traces of that activity remain among its woods, brooks, lodges and fields.

Two Brooks Valley is more than a quiet green corridor: public paths follow a landscape shaped by generations of mill workers, farms and industry, with remnants of that working past still set among brooks and woodland.

Peaceful · Atmospheric · Secluded

Find your way

Open map

Hawkshaw valley, between Turton Road and Bolton Road, Greater Manchester

Opening map…

Explore around here Get directions

The experience

Explore the valley on its public paths, taking time to notice how brooks, woodland, fields and industrial remains fit together. The supplied sources do not provide a verified route length, facilities or current conditions, so check these before visiting.

Things to do

Walk the valley paths

Follow a public path through the valley’s woods, brooks, lodges and fields. Choose a route using current mapping; the source does not specify a measured circuit.

Look for traces of the former valley community

Notice any visible remains associated with the valley’s 18th- and 19th-century mills, works, farms and cottage groups. The source does not identify individual remains or their precise locations.

Read the old path network in the landscape

Observe how the paths connect woods, brooks, lodges and fields; the source describes them as former links used by horses, carts and workers.

Make a day of it

Quick escape · Allow 1–2 hours; exact duration is not verified.

A first look at the valley

01
Choose a public path into the valley and follow a manageable section through its woods, brooks, lodges and fields.
02
Pause to look for visible traces of the mills, works, farms and cottages that once supported a community here.
03
Return by a public path you can identify; check a current map and conditions before setting out.

Half day · Half day; route and duration are not verified.

Explore the valley’s working past

01
Plan a longer walk using current mapping of the valley’s public paths.
02
Explore more than one section of the valley, comparing the woods, brooks, lodges and fields.
03
Look for remaining industrial and architectural traces, and consider how the paths once served workers, horses and carts.
04
Confirm route, access and conditions before visiting.

Verified history

Visit Manchester describes Two Brooks Valley as a place that supported a community of mills, works, farms and cottage groups during the 18th and 19th centuries. It says remains of many of these can still be seen and describes paths that once linked places for horses, carts and workers. The supplied source does not give names or dates for particular mills or residents.

Hidden details

Paths with a working past — The valley’s paths were not only for recreation: Visit Manchester describes them as links once used by horses, carts and workers. As you walk, notice how they thread between the valley’s woods, brooks, lodges and fields.

Remains of the old valley community — The source says remains of many mills, works, farms and cottage groups can still be seen, but does not identify their exact locations. Look for features interpreted on site or on a reliable local map; do not assume an unmarked structure is a particular historic building.

When to go

· Not established by the supplied sources; choose a time with suitable daylight for your route.

The supplied authoritative source does not specify seasonal highlights. Path conditions may vary, so check locally before visiting.

Weather and path conditions are not detailed in the supplied sources. Check the forecast and current conditions before setting out.

What to look for

Look for surviving traces of mills, works, farms and cottage groups, and notice how the old path network follows the valley’s brooks, lodges and fields.