Exploring Uppermill, Saddleworth | A mindful 7 mile run

Travelled to somewhere new today, it’s great to explore new places. I had about an hours drive out through Stockport and Tameside to Uppermill near Saddleworth Moor. It’s a lovely village with a strong history of Wool and Cotton Spinning during the Industrial Revolution. The River Tame and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal both run through the valley, it’s really pretty. Todays route takes us along the canal then a good hard climb out of the valley for some spectacular views down into Uppermill and up towards the ridge on Saddleworth Moor. We head close to Pobgreen which has two pubs the Church Inn and the Cross Keys Inn before dropping back down to pick up the Tame Valley Way and then the Pennine Bridleway for a stretch rejoining the canal at the far side of Uppermill.

Huddersfield Narrow Canal

I think I will return to explore more of the beautiful canal, it runs 20 miles from Huddersfield to Ashton Under Lyme scaling the Pennines and is the highest section of canal in the UK. From the southern end you can pick up the Cheshire Ring Canal or Ashton Canal and on to the High Peak Canal so this is something I may do in the future as a one way route.

Tame Valley Way

This looks like a great trail that again needs revisiting in the future, it runs 24 miles from Denshaw to Stockport.

Pennine Bridleway

We cross the path on our initial ascent at Butterhouse Lane and then join the path later in the run for a short stretch but this really needs a much larger investigation as it runs 205 miles through the Pennine hills from Derbyshire into Cumbria, not to be mistaken for the Pennine Way, the bridleway is a good path suitable for horses and bikes and so also makes a great spot for a run.

The Route

We join the canal from the Main Street in Uppermill and follow it right to Saddleworth school where we turn right over the bridge and through the tunnel and then right climbing up the bank and then right on the Pennine Bridleway to Butterhouse lane where we turn left and take the path on the left to Wards Lane where we turn left and immediately right into Running Hill Lane. Next take the path on the right and follow it to Pobgreen. At the road take the Oldham Way path straight on up the field and then turn right down the track to the lane. Turn right and immediately left past the houses and on a single track that winds around the hillside before dropping down to Knowl Top Lane and turning left. Follow the lane down hill turning right into Fur Lane and then taking the path on the right which drops down to the Tame Valley Way. Turn left, a rough path drops down and joins the Tame Valley Way, follow this straight on until you reach the river where you bear left over the bridge and up the path. Now take the Pennine Bridleway path right to the A635 and turn right and immediately right into Manchester Road and then after crossing the River Tame turn right to rejoin the canal and follow it back to the starting point.