Name: Cotton Famine Road, Rooley Moor
Rating: 2

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Cotton Famine Road, Rooley Moor

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England

North West England

Greater Manchester

Cotton Famine Road, Rooley Moor

Recommended by 11 hikers

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Location: Greater Manchester, North West England, England, United Kingdom

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Best Hikes to Cotton Famine Road, Rooley Moor

5.0

(1)

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1. Waugh's Well – Knowl Hill Trig Points loop from Shawclough

23.0km

06:31

510m

Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Expert

4.6

(5)

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2. Knowl Hill Trig Points – View of Greenbooth Reservoir loop from Jericho

19.5km

05:36

480m

Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Expert

5.0

(3)

hikers

3. Greenbooth Reservoir – View of Greenbooth Reservoir loop from Norden

11.4km

03:17

270m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

Tips

Hookz Starr

May 17, 2022

The ‘Cotton Famine Road’ section of Rooley Moor Road could be of National and International importance, it is a reminder of the harsh times cotton workers had to endure during the Cotton Famine and is unique in linking the American Civil War to social changes in our own country at a time when the Rochdale Pioneer Movement influenced social thinking throughout the UK.

Sections of the Cotton Famine Road consist of stone setts, which were hewn by hammer and chisel from local quarries. The approximate length of these sections, from Ding Quarry entrance to Catley Lane Head, is 1,950 yards, the number of stone setts across the road varies from 12 along the narrow sections to 24 at Catley Lane Head. Presuming an average number of stone setts per row of 16 and rows per yard of 10.5 gives a total number of 327,600 stone setts, this excludes the volume of the stone edgings and drainage channels.

Given the poor of Rochdale laid about a third of a million stone setts into the fabric of Rooley Moor by hand, the Cotton Famine Road has to be worthy of preservation!

At an altitude of over 1500 feet this historic feature may also lay claim to being one of the highest roads in England. Enjoyed by walkers & runners, ornithologists and cyclists, this moorland route also forms part of the Pennine Bridleway allowing safe access for horse riders on the Mary Townley Loop.

The upper section of Rooley Moor Road is visible from many miles away (often called the ‘yellow brick road’) and is a prominent part of the North Manchester / Lancashire / West Yorkshire landscape.

We think many people who see the road from afar do not currently appreciate its history or significance, and an underlying objective of the neighbourhood forum will be to improve this awareness.

Credit

rmnf.org.uk/area/cotton-famine-road

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Elevation 470 m

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Today

Monday 15 September

13°C

11°C

40 %

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Max wind speed: 34.0 km/h

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Take Me There

Location: Greater Manchester, North West England, England, United Kingdom

Cotton Famine Road, Rooley Moor

1. Waugh's Well – Knowl Hill Trig Points loop from Shawclough

2. Knowl Hill Trig Points – View of Greenbooth Reservoir loop from Jericho

3. Greenbooth Reservoir – View of Greenbooth Reservoir loop from Norden

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