THIS interesting local walk takes in Jumbles, Turton Bottoms, Hawkshaw village and the straggling roadside hamlet of Affetside which lies along the Roman Road from Manchester to Ribchester.

The straight Roman highway still follows its original line across the hill by Affetside's old wayside cross and the road was also used by pack horse travellers in centuries past.

No surprise then that Affetside's solitary inn is called the Pack Horse. The pastures on either side of the hamlet give fine views -- from the Pennines and Rossendale to Winter Hill and Bolton.

DISTANCE: 7 miles

START: Jumbles Country Park car park, Bradshaw. Off the A676 Bradshaw Road (OS Grid Ref 736139)

PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Regular bus service along Bradshaw Road from Bolton to Hawkshaw. Alternatively, the walk can be started at Bromley Cross train station three quarters of a mile walk from Jumbles via Grange Road and Ousel Nest Meadow. Follow these route directions in conjunction with the OS Explorer 19 map (West Pennine Moors)

FROM Jumbles Information Centre walk straight ahead along the popular shoreline path with the reservoir on the left. After about half a mile this leads to a bridge at the top end of the reservoir. Do not cross this but continue straight ahead past the information board following the riverside path through woodland with Bradshaw Brook on the left. After about another five eighths of a mile, cottages are passed and a stone bridge over the brook is reached on the left adjacent to a new residential development. Do not cross this bridge but go straight ahead up and down steps with a garden on your immediate right. The path climbs steeply through woodland above the brook to reach a stone track running from left to right.

Turn left along this stone track and go downhill through a gate to reach a row of cottages signed as Birches Road. At the corner cottage do not bear left but turn right opposite the road sign to follow a track beginning by a wooden gate. This swings around to meet a tarmac driveway by new houses. Turn right along the driveway and very shortly a gate and a set of stone steps are reached on the left. Climb the steps and go through a small gate to follow a line of paved flags up along the edge of a field with a tall chimney over to your left. Follow the field edge uphill alongside the fence and cross stiles before skirting the edge of a cottage lawn to reach a road.

Cross the road and almost directly opposite join the farm track leading uphill with a wall to your left. When the track turns sharp left and goes through a gateway immediately leave it after the gateway and continue almost directly ahead up to a small gate by the wall corner. Continue in the same direction across the next large field to a wall stile which will soon become visible at the top of the hill. Cross this next field to the stile on the opposite side. A further two stiles are crossed before you bear right and follow a diagonal line uphill through a grass field adjacent to an old farm. At the top of this grass field is a gate leading to a track alongside a conifer wood.

Turn left along this track and it joins a farm road. Continue downhill alongside the wood and there are good views. Follow the farm road all the way down as it swings right and meets the main A676 on the west side of Hawkshaw village. Turn left and follow the main road towards the village for about of a mile. Take care and cross the road when Two Brooks Lane (signed) is reached on the right hand side by the village stores. Follow this lane downhill. It becomes a wide track and when it starts to kink right leave it by forking off to the left along a path which begins by a drain cover. This is easy to miss! The path leads to a ladder stile over a wall.

From here, a pleasant little valley is entered, hidden between the folds of the hills between Hawkshaw and Tottington. Cross the ladder stile and go straight ahead to join the stream bank on the right and follow this to a stile and footbridge at the next boundary. Cross the bridge and turn sharp left to pick up a grass path bearing right under trees. Cross another footbridge and continue straight ahead towards cottages. Follow the track bearing right around the cottages which becomes a driveway. Follow this driveway uphill and it eventually meets Turton Road by a gate.

Cross the road and join the path on the opposite side next to a house. This leads uphill alongside garden fences, crosses a lane and continues straight ahead up a farm driveway. When the driveway swings right to the farm, go through the way marked gate straight ahead and follow the hedge side of a field to cross a stile and reach a crossroads of tracks. Continue straight ahead up the farm driveway (Sheep Hill) and the path skirts around the right hand side of the farm and heads uphill between wire fences. This path can be quite boggy. Cross stiles and continue along the field edge with the fence on your left. Eventually a stile is crossed and a lane -- the old Roman highway -- is reached.

Turn right along the lane and it now runs straight uphill to the hamlet of Affetside. The walk continues by leaving the road on the left between the Pack Horse Inn and the Headless Cross (on the left of the road) -- which is an ancient monument. The path runs to the right of a bungalow and leads over a step in a wall to run downhill roughly along a line of telegraph poles. Further stiles are crossed to the right of a farm and the path continues straight ahead downhill with excellent views. The path becomes a track which kinks around the railings of a waterworks before continuing downhill to meet Bradshaw Road. Take care and cross this road. Almost directly opposite, join the wide track and follow it for nearly half a mile back to the footbridge and steps below the high dam of Jumbles reservoir. Turn right here and climb the steps which lead back to the car park.