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Walk Summary: Easy 5.7 mile circular walk in Saddlworth from Scouthead, to Grasscroft, up to Wharmton TV mast, then along the canal in Uppermill to the disused railway line towards Delph, up to Hilll Top, alongside High Moor and back to Scouthead.
Start : Old Original Inn at Scout Head
Locality: Scout Head
Area: West
Start OS Grid reference: SD9723006343
Start What3words : saints.stacks.sings
Difficulty: Easy
Distance miles: 5.8
Ascent meters: 273
Estimated Walk Time hours: 3.3
Pub & Locality: Old Original Inn at Scout Head
Parking: Pub Carpark
Public Transport: Bus 357 from Holmfirth to Ashton under Lyne then 350 to Oldham getting off at Star Inn 10 min walk to Scouthead. Journey time about 1.5 hours. Check times.
Walk Description:  Starting from The Old Original car park take Thurston Clough Rd, past bungalows on left. At footpath sign on right take the field path in a straight line alongside wall, continuing across the A62. As the wall finishes turn left and then diagonally, ahead and to the right (SE) across a marshy field. Continue following path until Burnedge Lane is reached. Turn left on lane and then after 150m take lane on right. Pass Springfield Farm and continue along track until it forks right, up towards the mast. Take in the splendid views of Saddleworth and down the Tame valley westward. Descend on an indistinct footpath, generally NE, towards the corner of a wall. On reaching the wall keep it on your right until a path junction is reached, turn right and follow downhill, across a road and down a path to the railway line. Across the level crossing, into Moorgate St, turn right and join the canal towpath to left. When the railway viaduct is reached turn left into Mow Halls Lane until the pedestrianised old railway (1) is reached, this being followed until Shutt Lane is reached and briefly followed until a footpath on right. Follow this up to the A62 and turn right for 150m to a footpath on left, steeply up by the side of a retirement home. Across Stoneswood Rd and a lane opposite leads up alongside a wood. Turn left at top and in 50m take footpath across fields to Knott Hill, which is another splendid viewpoint. Take the path round Knott Hill and follow it to Hill Top Lane at which turn right. After 150m take indistinct path on left, aiming for the corner of the field ahead and to the right. Continue in the same direction until a track is reached, which is followed to the left. Path continues across poor scrubby land and by the side of High Moor enclosure (2). On reaching Whitegates Lane, turn left back to The Old Original (3).
Other comments and points of interest:
(1) The old railway line followed up the Tame valley connected Dobcross and Delph to the main Manchester to Huddersfield line and was known as the Delph Donkey. It opened in 1849 and totally closed in 1963. It is said that the Royal Train carrying Queen Victoria once spent a peaceful night at rest on the line.
(2) High Moor is the site of a former municipal tip in a deep quarry. It is now capped and landscaped
(3) The Old Original Inn, Doctor Lane, Scouthead, has notched up 300 years of serving discerning customers fine ales and more recently fine meals. The pub holds the oldest licence in Saddleworth and was first licensed in 1722 when Edmund Buckley decided to offer hospitality to travellers on the major moorland route linking Lancashire to Yorkshire. The pub has only had 22 operating landlords over the entire 300 years and 13 of those were from three periods of ownership of the same family.

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