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Walk Summary:  Moderate 6.3 mile circular walk around Saddleworth from Church Inn above Uppermill, climbing up to Pots & Pans, along ridge to Diggle, along canal back to Uppermill and return to Church Inn.
Start: Church Inn
Locality: Uppermill
Area: West
Start OS Grid reference: SE0074706345
Start What3words: claw.warrior.inspector
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance miles: 6.3
Ascent meters: 335
Estimated Walk Time  hours: 3.5
Pub & Locality: Church Inn at Uppermill
Parking: On street or in the large pub car park opposite pub.
Public Transport: Bus 357 from Holmfirth Library to Greenfield Station then bus 350 to Commercial Hotel then walk 20 mins to Church Inn. Journey time 65 minutes. Check bus times.
Walk Description: From the Church Inn walk the short distance left, towards the church and then take the path sharp on the right, up through woodland towards the Cross Keys pub. At the pub cross the car park to reach the road (Running Hill Gate) and turn left. Take the footpath on right up a lane which becomes a rough and wet footpath to cottages at Pobgreen. Turn right to follow a clear path along the hillside. Approaching woodland take the path sharply back left and climb up an old track. After about 200m look for an old quarry track leading up to the right, following a clear ditch to the quarry. As the quarry is reached climb up to the right on an indistinct path skirting the quarry. Maintain the same direction and the obelisk war memorial will be seen ahead. Having visited the obelisk note the path tending left towards a gate and stile and a clear wide track beyond. After approx. 250m fork left and follow the clear path along the edge overlooking Uppermill and the Tame valley. Keep straight on in 200m ignoring path down on left. Continue for a further 300m, above Slades Rocks and take prominent path down on left. After 250m take path on right towards Slades Barn. Immediately after the barn fork left onto a field path which then joins and follows a track down to a road junction. Keep straight ahead down Running Hill Lane until the buildings of Running Hill Head Farm are reached and take footpath on right. This continues across frequently wet fields until a water course is reached and followed to the right. This becomes a firm track and reaches a road. Turn left (1) and follow this tarmacked road, through Diglea, over the railway and left to a small car park. Leave the road and keep left down to the canal towpath, cross the canal at the first lock and then follow towards the main road (Woolroad). Just before reaching the road turn sharply back left up Old Lane and straight ahead as the lane turns sharp right. The path crosses a railway bridge and briefly joins a road before taking a path on right through woodland. After 100m take the track on left and follow along the left side of a shallow valley, aiming for the prominent St Chads church ahead. Past the graveyard, reach Church Lane and turn right to the Church Inn.
Other comments and points of interest:  (1) The statue by the roadside as you turn left onto a tarmacked road (1) is of Jeptha (Jephthah). The bible tells (Judges 11) that Jeptha was an Israelite warrior who vowed to God that if he was able to defeat the Ammonites (a powerful tribe, not fossilised shells) he would celebrate by sacrificing the first person he met on his return from battle. Bad move. That person was his daughter, overjoyed to greet her father. True to his vow, the distraught Jeptha sacrificed his daughter.

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