Equestrians
Norden, Bamford and Heywood Bridleways Association (NBHBA) are a local equestrian group who help to check and look after local bridleways.
The NBHBA was set up in April 2022 so that local equestrians, who know the area, can work with other community groups, to the benefit of all. Their work with community groups, Rochdale Council Rights of Way Officer, the British Horse Society and others, is to benefit of all Public Rights of Way users. They hold regular meetings that anyone can attend.
The NBHBA organise regular rides in the area, which are open to non members as well as members, to help increase riders knowledge of the routes available to equestrians.
Walkers
Rooley Moor Neighbourhood is a unique area with a real and varied history. It is the ideal place for walkers wishing to take either a leisurely stroll through the tiny hamlets and farms, or a more challenging walk over Rooley Moor and the surrounding moorland.
The area includes Rooley Moor Road, known locally as the Cotton Famine Road, which now forms part of the Pennine Bridleway National Trail, and the Prickshaw and Broadley Fold Conservation Area. It has a 12 mile network of well maintained public rights of way, includes part of the Weighvers Way, and is a mixture of moorland, woodland, and pastures enclosed by dry stone walls, all with fantastic views.
It is an area which stretches from Healey Dell Nature Reserve in the east to the Naden and Greenbooth Reservoirs to the west, with Rooley Moor to the north. This an area regularly used by walkers, cyclists, horse riders and lovers of the great outdoors. The moorland landscape supports rare birds such as merlin, short-eared owl and twite and is one of the last strongholds for the mountain or snow hare.
The area also offers easy access to other parts of the South Pennines and local way marked routes including the Pennine Bridleway, the Rossendale Way and the Rochdale Way. The proximity of the neighbourhood in relation to large urban areas means that the area provides a strategic recreational resource and the opportunity to experience an inviting natural environment to over seven million people who live within an hour’s drive or train journey. So please come and walk with us, we are sure you won’t be disappointed.
If you prefer to walk with a group please check out the walks organised by The Ramblers, Rochdale Group. You don’t have to be a member of the Ramblers to join them on a local walk and you will be made very welcome.
Find out more at the Rochdale Ramblers website.
Mountain Bikers
Rooley Moor offers incredible mountain bike challenges, from the long climbs up and down the road itself to the purpose built mountain bike parks at Lee Quarry and Crag Quarry.
And don’t forget that Rooley Moor Road is an integral part of the Mary Towneley Loop, a nationally significant trail covering 47 miles (76km).