Hollingworth Lake, Littleborough

Taxi duties for the Take That concert at Old Trafford yesterday saw found us in Manchester with a few hours on our hands, so rather than return to Preston we headed off to Hollingworth Lake, near Littleborough.

Hollingworth Lake was one of the 2007 "Top Dog Walks" so we were looking forward to the trip. The Lake is actually a reservoir built to supply the Rochdale Canal. In victorian times it grew to be something of a tourist hotspot and there is still something of that feel today.

We parked on the pay and display car park next to the activity centre. It was very very busy with hoards of people enjoying the late afternoon sunshine. Our first impressions were rather disappointing, mainly because of the numbers of people, but that's what comes with visiting a waterside tourist spot on a warm afternoon! With a can't beat them join them attitude we head off clockwise round the lake though, with the dog on the lead along the small promenade, before enjoying some great sense of tranquility once we were passed the busy Lake hotel. From here, we walked along the road, passing the entrance to the visitors centre, which would have made a better parking spot, before eventually turning off and joining a virtually car free path beside the lake shore.

The route along this path was much better. The dog had a chance to run off lead, and one or two paths leading down to "beaches" allowed a paddle and a game of fetch. Views over the moors were great, especially with spectacular rain clouds looming!

After an hour and a half or so we returned to the car park and couldn't resist the award winning Mr Thomas' Fish and Chips. We drove round to the visitors centre car park to enjoy them in relative peace! Perhaps not quite as good as Rick Steins Fish and Chips in Padstow a few weeks ago, but less than half the price and pretty good!

All in all a nice place to visit. Perhaps a quieter time would have been better, but an interesting option to walking along the high Pennine edges close by. Good solid paths throughout so very accessible for buggies and wheelchairs.

Click here for Google map

Doggy rating 7/10

(I nearly forgot - apparently Take That were amazing, but, yes, they did get very very wet. The pictures of the elephant looked impressive! I'm told it was the best Take That concert ever, only beaten by the Take That ITV special before Christmas)