Start from the northerly junction of Dimple Road with A666 Blackburn Road. Turn left along Blackburn Road and then , a short distance further north, turn right through the gap in the stone wall and the stile just before the first group of fir trees. Follow the left-hand field-boundary past the first wood to a wooded ravine, following its boundary on your left. At the top of the wooded ravine, bear half right and follow the slight fold in the ground towards Horridge’s Farm, the solitary building on the far hillside. The path takes you via a stile over a culverted bridge across a stream, across more stiles to reach (Stile) Horridge’s Farm. Pase infront of the farm then left, then right to the access road but, where it shortly bends right, cross the stream and the stile ahead. Follow the gentle ridge ahead in the field to a stile at a gap in the stone wall to the right, and bear left across the stile. After another stile across a stream, the path joins another path from Turton Heights as it passes through a swing gate stile at the junction of stone walls. Here turn right and head diagonally across the field past a stone stump and across another stream towards New Butterworth’s Farm. At the farm, cross two stiles before turning sharp left to a path bounded on both sides by wire fencing, opposite the far side of the farm house. Follow this path – the wire fencing does not give you much choice – (can be muddy) to a stile at the other end.
Go through the stile, across a footbridge, then another stile and turn left along the farm drive for Whittle Hill Farm, but where the drive turns left , keep straight on through Several stiles, past Little Stanrose Farm, across another stile to the end of the next field beyond the farm. There turn right and follow the path, over a stile at the corner of Cox Green Quarry and, keeping the golf course on the left, through three left-handed bends. Pass a field boundary with o small reservoir to your left and, bearing left around the stone gate pillar, keep to the left of the field boundary wall to reach a stile over this wail. Here turn right towards the Last Drop and, at the exit from the car park – at Haydock Lane, turn left. However, the Last Drop Village provides an attractive rest stop if you wish to browse the shops or obtain refreshments, both liquid and solid.
Continuing our walk along the unmade Haydock Lane, at Hospital Road turn left, then continue straight ahead, passing Ramwells Court until arriving at the made-up section of Haydock Lane. Continue ahead and cross Chapeltown Road , and into Hillside Avenue almost opposite. At the first right-hand bend, continue straight ahead down a footpath with a car park on your left, through the stile under the railway and across a field to Grange Road. Turn right along Grange Road and, at the entrance to Ousel Nest Cottage , turn left and follow the path down the drive and through what appears to be a garden and through a wrought iron gate at the far end onto the footpath to the Jumbles. Here turn left and follow the path over the footbridge across Bradshaw Brook to the Jumbles car park. Continue through the first car park, then the second car park on the far side of the access road, and along the path skirting the Jumbles Reservoir to your left. Just before a sloping stone platform on the right of the track, turn right and go uphill between the two plantations and turn right before the wall. Through the stile , bear right around the holly bush and head for Walsh Fold Farm via a marker post in the middle of the field. Go around the right side of the farm buildings into the farmyard and follow the drive, bearing right and then left around the detached houses, and onto the farm access drive . At the end of a right hand curve, turn left through a field gate and follow the left hand field boundary, across a culverted stream and on to the A676 Bradshaw Road .
Cross the road and continue straight ahead over the stile on the other side, keeping the field boundary fence on your right side. After about 400 yards yards you will arrive at another stile and field gate to emerge onto Watling Street near the speed limit change at the edge of the village. Turn right, up the hill, to Affetside Cross which comes into view after about half a mile and, oh by the way, do beware of the ducks crossing here. There the walk for this stage, and indeed for the whole Rotary Way ends , but if you may even prefer to rest!