Part of the 50 mile Circular Bolton Rotary Way, can be done either direction. Designed by the then seven Rotary Clubs of Bolton. Guardians for stage 4 is Westhoughton Rotary.
More suburbia and some short road walks are needed on this stage as we try to follow the Borough boundary as closely as possible – but, in between, some quiet and pleasant rural spaces as we hit our southernmost point and begin our return northwards to the hills, with the sight of Winter Hill in the distance re-invigorating our weary feet
Cross A579 Bolton Road at the Borough boundary and take the path diagonally right through the concrete bollards. This path leads to Low Green and, at the next road junction with Broadway, turn left and then left again at the next road junction with a cul-de-sac to a track. Here pass a Memorial to the Pretoria mine disaster). At the junction of the tracks, bear left into a wooded area and follow the path through the stile, over a footbridge across the stream, keeping between the houses and the watercourse. This path takes you past the backs of houses and through a gap stile until emerging on a slight embankment alongside Spa Road. Continue along the fringe of the housing and bear right into the wood and then left to follow parallel to the backs of the houses before emerging into open fields leading to a farm access track coming in from your right. Stay on the track until, shortly before Platt Lane, it turns left then right – continue straight ahead at the first bend to emerge on Platt Lane through a poor gap stile.
Turn left on Platt Lane and then turn right into Green Common Lane. At the next bend bear left over a stile and along the left side of the open field to another stile at a farm access track. Here turn left towards the railway bridge bounded on each side by gap stiles and gates. Keep on this track to a sharp right bend. Follow the footpath round the bend and under the overhead cables to a left-hand bend, through a gap stile and then left at the end of the spoil heap to cross the stream at a footbridge and a gap stile. There turn right and follow the right edge of the field to arrive at B5235 Lower Leigh Road.
At Lower Leigh Road turn left and, passing the Three Crowns pub on the right, after about a third of a mile from joining Lower Leigh Road, turn right by the side of Fine Hoskars and keep along the footpath, first along the right side hedge then the left side hedge. Go straight across a track bounded by two gap stiles, and keep to the right side of the open field to arrive at another gate and gap stile. (Here, there is an opportunity for the weary to take a short cut. If walking the full route, turn left at the gate and gap Stile and keep to the right side edge of the same field until arriving at the access track to Gillibrands Farm. Continue on the footpath across the middle of the next field, slightly left of ahead, until crossing a footbridge over a stream. Continue ahead along the left side of two fields, past a bullrush pond, and then between hedges to round a stone pillar near a gap stile. Keep to the left side of the next field to arrive at a gap stile at a ginnel leading to A577 Smallbrook Lane.
There turn right along Smallbrook Lane, over the stream shortly before passing the Bull and Butcher Inn at Dangerous Corner, the southernmost point of the Walk, and keep along A577, now Corner Lane, for about 10 yards leading to a footpath off to the right. Turn right here, across the footbridge over a stream and, keeping the stream on your left-hand side, head for the disused railway embankment ahead. About 30 yards beyond the wooded area, climb up and over the embankment into an open field take the less obvious path through a wooded section on the right . Follow this path towards the sewage works and then bear left of it along a track leading to the Equestrian Centre.. Go past the buildings on the left, with a toilet block on the right and, at the far end of the buildings, bear left and ahead along a wide track to arrive at Hindley Road. Here turn left and, after about 300 yards on the far side of the Hazeldene junction, turn right through a gap in the fence alongside a kissing gate [where those who took the short cut will re-join you]. Follow the footpath along the Cunningham Brook, with the stream on your left, to arrive at a concrete wall alongside (almost in) the stream. Here turn right and climb the rough steps in the slope to the top and turn left through a kissing gate and then bear left at open ground and aim for Wearish Lane near the bridge over Cunningham Brook, Go down the steps, cross Wearish Lane and down further steps to continue along the footpath until a footpath to the left crosses a footbridge over the stream. Turn left here and cross the footbridge, up the slope, through a gap stile into an open field. Head for a field gate near a pond to the right of the farm buildings, along the farm access track, and turning right to arrive at Wigan Road, Hart Common.
Cross A579 Bolton Road at the Borough boundary and take the path diagonally right through the concrete bollards. This path leads to Low Green and, at the next road junction with Broadway, turn left and then left again at the next road junction with a cul-de-sac to a track. Here pass a Memorial to the Pretoria mine disaster). At the junction of the tracks, bear left into a wooded area and follow the path through the stile, over a footbridge across the stream, keeping between the houses and the watercourse. This path takes you past the backs of houses and through a gap stile until emerging on a slight embankment alongside Spa Road. Continue along the fringe of the housing and bear right into the wood and then left to follow parallel to the backs of the houses before emerging into open fields leading to a farm access track coming in from your right. Stay on the track until, shortly before Platt Lane, it turns left then right – continue straight ahead at the first bend to emerge on Platt Lane through a poor gap stile.
Turn left on Platt Lane and then turn right into Green Common Lane. At the next bend bear left over a stile and along the left side of the open field to another stile at a farm access track. Here turn left towards the railway bridge bounded on each side by gap stiles and gates. Keep on this track to a sharp right bend. Follow the footpath round the bend and under the overhead cables to a left-hand bend, through a gap stile and then left at the end of the spoil heap to cross the stream at a footbridge and a gap stile. There turn right and follow the right edge of the field to arrive at B5235 Lower Leigh Road.
At Lower Leigh Road turn left and, passing the Three Crowns pub on the right, after about a third of a mile from joining Lower Leigh Road, turn right by the side of Fine Hoskars and keep along the footpath, first along the right side hedge then the left side hedge. Go straight across a track bounded by two gap stiles, and keep to the right side of the open field to arrive at another gate and gap stile. (Here, there is an opportunity for the weary to take a short cut. If walking the full route, turn left at the gate and gap Stile and keep to the right side edge of the same field until arriving at the access track to Gillibrands Farm. Continue on the footpath across the middle of the next field, slightly left of ahead, until crossing a footbridge over a stream. Continue ahead along the left side of two fields, past a bullrush pond, and then between hedges to round a stone pillar near a gap stile. Keep to the left side of the next field to arrive at a gap stile at a ginnel leading to A577 Smallbrook Lane.
There turn right along Smallbrook Lane, over the stream shortly before passing the Bull and Butcher Inn at Dangerous Corner, the southernmost point of the Walk, and keep along A577, now Corner Lane, for about 10 yards leading to a footpath off to the right. Turn right here, across the footbridge over a stream and, keeping the stream on your left-hand side, head for the disused railway embankment ahead. About 30 yards beyond the wooded area, climb up and over the embankment into an open field take the less obvious path through a wooded section on the right . Follow this path towards the sewage works and then bear left of it along a track leading to the Equestrian Centre.. Go past the buildings on the left, with a toilet block on the right and, at the far end of the buildings, bear left and ahead along a wide track to arrive at Hindley Road. Here turn left and, after about 300 yards on the far side of the Hazeldene junction, turn right through a gap in the fence alongside a kissing gate [where those who took the short cut will re-join you]. Follow the footpath along the Cunningham Brook, with the stream on your left, to arrive at a concrete wall alongside (almost in) the stream. Here turn right and climb the rough steps in the slope to the top and turn left through a kissing gate and then bear left at open ground and aim for Wearish Lane near the bridge over Cunningham Brook, Go down the steps, cross Wearish Lane and down further steps to continue along the footpath until a footpath to the left crosses a footbridge over the stream. Turn left here and cross the footbridge, up the slope, through a gap stile into an open field. Head for a field gate near a pond to the right of the farm buildings, along the farm access track, and turning right to arrive at Wigan Road, Hart Common.