Stage 5: Hart Common to Scot Lane End

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 5 is Westhoughton Rotary.

The attractive valley of the Borsdane Brook must rank as one of the most interesting environmental stretches of the Rotary Way, with an ancient deciduous woodland which is pretty at all times of the year (lots of daffodils in the Spring followed by bluebells in the summer), and has a well-stoned path and frequent seats! If you are a twitcher, look out for birdlife, including jays. Always we are encouraged by the now less-distant Winter Hill beckoning us on.

From the end of stage 4 turn left along Wigan Road and then, after about 1/2 mile, right into Jack’s Lane. After crossing the two railway bridges, one immediately into Jack’s Lane and the other 1/4 mile further on, take the track to the left. Go past two adjacent derelict bridges and, where the track turns right to Borsdane Wood, cross the stile on the left and follow the path to the corner of the field towards Higher Barn Farm.
There, with Higher Barn Farm on your right, pass a stile and turn right, going past the farm buildings on your left, through a swing gate and straight down the field ahead to arrive at a couple of stiles and some steps down to the track. Turn right along the track and shortly cross a bridge over Borsdane Brook. Follow the track all the way through Borsdane Wood, keeping the brook on your right side for nearly 1 1/3 miles (it may seem longer!), and past several footbridges to your right before crossing Borsdane Brook on a footbridge. Continue to the northern edge of Borsdane Wood where you leave the wood at a gap stile leading to a track. Follow the track ahead, cross another bridge over the brook, Walk ahead past houses on your right and turn right along Mill Lane to arrive at the Gerrard Arms PH on the B5239 Bolton Road, Aspull.
Turn right along the main road, over Dicconson Mill bridge and then, after about 1/4 mile, left onto a footpath immediately after the dismantled railway line – look for a clump of trees either side of Dicconson Lane and the wooded embankment behind them. Keep the disused railway track on your left side for about 1/3 mile. Go past a junction with a footpath across the line of the old railway, and continue to a track junction. There turn left to the far side of the wooded area. Here, if preferred, you could choose a minor short cut by turning right to follow once again the line of the long-since dismantled railway to re-join the route at.
Those wishing to complete the full route, however, should cross the hedge line ahead into the field, and then veer half right across an open field where the line is indistinct to join another footpath coming from the wood to the left. Turn right along the line of that footpath and continue across an open field to arrive at a track once again on the line of the disused railway. Turn left onto the track and, where the main track bears right, continue straight ahead, across a footbridge over a ditch with adjacent stile to arrive at a Stile leading onto another track. Bear left along the track past Shoemaker Fold to the B5238 Scot Lane.