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Blackstone Edge

Blackstone Edge rises fairly rapidly to tower over Littleborough with the current main road rising from 474 ft (157 metres) next to Littleborough’s Viaduct to a maximum of 1,275 Ft (389 m) at its summit next to Blackstone Edge Reservoir. One of 5 built for the Rochdale Canal Co at the turn of the 18th Century and improved in the late 1920s by Rochdale and Oldham Councils.

The current or new road joins that part of the old or ‘Coach Road’ still open to normal traffic at the Bar House standing at 824 feet (251 m) or 350 ft (107 m) above the Town Centre.

From the Bar House, Horse Drawn Coaches had to climb a further 414 ft (126 m) to reach the White House where the horses were changed or rested and the passengers enjoyed warmth and refreshments (and still do!). The new road was adopted by the Royal Mail in the 1825. It is known that Ann Lister from Halifax went to meet a friend at the White House in the early 1820s and therefore the coach would have travelled from near Halifax and Ripponden via Turnpike Roads.

  Trig Point at 1553 feet installed        by the intrepid military

 Restoring the Aiggin stone during 20th Century

Turvin Road closed and Blackstone Edge Reservoir to the left both snow-covered

19th Century Bunfire ready on Blackstone Edge (below)

In the 19th and 20th Centuries Blackstone Edge was the location of numerous political and religious meetings drawing huge crowds and Bunfires lit there to celebrate coronations etc.

Today, the roads are probably busier than ever with the Pennine Way and shorter walks (see Booklet below) attracting numerous visitors from UK and abroad, pitting their enjoyment against whatever the weather may decide.

But when weather is clear the view to North Wales and the Cheshire plain is a delight and the night-time view is possibly unmatched in the area

Why not get hold of these to Booklets - from Kelsall’s bookshop in Littleborough Square or the White house of contact the History Centre via lborohist@gmail.com

See also History Trails for more local walks

For Hare Hill Park see here

Littleborough and Blackstone Edge are noted for the listed, so called ‘Roman Road’. Whether it is Roman or the first Turnpike Road, the roadway climbs for some 750 feet (231 m) from Rough and High Peak to the road’s summit just beyond the ‘Aiggin Stone’ a way-marker or sone with incised cross. Both ‘Roman’ Road and the main road fall some 800 feet of more to Ripponden. The so called ‘Roman Road; is pictured left looking down to Blackstone Edge (New) Road

Visitors. Travellers, residents and Quarrymen

From stone age, through the Roman era to the English Civil War, mankind has crossed over, lived on  and worked the resources of Blackstone Edge wether animal or mineral and at times an unforgiving landscape with often cold and wet weather generating treacherous bogs. But as Littleborough developed so too did the need for building materials including steam engine beds (large and heavy stone blocks). Even now the  many  quarries  are  visible  scars on the landscape better seen when snow covers the ground (right)

Quarrying gradually ceased in the mid-18th Century when the tax on bricks ended and brickworks sprung up in Summit and Rock Nook next to the Todmorden to Littleborough Turnpike and the Rake Brickworks adjacent to the Coaching Inn of the same name.