May 2021 - Hollingworth Lake, Littleborough, Rochdale OL15 0AQ

Friday 28th May - Monday 31st May 2021
Fantastic base for visiting Yorkshire family!

Hollingworth lake is man-made reservoir at Smithy Bridge in Greater Manchester. It was completed in 1800 as the main water source for the Rochdale Canal.  From the 1860s the area developed into a fine victorian tourist resourt with the Manchester-Leeds railway bringing weekend and day trippers to the lake.  Hotels and Ammusement centres were popular around the lakeside, but small row boats and a couple of Paddle Steamers provided fun on the water.  Today the area is a thriving base for water sports and nature walks.

There is a popular campsite right on the lake front, but we were staying with our Motorhomer.com friends at the Littleborough Lakeside Cricket Club. The Rakewood Viaduct elevates the M62 high above the valley creating a stark contrast against the natural beauty of the Pennine hillside. 

Steve arrived on Wednesday and helped Phil and the Motorhomer guys set up the camping area right on the edge of the playing field.  I understand that before we arrived he at fish and chips twice in the same day!!!

The boys and I arrived on Friday evening.  Littleborough is a lovely base for visiting my side of the family.  Both Ilkley and Queensbury are less than 20 miles (as the crow flies), unfortunately 20 miles = up to 90 mins of drive time! We really miss our Milton Keynes grid system.  While I visited old friends, Steve and the boys spent Saturday exploring the area's cycling trails and climbing mountains.

The weather on Sunday was glorious as we packed up the car and set off to Ilkley to visit Great Grandma. As it has a Bradford postcode, Ilkley was badly affected by the pandemic. Each time we planned to go visit, she would end up back in lockdown, or one of our boys would be put in isolation. To celebrate finally getting to see her, we "smuggled in" fish and chips from a chippy and enjoyed them together out in the garden.  YES, Steve really did eat fish and chips again!

Despite Steve threatening to have his post redirected, the boys and I were ready to enjoy a relaxing day on Monday.  We played games, climbed mountains, drank tea and spent hours catching up with our friends.  On Tuesday morning we packed up and moved on. I took the boys back to MK and Steve headed off to our next stop!