Greenbooth Reservoir

This area has been a favourite walking spot of mine since childhood and I grew up only a couple of miles away in Norden. The entrance gate is accessible via Over Town Lane (next to The White Lion pub on Edenfield Road).
Actually a series of four linked reservoirs (the others being Naden Lower, Middle and Higher Reservoirs), there’s a walking path round each and all of them so you can choose how far you want to go.
Greenbooth, the largest of the four, was once the site of an abandoned and mostly demolished village of around 80 cottages, a sweet shop, Co-​op store, school and woollen mill. The only visible reminder of Greenbooth village today is a plaque on the side of the reservoir dam wall.
As kids we believed a tale that when the water level was low enough you could see the old church steeple, but I’m not sure there ever was a church in the village.
The four reservoirs are in a peaceful area for a country walk with good views of Manchester in the distance and some of the wind turbines on Scout Moor. Though predominantly flat with some gradual slopes along the route, there are also some steep steps and hilly parts so it’s not pram or wheelchair friendly.