The Proud Mary Walk
A circular walk starting and finishing at Greenfield Railway Station. Enjoy spectacular views of the surrounding fells and reminders of our industrial heritage. Highlights include the Royal George Mill next to the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, walking up to Kinders Lane to view the Proud Mary Steam Engine and passing through Uppermill village along the River Tame before heading back to Greenfield Railway Station.
- Distance: 5.64 miles (9km).
- Duration: Expect approximately 2 hours to complete.
- Elevation: Total ascent 431ft (131m). Lowest ascent 481ft (147m), highest ascent 742ft (227m).
- Starting Points & Parking: Greenfield Railway Station, Shaw Hall Bank Road, Greenfield, Oldham, OL3 7JZ.
- Difficulty: Easy to moderate; a relatively short circular route featuring some moderate slopes and uneven ground.
- Suitability: Features kissing gates and steps. Path includes stiles, but an alternative route to avoid them is available.
- Highlights: Royal George Mill, Huddersfield Narrow Canal, the Proud Mary Steam Engine on Kinders Lane, and Uppermill village along the River Tame.
Map
Walking Directions
On this walk you will encounter kissing gates, steps, some moderate slopes and some uneven ground, but you can avoid stiles.
From the station, cross the bridge and take the steps on your right down to the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and walk along the towpath, with the canal on your right-hand side. Follow the path around the mill pond and the back of the Royal George Mill. Follow the path and cross the footbridge over the River Tame.
A path with stiles to the left leads to Well-I-Hole Farm, if you wish to avoid the stiles continue along the path until it joins Calf Lane, leading to Manchester Road. Turn left to get onto the Pennine Bridleway just beyond the Royal George pub. Turn left here and continue until you reach Well-I-Hole Road, cross over when safe to Well-I-Hole Farm.
Follow the footpath around the back of the Well-I-Hole buildings, crossing the field through two kissing gates and then turn left onto the Pennine Bridleway until you reach Friezland Station House on the right. Just after the station house turn left and walk down crossing the footbridge over the River Tame. Continue walking alongside Tame Valley Tennis and Squash Club on the left, then cross Greenbridge Lane and Chew Valley Road.
Carry on the footpath up to Higher Arthurs, then onto Carr Lane. Walk up to Lower Carr Lane and turn right up the footpath and over the footbridge crossing the Pennine Bridleway. Continue on the footpath through the kissing gate. Walk straight up the footpath and right at the top of the field and exit the field through another kissing gate on to Kinders Lane and turn left to view the Proud Mary steam engine.
To the west of the noticeboard you can see Wharton Mast and to the east you can see Pots and Pans also take time to look south, and admire the surrounding views. Continue on Kinders Lane and take the next left past historic Golburn Cottage and then take the next left towards Shaws. Then take the footpath on the right through the kissing gate. Walk along the field and turn left at the next kissing gate. Walk down the footpath and then the steps alongside the house. Then go through a gap at the side of the gate on to Grove Road.
Walk along Grove Road and turn left taking the footpath leading down to the Pennine Bridleway at Saddleworth Pool and Leisure Centre and turn right. Continue on the Pennine Bridleway crossing Church Road over the footbridge then continue along and take the next left, then left again and then right down to Pickhill Lane and turn left heading for Chapel Street, Uppermill. Head north up High Street and turn left at Kenworthy Gardens, go over the bridge crossing the River Tame and take the footpath on the right. Continue over the footbridge and turn left and then left again back on to the Huddersfield Narrow Canal towpath.
Walk down the towpath crossing Moorgate Street and back on to the towpath to High Street then turn left into Uppermill village passing the Ammon Wrigley statue and Saddleworth Museum on the left. Uppermill has lovely pubs and cafes and is a great place to take a break before you return to the station. Cross High Street at the pedestrian crossing and walk over the River Tame bridge and turn right on to Spring Street. Take the riverside footpath down to Carr Lane (Bridge Street). Cross Carr Lane into Churchill Fields following the riverside footpath passing Frenches Wharf Marina on your left, walk under the canal bridge to exit the canal towpath and take steps up on to Chew Valley Road turning left and head back to Greenfield Railway Station where this walk ends.
History of the "Proud Mary" Steam Engine
The Proud Mary steam engine is a steam powered hydraulic pumping engine which was made at some point from the 1880s through to electrical power taking over in the 1920s. Frank Rothwell rescued it from a salvage yard in Doncaster and has restored it to run on compressed air instead of steam. It would have originally been used inside a factory to power large engineering machinery and presses at c.5000 PSI (Pounds per Square Inch). The boilers to generate the steam would have been in a boiler house at one end of the factory next to the factory chimney. The steam to power the pump would have been carried through the factory in iron pipes which would have been insulated with very dangerous asbestos. A pump like this could have been used to power machinery to manufacture artillery shells during the First World War.
Frank Rothwell's Notes (14th July 2025)
Proud Mary: I only wanted a big steel gear wheel as a garden ornament. However, I ended up with this Henry Berry 10 ton steam powered hydraulic pump. I got it running and removed a lot of pipes to make it look more simple. I had it sand blasted, I painted it and placed it here on a 2 ton steel foundation. The pump was made in Leeds around 1905 and it could pump water at about 5,000 PSI around an engineering factory where it was used to power large hydraulic presses. This pump would have been powered by 150 PSI steam from a large remote Lancashire boiler from the boiler house at the other side of the factory. I was told it was last used in a lemonade factory in Yorkshire until 1985. I have a large 3 phase compressor in my garage which provides 150 PSI compressed air and stores enough for it to run for 10 minutes. When the pump is running it can squirt water over 50 feet in the air.
Anchor: I bought the Anchor from a fisherman in Hartlepool who pulled it out of the North Sea. It has a wooden stock which could date it from say from 1600 to 1880. I made a new stock from European Oak.
