Leesbrook Nature Park was once renowned as the Spa of the North when a local doctor proclaimed the virtues of the Lees Fountain of Health.
It was thought that walking in the valley was beneficial to health and people flocked to Lees in droves. Today the valley has recovered from its industrial past and has become a haven for wildlife and once again we discover the benefits of a walk down the “spa”.
Playgrounds
Children can use the playscape on Constantine Street for play, exercise, exploration and confidence building.
The area also has play stop-offs - informal features that encourage children and their families to use the river valley and former railway track as routes to walk and cycle on, and to get to the playscape
Getting here
Lees Brook Nature Park is a number of sites stretching from Greenacres Road/Dunham Street Greenacres all the way down to Abbey Hills Road at Holts.
The main roads that run parallel with it are Constantine Street in Greenacres, Breezehill Road in Salem, and Holts Lane in Lees.
There is no visitor centre here.
Let's go for a walk
Green walk
Start the walk from the ‘Owl and Fox’ sculpture following Brook Lane into Bank Top. Pass through the black gate and continue with the river Medlock on your right. Carry on past the Old Mill Lodge, now a wildlife pond with dipping platform, and on to the weir in the river. Continue until the path splits and turn left uphill through the woodland. At the top of the hill turn left again to return with views over the valley and pond before dropping downhill and turning left at the next path junction to return to the start.
- Steps: 1068
- Distance (m): 700
- Calories: 30
- Time (mins): 10
Blue walk
Start the walk from the ‘Owl and Fox’ sculpture following Brook Lane into Bank Top. Pass through the black gate and continue with the river Medlock on your right. Carry on past the Old Mill Lodge, now a wildlife pond with dipping platform, and on to the weir in the river. Continue until the path splits and turn right over the bridge following the path up to the former Oldham to Greenfield railway line. Cross directly over the railway and downhill to rejoin the river bearing right, following the path up to the bridge with handrails and continue with the river on your right until you see a long flight of steps leading uphill to the left.
Continue forward and bear left as the path forks, following a loop which turns left through woodland to join the top of the steps.
From the top of the steps walk straight on continuing through woodland, traversing the valley side until the path drops down towards the river.
Cross the sleeper bridge and retrace your steps back over the old railway following the green route to the start.
- Steps: 3060
- Distance (m): 2020
- Calories: 84
- Time (mins): 32
Map
