Do you ever get one of those days when you wake up and really fancy a trip out but can’t think just where to go? Well if you fancy some fresh air, a bit of a drive and somewhere totally dog friendly, then we would heartily recommend a trip out to Hollingworth Lake.
Hollingworth Lake was built in 1801 to feed water to the Rochdale canal. It established itself as a visitor attraction and became popular as a tourist resort from the 1860s. Victorian textile mill owners provided day outings to the lake for their employees as a welcome respite from the toil of factory work and the Lake became locally known as ‘Weighver's Seaport’
Today, the Hollingworth Lake Country Park and Visitor centre provides an excellent day out with a visitor centre, boating, windsurfing, lots of play and picnic areas and an absolutely fabulous place to take your dog.
What makes the place really superb is that as you walk around the lake, particularly on the road side, you really get a feeling that you are at the seaside. This is hard to describe and you really need to experience this for yourself on a nice sunny day, but to add to the holiday atmosphere, there is an amusement arcade and little shops and cafes; you can even buy Hollingworth Lake rock!
A gentle stroll around the lake with your dog will take around an hour at the most with lots to take in along the way. There is a cafe and picnic area about half way round as well as a camping and caravan site. Don’t forget to take your camera as there are some wonderful views as well as some magnificent houses overlooking the lake as you make your way back.
If you want somewhere to eat, there is a choice of two lovely pubs: The Wine Press is a nice pub to sit outside; it is popular with motorcyclists and a great spot on the lakeside. The Beach pub continues the seaside theme and this is a good port of call as you complete the walk. The Beach has a sign outside welcoming friendly dogs into the pub. Both pubs serve good food and real ale, but there is also a great choice of cafes, fish and chip shops as well as more upmarket eateries. Our advice would be to stick to either the pubs or the main road for food as the lakeside options are not quite as good.
All in all a fab day out, a bit off the beaten track but dead easy to get to and once you’ve been, I’m guessing, like us, you will be going again very soon.
If you decide to visit Hollingworth Lake Country Park, why not come over and see us at Beauty Petz and tell us all about your day out, we’d love to hear about your experiences…
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