Hollingworth Lake Country Park

Hollingworth Lake is a "lake" in Littleborough. It has a lot of history dating back to 1794 when the Government sanctioned the construction of Rochdale canal and even Matthew Webb trained here, before becoming the first man to swim The English Channel in 1875.

Getting here is relatively easy via car or rail links, with it being served by the 455 and 456 buses from Rochdale, as well as being fairly close to the Smithy Bridge and Littleborough rail stations. If you're driving here, you could actually go over the train tracks, and may have to wait for the train to pass. It is a bit rural here, despite the appearance of a few independent cafes and restaurants and houses.

As a child I remember coming here to Hollingworth Lake, but now the surrounding areas have changed, for the worse. For example, The Beach which I remember as a nice, friendly pub has had a worse change than Bolton Wanderers FC turning into a messy, rowdy children's dumping ground, where I wouldn't even want to use the toilet, let alone eat!

Parking at the lake can be difficult, it is all paid for which could be a few pounds in the beach, other than the few disabled spaces at the front of the lake, which can often be taken up.

It really does seem this lake and the surrounding area has gone down-hill, it has changed from somewhere you could spend time around the lake and in the surrounding restaurants, to somewhere you'd struggle to kill half an hour now. It isn't terrible, but still I sadly can't think of a reason to warrant anything over 2 stars now, and this place really needs a revival, otherwise it could end up more like Portsmouth FC.

Where can you go that's great within half an hour of Halifax for a good nice walk with a lake plenty of wildlife and a couple of pubs the beach is on site and the Wine press is near the car park. There's a couple of cafes on site two, The Pavilion cafe with outside tables it's on your walk around we did well to pass it this time as we always have a coffee here but today we were to have a Moretti Birra at the wine press I think next time we'll have lunch or dinner. There's a cafe at the carpark visitor centre advertising breakfast sounds good to me. There were loads and loads of birds through many variety with the green head Cuyaga duck catching my eye and a special moment of seeing a great crested grebe dive and the wait I remember from being a little bit younger for it to eventually pop up.
As the lake is a fair size with lots of visitors there were a fair few bits of rubbish that had ended up at the side of the lake could do with a few well trained volunteers as it might not be always easy to pick this rubbish from the edges. I'm looking forward to more visits maybe dawn photographs or dusk pints.

This is one of my favourite places to go for a local walk. Its great, at any time of day, and any time of year.


You can stroll round the lake, at an easy pace. The walk is approx. 2.5miles long and can take you anywhere between 45mins to 1 hour+, depending on speed.


At the back of the lake, you may get a chance to spot rabbits & bird-life. There are also, a very small cafe, toilets & a small play area for children.


There is also, a Visitors Centre, where you can park, on a 'Pay & Display' basis. The centre provides the interested, information on the Lake, Local history, Childrens Activities & there are toilets & a small cafe. You can also, buy souveneirs.


There are also, a range of food & drink facilities, in the locality.


My suggestion is to try some fresh fish & chips, at 'Mr Thomas's' Fish & Chip shop. I dont think you will be disappointed! :o)


For the more avid walker, there are plenty of trails to follow in the surrounding area.


Or, if you are a watersport buff - you can partake in an activity, at The Water Sports Activity Centre.


Word of Warning: Make sure you park in a legitimate spot, as Traffic Wardens are very keen to make a living!


Also, Sunny days/Bank Holidays - it can be a very busy/crowded area to visit.

Weird!It never occured to me to review Holli Lake (Local name) before. Mainly because I never thought to see if it had a listing..

I've been going on and off since birth,and between 1989 and 1991 I lived in a big house right on the bank of it next to the overflow (It was left to my Mum).

It is always nice to spend a warm sunny day pottering around it and maybe having a pint or two in the Fishermans or the Beach.

Back in the early days of our relationship myself and Ange could be found drinking a few cans on the bank whilst watching the sun go down...happy days : )

Originally built to provide water for the Rochdale Canal (yes, it's man-made), Hollingworth Lake in Littleborough is now used mainly for recreation, watersports and includes a wildlife sanctuary.

It's a lovely level 2.5 mile walk round, especially on a sunny day, and is popular with dog walkers and families pushing prams. So on weekends, Bank Holidays in particular, it can be busy, but this isn't really a problem as there's three pay-and-display car parks and the lake is so large that there's plenty of room for everyone to amble along at their own pace.

There are two pubs by the lake, the Beach Hotel and the Wine Press if you fancied rewarding yourself with a drink after circumnavigating it. If you're in the mood for fish and chips, Mr Thomas's (http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/mr-thomass-littleborough-2) is a popular spot.

I walked round the lake with my (then) 4-year-old last summer and we really enjoyed ourselves. It was a long walk for the little lad but there was plenty to keep him interested -- a kids' playground (and a good one at that), boats on the lake, a water-skier if I recall correctly -- etc. The walk was also very accessible by public transport: we caught the train to Littleborough, walked round the lake, and ended up at Smithy Bridge station for the train back into Manchester. All in all, a good (if tiring) day out -- highly recommended.

Fantastic day out for all the family (weather permitting).


Huge lake located close to Milnrow, Rochdale in Lancashire, easy accessible by driving, walking or on bus/train.


Small car park next to the lake where children can feed the ducks/geese/birds and go down the slope to the pebbled beach area.


Long walk right round the lake with small ponds, waterfalls and a children's park halfway round along with a toilets and a small shop to purchase drinks/ice creams and snacks.


Opposite the lake itself is a small stretch of shops and restaurants and amusement arcades. Absolutely fantastic fish and chip shop and cafe which are always popular throughout the year.


Definitely worth a visit, cheap day out too for all the family.