Dobcross - Viaduct, Village & Canal

Navigating The Route

This is a circular Detective Mystery around Dobcross Viaduct, Village & Canal, with Detectives helping residents of Dobcross investigate the death of Maurice Blackamore, the squire of the Dobcross Cloggers, on the eve of the Saddleworth Morris Dancing Championships.

The investigation covers approximately 1.8 miles and should take around 2 hours to complete. You'll begin on the canal towpath, explore Dobcross on paved roads, woodland tracks and canalside paths, follow a footpath through the trees and loop back to the start as the evidence around this village mystery stacks up.

This Trail is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs. There are some uneven paths and steps along the way, plus steep sections, hills, narrow lane sections and cobbles that can be slippery when wet. Stonebottom Brow is steep, so sturdy footwear and steady detective work are recommended, especially after rain.

Take extra care when crossing the main road and other roads, and only cross where it is safe to do so. Be particularly careful on the lane with no pavements and parked cars, at the crossing where vehicles come round the bend at speed, and around the canalside and lock area. You do not need to go near the water's edge to find the final clue.

There is an alternative route available: carry on past the pub, take the next left and carry on until you reach the footpath.

Getting There

By car: Begin on the canal towpath by joining the canal from whichever car park you used and heading to the right. The recommended parking is at The Limekiln Café (OL3 5PB), with parking available there for those arriving by squad car.

For overflow parking, use the car park on the A670 Wool Road. Go over the mini roundabout and follow the signs towards Diggle and Huddersfield on the A670 Wool Road; the car park is on the left after about 200 metres. To return to the overflow car park at the end, follow the towpath under bridge 73.

By public transport: Make your way to the canal towpath at Dobcross to begin the investigation. Join the canal and head to the right to start gathering evidence.

Need the Loo?

Toilets are at the Countryside Centre at the start and end of the Trail, so it's worth making a comfort stop before your Detectives head fully into the case.

Bring Your Furry Sidekicks

Four-legged Detectives are welcome to join the investigation 🐾

The route includes paved roads, woodland tracks, canalside paths, steps, steep sections, cobbles that can be slippery when wet, and a lane with no pavements and parked cars. Keep canine colleagues close around traffic, narrow lanes, the canalside and the lock area, and expect a proper leg-stretch with hills along the way.

Food & Drink Stops

Clue-cracking is hungry work. There is a cafe at the Countryside Centre at the start and end of the Trail, other refreshments are available at Clue 07, and supplies can be picked up at the Post Office near Clue 13.

Want to Make a Day of It?

Huddersfield Narrow Canal

The route follows part of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, a Pennine-crossing waterway that runs for 20 miles from Huddersfield to Ashton. It opened in 1811 and travels via 74 locks and the Standedge Tunnel, Britain's longest and highest canal tunnel at over 3 miles long.

The Village of Dobcross

Dobcross makes a fine place to linger once the culprit-hunting has cooled down. The Trail explores this picturesque Pennine village on paved roads, woodland tracks and canalside paths, with stunning countryside all around adding a suitably dramatic backdrop to Maurice Blackamore's mysterious case.

The Saddleworth Rushcart Procession

If your visit lines up with August, look out for the Saddleworth Rushcart procession. This local tradition celebrates the gathering of rushes to be spread on the floors of local churches, and the procession includes morris dancers from all over the country - very fitting territory for a case involving the Saddleworth Morris Dancing Championships.

Dobcross in the Film 'Yanks'

Hollywood came to Dobcross in 1979, when the square and one of the shops were used as a location in the film 'Yanks'. The film starred Richard Gere and was about American soldiers in Britain during World War Two. A Yanks Festival takes place in the village each year in August.

The Former Delph Donkey Railway

Part of your route follows the line of the former Delph Donkey railway, which once ran from Oldham to the village of Delph. Early trains were pulled by horses, giving the railway its nickname, and the last freight train ran in 1963.