Love Island stars discover ‘hidden gem’ waterfall just outside Manchester
WINNERS of the 9th season of Love Island Sanam Harrinanan and Kai Fagan have discovered an incredible ‘hidden gem’ just outside of Manchester.
The couple traded in watching the hit ITV2 dating show for some adventure in the outdoors, with a hike in the countryside near Oldham.
They hiked up trails, found streams of water and went down little-known paths before coming across the “main attraction”.
Panning the camera over the array of rocks, Sanam shared her awe of the giant waterfall, which she said was located in Oldham, OL2 8NB.
“It’s honestly so beautiful and peaceful,” she said. “Perfect place to come for a walk.”
In the caption of the TikTok video, she added: “We found this beautiful waterfall today in Oldham!”
People thought it looked incredible and flocked to the comments section to share their thoughts.
“I live in Oldham, I never knew this existed!” one person wrote.
Another said: “This is right next to my house,” followed by a crying emoji.
While a third added: “I didn’t even know this existed but it’s in Oldham,” before tagging a friend.
The attraction is called the Pingot Quarry Waterfall, which is in Shaw and Crompton – just 40 minutes by car from Manchester or a 49-minute journey on the Pink Line (£3.80) followed by the tram (£1.40).
The walk then starts from the car park for Dunwood Park, where many families go to enjoy bowling and tennis, while younger kids can can spend time in the play area.
Those who embark on the hike, meanwhile, must take a steep climb to reach part of The Oldham Way, which is a 42-mile (67.5km) circuit through hills, trails, reservoirs and views of the borough.
Following a small section, hikers then cross over to The Rochdale Way, another circuit that’s 45 miles (75km) long and takes people through wooded valleys and historic urban sites.
Walking a short section of this, hikers then come across the village of Newhey.
There, hikers can take a pit stop at the Bank Chambers Cocktail Bar for a bite to eat, with burgers starting from £7.50 while they have a £2 Margherita pizza deal on every Thursday between 5-8pm.
And for those who need a little liquid courage to walk the next hour to the waterfall, there are beers from £3 and cocktails from £7.50 on offer.
Continuing on the hike, visitors then follow rural roads to reach a farm track before entering the open countryside.
Going through fields on the edge of Compton Moor, hikers then start climbing down to the quarry in Shaw, where the waterfall sits.
Once you’ve taken in the gorgeous sight, you could then make your way over to the Mercure Manchester Norton Grange Hotel & Spa.
The £84-a-night stay at the 4-star hotel features an indoor pool and a hot tub – perfect to relax your muscles after the long hike.
Meanwhile, you can find the 10 best budget-friendly Manchester hotels here.
And there’s huge £250million waterpark and spa opening in Manchester in the next few years too, with 35 slides and its own indoor beach.