February Ramble – Adlington
After last month’s walk along the prom, we now needed to return to something a little more challenging.
Unfortunately, the planned walk, Beacon Fell and the River Brock was changed because of ice on a couple of the steeper paths, so Bill, from our Bolton group, came up with this alternative, a walk to the East of Chorley, utilising the canal and a series of farm tracks and quiet country lanes.
Starting from a lay-by on the A6, we quickly joined the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, heading North to Chorley. The canal was frozen in places but the weather was quite pleasant for walking, with little wind.
After a couple of miles, we left the canal and started our steady ascent of Healey Nab, a wooded hill offering splendid views in all directions. A memorial woodland has recently been planted here, complete with two benches which provided an excellent place for our lunch stop.
Lunch over, we descended the Nab and joined a good bridleway heading south with excellent views over Anglezarke Reservoir and the West Pennine Moors beyond. At the end of the track we passed a beautiful new large house called Kays Farm. Not Peter Kay’s, we wondered?
Our route now took us westwards, along a series of good footpaths and little lanes, some a little icy in places, under the M61 and ending with a lovely path which followed the River Douglas, fast flowing today, and on under the railway to arrive back at the canal and on to Fredricks café for a well earned coffee. Afterwards, we walked the short distance along the canal and back to our cars for the journey home.
Many thanks to Bill for coming up with this interesting walk at short notice. The area to the East of Chorley is very attractive and is always appreciated.