Christ Church, Longridge - Methodist/URC

Haigh Hall and its surrounding country park are situated to the North-East of Wigan and provide a variety of pleasant walks with links to the local industrial heritage. Bill, from our Bolton group, kindly offered to lead us on this walk, in a part of the county that is somewhat further south than we usually venture. Starting from the car park at Haigh Hall, we walked for a short distance along the entry road before entering a series of pleasant farm tracks with splendid views to the West. The weather turned out to be brilliant, in contrast to the heavy showers back home. Eventually, we arrived at Red Rock Lane and in a short while, entered the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, heading south on yet another section of this attractive waterway. Later, leaving the canal, we joined the other main Read more…

This month it was Veronica’s turn to lead us and she was flying solo, as Neil had to act as clerk of works on a patio project. The walk started from the Scorton Picnic Site car park, from where we joined a footpath along the left bank of the River Wyre, After recent heavy rains, the river was in full flow and the forecast for the day was for more heavy showers, but mercifully for us, they did not materialise. The path now left the river, climbed a steep embankment and then followed the M6, before heading west across fields and along quiet lanes towards Cleveley Bank Farm, over the railway and on to cross the A6, over more field paths to join the Lancaster Canal at Ratcliffe Bridge. The canal was now followed south and we were able to Read more…

During the temporary absence of our leader, recent walks have been led by a number of volunteers and this month, Bill, from our Bolton friends, offered to lead us on a walk in an area he knows quite well. The walk started at the cricket ground at the pretty and very English hamlet of White Coppice. As today was match day, the catering corps. were doing a great job in their little hut, which was just as well as someone forgot to bring their dinner with them. Leaving the cricketers behind, we ascended the southern flank of Heapy Moor to Drinkwaters, where a number of paths merge and from this lofty point, excellent views were enjoyed in all directions, particularly to North Wales as far as Anglesey. From here, our route led us across open moor land to a ruin Read more…

The pretty village of Downham, famous as a location for film and TV and a little gem on the Lancashire landscape, was the starting point for our walk in the Ribble valley. Starting from the car park, with its unique gent’s toilets (a converted pig sty), we started walking up the steep hill towards the Assheton Arms in glorious sunshine, passing behind the pub and climbing up a hill to the highest point of the walk. Here, the views were stunning in all directions. Now it was steadily downhill, along fields, farm tracks and passing under a railway bridge and arriving at a barn. This barn will be met again on the return leg. Now it was following a lovely hawthorn and hazel hedge towards a pack horse bridge, part of the Roman road and featured in the TV series, Read more…