7 miles (11.4km) with 250ft (76m) Total Ascent
Meet at the Mill Square (free parking), Caldervale (Sat Nav: PR3 1SP Map Ref: SD 534458), ready for the usual start time of 10.30am.
Starting at the Mill Square (free parking) our walk will take us from Calder Vale to Bleasdale and part of Claughton. The walking will be relatively easy with a mixture of country roads, farm tracks and (possibly) some field walking as well. On my first recce. the fields were absolutely saturated and virtually impassable in many places so I may avoid fields if no improvement by the final recce. Depending on the weather there will be extensive views across the Fylde with the Lake District to the north and Liverpool Bay to the south. There will be toilets at lunch and at Cobble Hey cafe in the afternoon. Hope you can join us.
6 miles (9.7km) with 300ft (91m) Total Ascent
Meet at main car park off the A674 (Sat Nav: BB2 2TP), ready for the usual start time of 10.30am.
From the main car park we head past the Visitor Centre and climb towards Billinge Wood. Moving out of the wood we walk along the top of what are known as the Yellow Hills, so named because of the covering of gorse bushes on their southern slope. Along this stretch we pass the Wainwright Memorial, a memorial to Alfred Wainwright who was born in Blackburn in 1907. Continuing gradually downhill we make our way to the River Darwin, at Hoghton Bottoms. We follow the river for a short distance then, moving away from the river, we follow farm tracks and minor roads eventually arriving at Pleasington Priory. From here we make our way back into the Country Park. We now follow the Witton Weavers Way back to our starting point.