21/05/2017 Sunday Car - Tockholes / Edgworth Reservoirs

 

May

10:30am Start

Tockholes with Dorothy Dobson
8 miles (12.9km) undulating

Meet at Tockholes Information Centre car park (Sat Nav: BB3 0PA) ready for the usual start time of 10.30am.

Starting from the Information Centre we take a zig zag path up to Darwen Tower. From here we descend steeply to Sunnyhurst Wood - a popular park for the local dog walkers - to then climb once more, to Hawkshaw. We cross over the golf course to eventually reach Weasel Farm and after reaching the main road, we drop down to Tockholes village before joining the Witton Weavers Way and back to the car park. 

Edgworth Reservoirs with Margaret and Bob
6 miles (9.7km) mostly on the flat, one or two inclines

Meet at car park behind "The Barlow" Building next door to the cricket club GR 742166 (Sat Nav: BL7 0AP), ready for the usual start time of 10.30am.

Nestling below moors between Darwen & Bolton this is a pleasant stroll around 2 reservoirs Wayoh and Entwistle, starting from the village of Edgworth, at The Barlow Institute (where there are toilets). We enter a field to reach a path overlooking Wayoh where we walk round part of this Reservoir. There is a short steep climb which brings us to Entwistle Station to reach the Strawberry Duck Inn. We continue along a road path for a short distance, up some steps, along a conifer wood to the shoreline of Entwistle Reservoir which we walk round to reach the dam. We then continue through woodland leading back to Wayoh Reservoir.

We cross the dam and make our way back to the village where refreshments can be taken at the Black Bull Pub. 

17/05/2017 Stroller - Longton

 

May

10:30am Start

Longton with Joan and Allan
2 to 3 miles with Little Climbing

Each Mid-Week Stroller walk has a destination providing a walk and venue for drinks / snacks or meal and starts at 10:30am

Meet at the Rams Head car park, Liverpool Road, Longton (Sat Nav: PR4 5HA), then afterwards at the Rams Head Pub, Longton.

11/05/2017 Thursday Car - Yarrow Valley, Chorley

 

May

10:30am Start

B Walk Yarrow Valley with Allan Benson
8 miles (12.9km) with no significant climbing.

Meet at Birkacre Visitor Centre (Sat Nav: PR7 3QL Map Ref: GR570153), ready for the usual start time of 10.30am.

We start our walk from the country park and follow the River Yarrow through Saunders Bank and Big Wood to Duxbury Park. We then follow the Leeds Liverpool Canal for approximately 2 miles before making our way back to Yarrow Park via Sandy Lane, footpaths and some quiet roads.

07/05/2017 Coach - Appleby and Dufton

 

May

8:00 Start with 17:30 (5:30pm) Return

A Walk – Backstone Edge & Murton Pike with Dave Colbert
12½ miles (20km) with 2,375ft (725m) Total Ascent

The North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty became the first British Geopark in June 2003. Its most famous geological feature is the spectacular glacial canyon of High Cup Gill that eats into the hillside above Dufton, the product of an intrusion of dolerite otherwise known as the Whin Sill.

Starting from Dufton, we follow the track around the southern flank of Dufton Pike, climbing gradually up the narrowing valley of Threlkeld Side with its relics of industry past to eventually reach Great Rundale Tarn. The next bit is off-piste as we head generally south along Backstone Edge from its 692m Trig Point towards the great cleft of High Cup Gill. From High Cup Nick, our route traverses High Cup Scar before heading across Middle Tongue and down to the broad col below the shapely Murton Pike (594m/1,949ft). It’s then steeply down to the farm at Harbour Flatt and the minor road back to Dufton from Keisley Bridge.

B+ Walk – High Cup Nick with David Thornton
9½ miles (15.25km) with 1608ft (490m) Total Ascent

The great gorge of High Cup is reminiscent of the glacial trenches seen in the Cairngorms, although it looks so out of place iin the North Pennines that the splendour of the scene is greatly exaggerated. The dramatic cliffs are an outcropping of the Great Whin Sill, exposed by the passage of ice. The boulders littering the valley floor are relics of the collapsed sill - the underlying limestone being eroded away. One of the pinnacles along the cliff edge, Nichol's Chair (or Nichol's Last), was named for a local cobbler who, for a bet, sat on top while mending a pair of shoes. Occasionally the stream that empties into the cleft can be seen spurting upward. Peregrine falcons also catch the updraft, circling as they search for prey.

Starting at Dufton we head south east across fields to Redbanks bridge and just before reaching Castle Hill we turn north east and then follow a country lane for a short distance to Keisley bridge. Leaving the lane we head up the glaciated valley which we have to climb out of to reach High Cup Nick. From there we head back to Dufton along the Pennine Way.

B Walk – Knock! Knock! Who's There? with Dorothy Dobson
9 miles (14.5km) with 1500ft (457m) Total Ascent

The scenery around Appleby and Dufton is stunning and Sheila and I thoroughly enjoyed reccying the walk.

Setting out from Dufton we head along a track to Pusgill House and then pass between Brownber Hill and Dufton Pike to reach Costa Hill. Here we have a gradual climb as we follow the Pennine Way north eastwards to Swinedale Beck. We return along a private road for a while before walking beneath Flagdaw and Knock Pike. Then its back to Costa Hill, where we rejoin the Pennine Way to head southwards to Dufton.

C Walk – Appleby Amble with Joyce Bradbury
6¼ miles (9.7km) with 434ft (132m) Total Ascent

Setting off from Appleby (toilets available) we climb out of the town past the railway station and continue along a road until we can go under the A66. For the next few miles we follow tracks, field and woodland paths on the level or downhill. We eventually reach a road which we cross to take another field path, with a short sharp rise, to Brampton Hall. We continue onwards through a caravan site after which a short road walk takes us to Keld Farm. We now climb up to Castlerigg to arrive at the Roman Road. Another ¾ mile brings us to the main road and it is pavement walking, downhill into Appleby with its two cafes and various pubs. There are several stiles and some lovely mud!