19/05/2019 Sunday Car - Tockholes / Scorton

B Walk - Tockholes with Dorothy Dobson

7½ miles (12km) with Undulating ground

Meet at the Tockholes Visitor Centre, Darwen (Sat Nav BB3 0PA), ready for the usual start time of 10.30am.

Starting from Tockholes Visitor Centre, we cross over the road to enter the wood where we pick up the Witton Weavers Way. We follow this path through Tockholes village to the M65 Motorway. We now change direction going east to Winter Hill (not the familiar one) and down to the golf course. Still going downhill we walk along the length of Sunnyhurst Wood to Earnsdale Reservoir and make our way along a track and fields to the car park.

C Walk - More tramping around Scorton with Bob Tognarelli

6 miles (9.6km) with 300ft (91m) Total Ascent

Meet in Scorton, on the main road near the Scorton Bowling Club (Sat Nav: PR3 1BJ), ready for the usual start time of 10.30am. Toilets available if you pay.

From here we head south on the Wyre Way, beside the River Wyre, to Gubberford Bridge. Crossing the road we walk down Woodacre Lane to the railway line. Crossing the bridges over both the railway line and the motorway we again pick up Wyre Way, but now we head north. We are heading back to Scorton across fields and through woods to reach Tithebarn lane. Maybe have lunch before we climb to Higher Lane and then descend to Woodacre Pasture to pick up the Grize Dale track around the base of Nicky Nook and walk to the other end of Higher Lane. We turn into Higher Lane and follow for a short distance before taking the footpath that will take us passed Potter´s Hill New wood, Potter´s Hill and down to Sands Bottom. Here we turn right on to the gravel track that leads to Snowhill Lane and back to the cars.

We now have the opportunity to indulge in refreshments at The Barn before heading home.

P.S. Tramping “the recreational activity of going for long-distance walks in rough country”, so come prepared.

15/05/2019 Stroller - Beacon Fell Country Park

Beacon Fell Country Park with Bob and Christine

2 to 3 miles with Little Climbing

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

Meet on the Beacon Fell Visitor Centre car park (Sat Nav: PR3 2NL), then afterwards at Owd Nells, St Michael´s Road, Bilsborrow (PR3 0RS).

09/05/2019 Thursday Car - Yarrow Valley, Birkacre, Chorley

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.

05/05/2019 Coach Walk - Middleton-In-Teesdale

8:00 start with 17:30 return

A Walk - High Force and Low Force with Stuart Drysdale

13 miles (20.9km) with 1320ft (404m) Total Ascent

We leave the coach where the Pennine Way crosses the B6276 and head past Wythes Hill Farm to pick up a bridleway heading North-West over Brown Dod to Crooks o´ Green Fell. From here we head north to Holwick Scars then west to Noon Hill Side, from where we head north to pick up the Pennine Way and go eastwards along the River Tees past High Force then Low Force and onwards to Middleton-in-Teesdale for refreshments and the coach home. 

B+ Walk - Quest for the Force with Kevin Poole

11.2 miles (18km) with 500ft (152m) Total Ascent

Leaving Middleton we follow the river Tees to High Force waterfall. We then head back to the coach via Holwick.

This is a delightful all weather walk.

B Walk - Teesdale Way & Eggleston with Tony Ingham

9 miles (14.5km) with 900ft (275m) Total Ascent

Leaving Middleton we head east along the Teesdale Way and follow it for 4 miles all the way to the village of Eggleston. At this point we turn on to a path which goes west and eventually reaches the village of Mickleton, via Bogg House and a large footbridge over the River Tees. Just south of Mickleton we pick up a path along a disused railway and walk along it until we get to Lonton where we leave the railway track to proceed across fields back into Middleton. There are no sustained climbs on this walk but quite a number of little ups and downs which together make up the 900ft of climbing.

C Walk - The River Tees with Dorothy Dobson

6 miles (9.7km) with 400ft (122m) Total Ascent

We leave the town centre (toilets) to follow a path south east down to the River Tees. Here the river bank is undulating and there are wooden steps for the first 30 yards and we need to take extra care when going over them.

Once past the steps the path levels out and it is pleasant walking in the beautiful countryside. Continuing along the river bank for one and a half miles, we then climb a small rise away from the river to join a track to Ornella Farm and back down to the river where we cross a substantially built footbridge solely for the use of walkers. Despite objections from the farmer who didn´t want it on his land, many organisations contributed to the cost and it was erected in 2002.

Now we head through fields to gradually climb to the village of Mickleton and still further uphill to reach the disused railway line. We are now on a very good track for two miles before joining a well worn path through the fields to the river and back to Middleton.