07/12/2025 Coach - Ambleside & Hawkshead

 

December

8:00am start with 16:30 (4:30pm) return

A Walk – Ings to Ambleside via Sour Howes with John Parkinson
10.1 miles / 16.25 km with 2221 ft / 680 m Total Ascent

Leaving Ings we head up to Dubbs Road passing Dubbs reservoir (replete with rainbow and brown trout and a natural habitat for crayfish and even adders) before taking a steep climb to the bobbly summits of Sour Howes.  Alfred Wainwright stated “There is little about Sour Howes to attract walkers and nothing to justify a detour”.  A little harsh maybe so best to appreciate the fine views which Wainwright claimed ‘arrest the attention’ before moving on sharpish.  We traverse the ridge and head up to the summit of Sallows before turning back and descending via the Garburn Road to Limefitt. Passing through Troutbeck we take Robin Lane towards Skelgyll Wood before dropping down into Ambleside to meet the coach.

B+ Walk – Title with Leader
Miles / km with ft / m Total Ascent

No details available.

B Walk – Latterbarrow and Wray Castle with Stuart Arnold
8 miles / 13 km with 900 ft / 275 m Total Ascent

We first head eastwards across fields to Colthouse and then start a gentle climb over a bridle way to Claife Heights. Heading north we reach the summit of Latterbarrow, a possible lunch stop. This hill on the side of Windermere affords wonderful views of the lake and the surrounding mountains. We leave Latterbarrow and head north east to the lake shore via the village of High Wray. Heading north wards along the lake shore we reach Wray Castle and then head back to Hawkshead via Blelham Tarn and Out gate.
There should be time to explore Hawkshead and have a look round the shops and possibly enjoy some liquid refreshment.

C Walk – Title with Chris Cook

Miles / km with ft / m Total Ascent

No details available.

03/12/2025 Stroller - Christmas Meal

 

Arrive 12:15pm for 12:30pm

Christmas meal only (no walk today). Held at The Mill at St Catherine's.

Meet at The Mill at St Catherine's, Lostock Lane, Lostock Hall, Preston PR5 5XU.

A £10 non refundable deposit is required. See menu options below.

Please let Barry have your deposit and menu choices by the November Stroller walk (Wednesday 19th November at Cuerden Valley).

The Mill Christmas Menu- £37.50 per person

To Start

Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup (V)

Baked Brie, Cumberland Sauce, Crispy Onion Croutons (V)

Port & Walnut Terrine, Beetroot & Ginger Chutney

Avocado & Atlantic Prawn Vol-Au-Vent, Lemon & Paprika Sauce

Chargrilled Beef Salad, Rocket, Gorgonzola Dressing

Main

Fylde Roast Turkey & all the Trimmings

Roast Salmon Fillet, Dill Potato Cake, Tender Stem Broccoli, Chive Butter Sauce

Pesto & Roasted Pepper Risotto, Toasted Pine Nuts (V)

Slow Roasted Lamb Henry, Carrot Puree, Mash Potatoes, Honey & Mint Sauce

Roast Hasselback Butternut Squash, Roast Potatoes, Carrot Puree, Brussel Sprouts, Vegetable Gravy (V)

Dessert

Bailey's Cheesecake

Sherry Trifle

Christmas Pudding, Brandy Sauce

Chocolate Orange Tart

Cranberry & Orange Cheesecake (GF/Vegan)

Sticky Toffee Slice

Exchange St Catherine's Blend Coffee or Mill Tea

23/11/2025 Sunday Car - Nicky Nook from Garstang

 

November

Start: 10:30am

Nicky Nook from Garstang with Val Walmsley
7.5 miles / 12 km with 700 ft / 200 m Total Ascent

Meet at High St Car Park, Garstang (Sat Nav: PR3 1WZ), ready for the usual start time 10:30am.

From Garstang proceed along Millenium Way following R Wyre to Woodacre Hall.Cross railway & Mway passing Long Mossley Wood to Hr Lane.
Path thro' Grize Dale from where ascend to Nicky Nook.Return via Scorton,Wyre Way,Gubberford & Green Lane back to Garstang.

19/11/2025 Stroller - Cuerden Valley, Bamber Bridge

 

November

Start: 10:30am

Cuerden Valley with Barbara & Jan
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 Asda car park, Clayton Green (Sat Nav: PR6 7JT).

No details available.

13/11/2025 Thursday Car - Nicky Nook

 

November

Start: 10:30am

Nicky Nook with Katie Clenshaw
7.5 Miles / 12 km with 1150 ft / 350 m Total Ascent

Meet near the toilets on Gubberford Lane in Scorton (Sat Nav: PR3 1BL), ready for the usual start time 10:30am.

We leave Scorton along Tithe Barn Lane to Slean End. Then, instead of walking up Grizedale, we climb steeply up to Woodacre Pasture, then past Burns Farm, Moor House and the masts on Barnacre Moor, eventually reaching the road by Grizedale Lea Reservoir.

After crossing Grizedale Bridge, we head across the fields to Fell End, then south to Grizedale Reservoir before climbing steeply up and over Nicky Nook and back down to Scorton (and maybe a cup of tea).

Note - I didn't find any good lunch spots in the first half of the walk, so you may want a snack before the start.

09/11/2025 Coach - Haworth via Hebden Bridge

 

November

8:00am start with 16:30 (4:30pm) return

A Walk – Return to Dick Delf Hill? Well, not quite with Dave Colbert
11 miles / 18 km with 1935 ft / 590 m Total Ascent

Just who is this Dick Delf that caused such controversy in Footprints past?  Some say Dick Delf is a pseudonym for Bog Myrtle, an 11th century Yorkshire herbalist from Heckmondwike who wrote a seminal paper on the frustrations of searching for moorland flora and fauna in the West Riding under the title ‘Withering Lows’, or that he was a Yorkshire Dutchman, uncle to that bloke Heathcliffe.  All we know is, well nothing, despite the exhaustive research of Professor Bewaldeth from the University of Snittlegarth.

We start from Pecket Well just north of Hebden Bridge and, shock horror, descend to Mill Bridge in Hebden Dale.  It’s then through the woods to Hardcastle Crags and a long climb over Wadsworth Moor to Walshaw Dean Middle Reservoir, which we will walk round before joining the Pennine Way to chase the ‘B+’ Party over the moors all the way to Haworth.  Our route is by way of said Dick Delf Hill (well not quite), Top Withins (strictly no Kate Bush impressions), The Height, Brontë Bridge, Haworth Moor and Penistone Hill.

B+ Walk – Out on the Wiley Windy Moors with Sue Banister
9.5 Miles / 15.3 km with 1300 ft / 396 m Total Ascent

We leave the coach after Pecket Well and head north to Lumb Hole Waterfall then join the Calder Aire Link west to Walshaw.

North again takes us up over Wadsworth Moor then down to Walshaw Dean Middle reservoir for a lunch stop.

We then join the Pennine Way over Dick Delph Hill to the ruins at Top Withins and on past Scar Hill. Shortly after Upper Heights we leave the Pennine Way and drop down to the Brontë waterfalls.

It’s then back to Haworth on the Brontë Way via Penistone Country Park.

B Walk – Brontë Waterfalls and Top Withens with Barbara & Alan Gilbert
8 miles / 12.87 km with 900 ft / 274.32 m Total Ascent

We leave coach park in Haworth and make our way towards Brontë waterfalls. From there we climb up to Top Withens (mentioned in the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë) where we will have lunch.

From there we retrace our steps, taking the signpost for Stanbury, walking along the main street before turning right into reservoir road; crossing the causeway and then turning left along the bridleway which leads up to the outward journey along cemetery road on meeting the main road and after a few yards we turn right through a gap in a wall leading across a field path to the rear of Brontë Parsonage and back into Haworth for refreshments.

C Walk – The Brontë Way with Dorothy Dobson and Chris Cook
6 miles / 9.7 km with 500 ft / 150 m Total Ascent

From the coach park we pass the Brontë Museum ( Toilets on car park. 30p ) to join the Brontë Way. There are good paths most of the way, but care should be taken when descending the steps to the waterfall. Here we hope to have lunch, before leaving the valley. We make our way across the fields and down to the village of Stanbury, then walk by Lower Laithe Reservoir and the last stretch uphill to Haworth. There may be time for refreshments before the coach leaves at 4.30pm.

03/11/2025 Committee Meeting

 

November

Start: 7:00pm until 9:00pm

Committee meetings are held on Mondays.
Start at 7:00pm and finish at 9:00pm.

All members are welcome.

We meet at the Over 60s Club, Priory Lane, Penwortham.

Preston PR1 0AR.

26/10/2025 Sunday Car - Beacon Fell Circular

 

October

Start: 10:30am

Beacon Fell Circular with Stuart Arnold
6 miles / 9.5 km with 400 ft / 120 m Total Ascent

Meet at Carwags Picnic Area, Carwags Lane, Chipping (Sat Nav: PR3 2ES), ready for the usual start time 10:30am.

We will attempt to do two complete circuits of Beacon Fell. One around the base through all the farms and one up on the fellside.

We start by crossing the fields to Rigg Farm then down to Broad head and along the track to Sagars and Heatherways. We cross to North Nook and then ascend onto the Fell track to do our fell circuit. We then drop down to Crombleholme and Woodford on our way back to the start.

15/10/2025 Stroller - Boundary Mill, Colne

 

October

Start: 10:30am

Boundary Mill, Colne with Roy Smith
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

Starts from Boundary Mill Car Park, Colne. Meet on the right side of the car park, Green Zone 5. (Sat Nav: BB8 9NW).

The walk is around three miles, mainly flat and incorporating a Nature Reserve, canal walking and some field walking.

Afterwards we are at Benny’s at the lower end of the car park.

12/10/2025 Coach - Keswick via Thirlmere

 

October

8:00am start with 17:00 (5:00pm) return

A Walk – Ullscarf and High Tove with Graham Hogg
13 Miles / 21 km with 2250 ft / 685 m Total Ascent

We leave the coach at Wythburn (junction of A591 and Thirlmere western minor road).

At Stenkin, we proceed to climb the Wythburn Fells and follow the ridge line above Nab Crags and Castle Crag until we reach the summit of Ullscarf at 726 metres.

Heading North / North East our route carefully descends beside Standing Crag before passing Blea Tarn. We’ll proceed over Shivery Knott and Middle Crag before ascending High Tove at 515 metres. 

Immediately to the north of us at this point is High Seat (608m) but in between lies the notorious Pewits, an area of extremely boggy ground. To avoid this, we descend to Watendlath and pick up the road to Surprise View and Ashness Bridge. The route to Keswick follows various paths around the shore of Derwent Water.

B+ Walk – Walla Crag Circuit with Meriel Nutter
10 Miles / 17 km with 1000 ft / 304 m Total Ascent

From the coach park in Keswick follow the High Street south easterly to town edge taking track to Castlerigg Farm and Rakefoot. Turning southerly onto a path up by the wall to Lady’s Rake. We can cross wall and go to viewpoint before returning to follow path up and away from wall to sheepfolds. This is our highest point at 430 meters and another great viewpoint.

Return to path above Falcon Crag continuing to descend south towards Ashness Bridge where we return to Keswick on the east side of Derwent Water using roads and the lakeside path from Calfclose Bay. If the bracken allows there is a path parallel to the roads below Brown Knotts and Falcon Crag to near Calfclose Bay where we join the lakeside path past Friars Crag to Keswick. The shore path shown on the map from the landing stage.

B Walk – High Rigg and the Stone Circle with Stuart Arnold
8 Miles / 12.87 km with 1250 ft / 381 m Total Ascent

This is a linear walk which will start by getting off the bus on the A591 at Legburthwaite and almost immediately climbing Wren Cragg then along the ridge to Yew Cragg and High Rigg. We then drop down to the youth centre and church at St John's in the Vale. From here we go over Low Rigg and past Tewet Tarn before reaching the stone circle. From here we drop down via High Nest to the main road at Nest Brow. We cross the road and pass by Castlerigg campsite before finding the track down into Keswick.

C Walk – Shoulthwaite Farm to Keswick via Stone Circle with Chris Cook
6/7 Miles / 9.6 km with 500 ft / 152 m Total Ascent

We leave the coach at Shoulthwaite Farm on the A591. We cross the road and head for Rough Howe Bridge. From there we skirt round High Rigg on the west side passing Shaw Bank, slowly climbing on our way to St John’s in the Vale. At St John’s, take the stile and pass Tewet Tarn to a quiet road towards Naddle Bridge. From there to the Stone Circle and onto Keswick. (At the Stone Circle I hope to prove the power of the Ley Lines). Happy Days.