15/08/2018 Stroller - Worthington Lakes (Standish)

Worthington Lakes with Bob and Christine
2 to 3 miles with Little Climbing. The walk is along the sides of 3 lakes.

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

Meet at the Worthington lakes car park on Chorley Road (A5106) Standish (Sat Nav:WN1 2XN), then at The Owls@Standish.

The entrance to the car parking is narrow and can be easily missed so drive slowly, approaching from Chorley it is the next left turn after the Lakeside Nursing Home. Approaching from Standish it is the next right turn after the Worthington Lakes Treatment Works entrance.

Lunch will be at The Owls@Standish a few minutes away heading towards Standish, on the left.

12/08/2018 Sunday Car - Crook O' Lune / Edgworth

B Walk - Crook O' Lune / Edgworth 
7½ miles (12km) with mainly flat walking

Meet at Picnic Site Car Park Caton (Sat Nav: LA2 9HU), ready for the usual start time of 10.30am.

The walk is mainly flat on fields and lanes with one significant climb and descent. After passing lower, middle and far high field, the walk takes us through Aughton village then we follow the River Lune where sand martins nest in holes in the banks and back to the car park.

C Walk - Edgworth and Witton Weavers Way with Margaret & Bob 

5¼ miles (8.4km) with 250ft (76m) Total Ascent

Meet at "The Barlow Institute Building", Parking on public car park behind building next to the cricket ground. (Sat Nav: BL7 0AP Map ref: GR742166), ready for the usual start time of 10.30am.

We make our way to the dam at Wayoh Reservoir and cross to the far side where we have a steady climb through woodland to reach Bartridge Barn car park. then through fields where we join the path heading towards Clough House Farm.

We are now on the Witton Weavers Way with beautiful views across the valley of Edgworth and Bradshaw Brook proceeding towards Turton Tower where we can take time to visit. We then approach edge of Jumbles Reservoir where we turn left heading for Turton Bottoms, winding through field paths back to Edgworth and welcome refreshments.

09/08/2018 Thursday Car - Glasson Dock

B Walk - Glasson Dock with Sheila Marsh 

8½ miles (13.6km) with mainly flat walking

Meet at the Marina car park (Sat Nav: LA2 0AW. Map Ref: SD 445560), ready for the usual start time of 10.30am.

Our walk is mainly flat on paths and fields with a couple of inclines. We leave the Marina car park and head for the Lancashire Coastal Way passing Cockersands Abbey after which we eventually join the Glasson branch of the Lancaster Canal and back to the car park.

29/07/2018 Coach Walk - Hadrian's Wall & Housesteads

8:00 start with 17:30 return

A Walk - Greenhead to Housesteads with Graham Hogg

10½ miles (17km) with 2133ft (650m) Total Ascent

For those of you who may be familiar with the bestselling Game of Thrones books, and the subsequent TV series, the author, George RR Martin has admitted that Hadrian´s Wall planted the seeds of inspiration for his popular fantasy tale, when he visited Northumberland back in the 1980s.

So, if you are on the A walk today, be sure to look out north from the wall; you may well see a ginger wildling or two, definitely some white walkers and you will know for certain that it will not be long before winter is coming (......or is that INDYREF2 ?)

Hadrian's Wall stretches coast to coast in the narrowest part of Northern England; from Wallsend on the River Tyne in the east to Bowness-on-Solway in the west. The distance is 120 kilometres (seventy three miles), or eighty Roman miles. It is named after the emperor who ordered its construction in 122AD. Originally it was three metres (nine feet) wide and up to six metres (twenty feet) high. At every Roman Mile along its length there is a milecastle, which was used as a guard post with turrets at every third of a mile serving as lookout posts. The wall was the North Western frontier of the Roman Empire until the final withdrawal of the legions from Britain in 410AD.

Today we shall walk along the best preserved section of the wall from Greenhead to Housesteads Roman Fort. Navigation isn't difficult although there are a lot of ups and downs which makes for a significant amount of ascent on what you might think would be a relatively flat walk.

Togas and sandals are optional (but not recommended !!).

B+ Walk - Hadrian's Wall and the Pennine Way with Allan Benson

10 miles (16km) with 1200ft (366m) Total Ascent.

It may take about 5½ hours to complete the walk but one thing is certain the views overall are quite spectacular (weather permitting).

We start our walk today from Housesteads and quickly join Hadrian's Wall. After about ½ mile we leave the wall and head north, along the Pennine Way to the edge of the Northumberland National Park. We now head west passing Greenlee Lough National Nature Reserve via East/West Stonefolds and Greenlee Plantations. We now head back to Hadrian's Wall via Gibbs Hill and Hound Hill. We reach the Wall at Turret 39b. We now walk approximately 3 miles along the wall back to Housesteads in time, I hope, for a cup of tea.

B Walk - Milecastle to Housesteads with Dorothy Dobson

7 miles (11km) with 1300ft (396m) Total Ascent

Up the Wall! Yes that is where we may end up as I confess to not having reccied this walk. However I have taken the write up from one done previously.

We alight the coach at the Milecastle Inn on the B6318 and head north to a disused quarry at Cawfield Crags (toilets available). We now turn east to join the Hadrians Wall Path and Pennine Way. This undulating path takes us to Caw Gap and on to the highest part of the walk, Windshield Crags (1132 ft). Here we have a lunch stop for around 30 minutes. We descend to Peel to join the Roman Military way, a good field path to Hotbank Crags and from here it is an easy walk to Housesteads and the coach.

C Walk - A minor walk around Hadrian´s Wall with Bob Tognarelli

5½ miles (8.8km) with 500ft (152m) Total Ascent

The walk starts from the coach park with a short but robust climb to the Housesteads Fort, where we follow the wall going west and it is here we can walk on the wall for a short distance. We continue west until we get to “Turret 37A” and the Pennine Way, where we then follow the Pennine Way for a short distance going north to reach the path on the ridge. Joining the path we again head west, while having had excellent views of the GreenLee Lough Nature Reserve and Crag Lough, before we arrive at Hotbank / Milecastle 38 back at the wall. We continue to follow the wall westward passing Crag Lough and to reach the famous “Sycamore tree” (View the film Robin Hood Prince of Thieves and it all will become clear) at Milecastle 38. From here we retrace our steps to Hotbank and after a short but sharp climb we join the “Roman Military Way” a slight easier path back to Housesteads Fort. Before going downhill back to the Car park and refreshments, there is the opportunely to view the Fort and other points of interest around the Fort.

Lunch will happen sometime during the walk, with an abundance of places to stop.

The walk offers good views of the surrounding countryside, be aware that there are many short but steep ascents and descends when walking on and alongside the wall. Footing can also be uneven at times.

18/07/2018 Stroller - Waddington, near Clitheroe

Waddington with Roy
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 at the Higher Buck pub in Waddington, then after at the pub. Post code BB7 3HZ (park in the pub car park).

Please Note...

Unfortunately the B6478 into Waddington, from Clitheroe, will be partially closed due to road improvement works. I have been advised that the best access road into Waddington will be the minor road from the small village of West Bradford, one mile to the east of Waddington.

15/07/2018 Sunday Car - Whalley

B Walk - Whalley with Judith Kirby 

7½ miles (12km) with 800ft (244m) Total Ascent

Meet at Spring Wood car park (Sat Nav: BB7 9TD), ready for the usual start time of 10.30am.

The walk starts at Springwood car park just above Whalley. It immediately walks through the edge of the golf course and up onto Clerk Hill. We the drop down to Wiswell Moor farm down across Whalley road and then down across Sabden brook. We then pass through Read Park past the converted hall and then cross the Padiham road and the Great Hardwood road at Cock Bridge. We then follow the river onto Whalley Banks and then into Whalley prior to our river return to the Springwood car park.

12/07/2018 Thursday Car - Leyland

B Walk - Leyland with Barry Hayhurst 

8½ miles (13.6km) with mainly flat terrain.

Meet at Leyland Rugby Club (Sat Nav PR26 7XU), ready for the usual start time of 10.30am.

A circular—ish 8½ mile walk from Leyland (Moss Side) to Croston, along some under used, and in parts, over grown footpaths. Via Ulnes Walton and Wymott on a level—ish terrain. Crossing 11 styles (some rickety), 15 Kissing and field gates (some creaky), 10 Footbridges (some missing — but we will avoid those .... bloomin´ Trolls).

Leaving the rugby club car park we make our way to the River Lostock and cross over the footbridge passing the water treatment works, almost following the course of the river crossing fields to Ulnes Walton. From here we make a short change of direction to the sprawling down town metropolis of Croston (Which has 5 pubs).

After a quick visit to the village we wander through the village streets making our way back to the course of the River Lostock. We branch off where it meets up with Wymott Brook and attempt to walk along the top of the flood defences along planted fields until we arrive at one of Her Majesty´s hotels.

From here we leave the field walking and walk along what used to be the railway tracks through to the old munitions storage bunkers (Try to seek them out ­ and count them). From here we have a short walk through woodland before heading back along some well defined footpaths to where we started.

The wearing of shorts is NOT advised, but a machete or strimmer could be helpful.

01/07/2018 Coach Walk - Coniston via Ambleside

July

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

A Walk - The Old Man with Sandra Robinson

13 miles (20.9km) with 4200ft (1280m) Total Ascent

We leave coniston via the coppermines road and then ascend wetherlam, going over swirl how, great carrs, grey friar, brim fell, coniston old man, dow crag, buck pike and brown pike, before descending back to Coniston along the walna scar road.

This walk can be shortened if we run out of time.

B+ Walk - Avoiding the Old Man with Kevin Poole

6.51 miles (10.5km) with 2400ft (732m) Total Ascent

Leaving Coniston we follow the track up to and past the YMCA. From here we gain height quickly as we walk alongside the falls and enter the magical world of Levers Water.

With our batteries restored we head up to the ridge called the Prison Band. From here we turn right and continue until coming to the summit of Wetherlam the highest point of today´s walk.

The return to Coniston is via the most obvious route leading over Above Beck Fells and to the Old disused mine track.

Weather permitting expect excellent views.

B Walk - Levers Water with Barry Mather

7 miles (11km) with 1500ft (457m) Total Ascent

From Coniston we follow Church Beck to the Miner's Bridge, from here we start climbing and after leaving the track we ascend Red Dell Beck passing derelict mine workings on the way. On reaching the track we had left earlier we follow it to Levers Water. After crossing the weir we pass some medieval mine workings and descend Boulder Valley to the Pudding stone. We then make a short ascent to The Bell for a view of Coniston Water, then head back to Coniston via Bowmanstead.

C Walk - Coniston Circular with Alison & Lesley

5¾ miles (9.25km) with 490ft (150m) Total Ascent

Today we begin our walk from the centre of Coniston. If the free toilets are closed there are others, but there is a charge. Heading South West we follow the A593 until we reach Bowmanstead. Taking a path on our right we begin a long slow climb through fields passing Spoon Hall on the way to Little Arrow Intake. (Please note there is a high and difficult stone stile on this part of the route).

Our climbing done, we then turn South and descend to Little Arrow. Crossing the A593 we have a short road walk, then we head South along the cycle path. Before reaching Torver we veer North East passing Hoathwaite Farm on the way to Hoathwaite Landing and the lakeside. From here we follow the Cumbria Way North into Coniston. From Little Arrow the paths are flat and very easy.

20/06/2018 Stroller - Ainsdale/Birkdale

Walk with Geoffrey and Roy
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 at the Fisherman´s Rest pub, 2 Weld Road, Birkdale, Southport. (Sat Nav: PR8 2AZ), then afterwards at the pub (Fisherman´s Rest).

Directions :- Turn left at the roundabout that is 1 mile further on from the pier, along the coast road. The pub is on the right just over the brow of the hill. 

17/06/2018 Sunday Car - Downham / Scorton

B Walk - Downham with Dorothy Dobson 

7½ miles (12km) undulating walk.

Meet car park at the bottom of the hill (Sat Nav: BB7 4BS), ready for the usual start time of 10.30am.

Today we walk through four lovely villages in the Ribble Valley.

Starting at Downham we head uphill to the church and Assheton Arms before taking a path leading to pastureland. At this point we have a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside. We eventually walk across more fields, cross the A59 and follow a tree lined path which passes the remains of Sawley Abbey as we descend into Sawley itself. Crossing the River Ribble, we follow a road for a while before taking a track to Hill House Barn, on our way to Grindleton. We cross the river again and climb a steep slope as we approach Chatburn. We then go along more leafy paths, cross the A59 again to climb a steep limestone escarpment before reaching Downham.

A delightful walk !!

C Walk - Circling Nicky Nook with Bob Tognarelli 

5½ miles (8.8km) with 300ft (91m) Total Ascent

Meet at the picnic area north of Scorton, near Cleveleys Bridge (Sat Nav: PR3 1BU), ready for the usual start time of 10.30am.

Leaving the picnic area we return to the lane and turn left to go over the M6 and then left at the T junction taking the road to Clifton Farm. From here we across fields (could be muddy) in the direction of Harrison Fell, to get to Skye´s Farm. We then turn right to follow the narrow road to the rough track leading to Holme Wood. Here we join the Grize Dale trail to Higher Lane. Then cross fields to Tithe Barn Lane, going through Ghyll Woods to Snowhill Lane and the descent into Scorton.

There is the opportunity for refreshment, before we leave Scorton and take the Wyre trail back to the car park.