Walkers :- John W (Leader) Anthony, Paddy, Mike,
Danny, Martin, John R, Harry, James.
The planned start from Gisburn Bridge was not to be. After a 40 minute drive from Preston (Harry was in a catatonic state by the time we arrived), we found an ideal car park right next to the bridge. A passing local, however, warned us that the car park was private and belonged to the adjacent rehabilitation centre whose staff were not sympathetic to illegal parking. He sent us back up the road to a laybye on a railway bridge which was almost back in Gisburn itself.
A route re-think had us setting off in the opposite direction before doing a u-turn to access the "Gisburne Park" hospital grounds to pick up the original footpath as it crossed in front of us. Before regaining our route we were amused by a sign at the entrance to a small gravelled area
Passing through the gates (over a cattle grid) we walked steadily downhill and entered a wood before coming to the point at which the footpath took a sharp downwards right turn leading to Stock Beck, High at an elevated point above the beck's valley we sat "Troll Like" on a series of stones to have our coffee break
We stayed for a short while admiring the deeply cut path of the beck before crossing the bridge and following the track which climbed steeply up the far side. At the top of the rise we passed a site named "The Temple" on the map but did not stay to investigate.
The views we saw from here left us reminded of some classic quotations "This Green and Pleasant Land" and "There is a Green Hill Far away" in this case not "Without a City Wall" but right there in front of us. Mike was amused that the verdant mound rising before us was actually called the "Green Hill" and green indeed it was.
Whilst from the distant horizon loomed the excuse for a further quotation "Those Blue remembered Hills." our old acquaintance "Pendle Hill."
We had now arrived at Castle Haugh one of our planned targets. This "Fortress" with connections to the Normans and to the Roundheads (Nicknamed Cromwell's Basin), proved to be a rather disappointing , overgrown grassy mound. Never-the-less our brave explorers determined to assault its steep slopes and brave warrior cries rang out "Ouch ! Ow ! Ouch! Ow ! Ow ! A large patch of nettles guarded it's flanks.
Here we see the view from the top of the Castle of the reinforcements ready and waiting to come to the aid of the assault team - or Mebbe not !
Having conquered the mound the excitement of it all is etched on John's face - or mebbe not !
And so onwards as our path dropped down to Paythorne bridge. Here we crossed the River Ribble spotting as we did an escapee from Anthony's flock of plastic ducks ( Ask Anthony ! ) BUT NO ! this was a superior beast being larger and sporting a red beak,
From here we followed the road as it led us to the Hamlet of Paythorne. Two buildings caught our attention. First the tiny methodist chapel which appeared from the outside to possess all the attributes we ignorant papists associate with chapel worship.
The right hand widow shows evidence of the tiered benches occupied by the congregation during services.
Next door, somewhat naughtily. was a prosperous looking pub "The Buck" ALCOHOL and METHODISM ????
Shortly afterwards our path left the road to swing round and enter a large and beautifully maintained holiday home (static vans ?) site. This was to be the spark that began John and Anthony's weekly dispute as to the route we should take. John's box of tricks showed the route to be at "X" whilst Anthony's box of tricks said "No. it was at "Y" " In the end BOTH were right. John's route was indeed the one planned but it had been diverted, Anthony's route was the one we actually needed to continue our journey.
Lunchtime was beginning to fade into the past and the maxim "Any port in a storm" led us to having lunch in a rather dull field with little in the way of a view to help the digestion.
We were now heading steadily homewards on a mixture of fields farmtracks and metalled roads. Danny had decided that the speed of our travel meant that a further refreshment stop was unlikely so he was dispensing from his flask as we went along. Our old friend "Pendle Hill" now graced the horizon BEFORE us
As we passed by them the sweet breath of a herd of cattle wafted towards us. These proved to be a well "equipped" group of powerful young bulls. On the other side of the road were, their possibly intended spouses, Nearly all were black and a guess at Aberdeen Angus as a breed later turned out to be right,
Almost back to the cars but not without passing a handsomely uniform group of buildings at Ellenthorpe. Stables ? Workshops ? Workers cottages ? A delightful hamlet whatever it was.
We quickly passed by our original parking spot and plodded upwards to our waiting cars. Here a delightful surprise awaited us. Not only were we to quench our thirst with Martin's Shandy but we had to use it to wash down large slices of delicious chocolate cake provided by Anthony,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANTHONY !
The views we saw from here left us reminded of some classic quotations "This Green and Pleasant Land" and "There is a Green Hill Far away" in this case not "Without a City Wall" but right there in front of us. Mike was amused that the verdant mound rising before us was actually called the "Green Hill" and green indeed it was.
Whilst from the distant horizon loomed the excuse for a further quotation "Those Blue remembered Hills." our old acquaintance "Pendle Hill."
And so onwards as our path dropped down to Paythorne bridge. Here we crossed the River Ribble spotting as we did an escapee from Anthony's flock of plastic ducks ( Ask Anthony ! ) BUT NO ! this was a superior beast being larger and sporting a red beak,
From here we followed the road as it led us to the Hamlet of Paythorne. Two buildings caught our attention. First the tiny methodist chapel which appeared from the outside to possess all the attributes we ignorant papists associate with chapel worship.
Next door, somewhat naughtily. was a prosperous looking pub "The Buck" ALCOHOL and METHODISM ????
Shortly afterwards our path left the road to swing round and enter a large and beautifully maintained holiday home (static vans ?) site. This was to be the spark that began John and Anthony's weekly dispute as to the route we should take. John's box of tricks showed the route to be at "X" whilst Anthony's box of tricks said "No. it was at "Y" " In the end BOTH were right. John's route was indeed the one planned but it had been diverted, Anthony's route was the one we actually needed to continue our journey.
Lunchtime was beginning to fade into the past and the maxim "Any port in a storm" led us to having lunch in a rather dull field with little in the way of a view to help the digestion.
We were now heading steadily homewards on a mixture of fields farmtracks and metalled roads. Danny had decided that the speed of our travel meant that a further refreshment stop was unlikely so he was dispensing from his flask as we went along. Our old friend "Pendle Hill" now graced the horizon BEFORE us
Almost back to the cars but not without passing a handsomely uniform group of buildings at Ellenthorpe. Stables ? Workshops ? Workers cottages ? A delightful hamlet whatever it was.
We quickly passed by our original parking spot and plodded upwards to our waiting cars. Here a delightful surprise awaited us. Not only were we to quench our thirst with Martin's Shandy but we had to use it to wash down large slices of delicious chocolate cake provided by Anthony,
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