Starting from the Discovery Centre car park in the centre of Garstang, we set off in lovely sunshine (a rarity this summer). Our route took us round the sports field and across the River Wyre.
We continued along the route of the former Garstang to Knott End railway line, heading towards the bridges over the West Coast Main Rail Line and the M6 motorway.
As our leader studied the map and consulted his gps for re-assurance that we were on the right track, a farmer in his tractor, thinking we were lost (the cheek of it!), stopped his tractor and tried to help us. He clearly want to have a chat, with someone, even us!
He proceeded to tell us his life-story, the history of farming in the area and how he opens Barnacre church every morning at 7am and closes it at 6pm.
After what seemed and eternity, we managed to persuade him that we had 'walk' to do and continued on our journey.
Soon after crossing the railway and the M6 we stopped for morning coffee and were overtaken by a number of other walkers, out to enjoy the late-summer sun.
After passing through a field of maize (sweet corn) we arrived at the Church of All Saints, at Barnacre and a short stop was made to visit this church, built in 1905.
We continued our journey uphill and passed through Birk's Farm and headed off towards Burns Farm. Before arriving at Burns Farm, lunch was taken sat on a horizontal telegraph pole, with a magnificent view of the Fylde, Blackpool Tower, the Wyre and Kent estuaries and a number of wind turbines. (Paddy gets wound-up by wind turbines!)
Following lunch, we continued through Burns Farm and further on, sought out 'Lady Hamilton's Well'. Not much is known about the history of this site but it thought that Lady Hamilton (a paramour of Lord Nelson) bathed in this spring.
From here, it was a short distance back over the motorway and the railway, back into Garstang and the usual light refreshments, supplied, as always, by Martin. (Distance: 6.7 miles)
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| Booting Up! |
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| The River Wyre alongside the car park |
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| Our chatty farmer |
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| The coffee stop |
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| Jim & Jim |
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| The juxtaposition of the very old (Greenhalgh Castle) and the very new! |
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| The maize field |
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| The West Coast Mainline |
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| A sure sign that autumn is here! |
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| The interior of All Angels church at Barnacre |
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| Birks or Burns? |
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| A 'bench of birks'! |
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| Our Great and Noble Leader! |
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| (We are the ones who should be laughing, Paddy, at the recent haircut!) |
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| The lunch stop |
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| Jim & Mike deep in thought |
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| Martin & John...deep in thought...or talking football? |
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| Just a pretty picture |
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| Lady Hamilton's Well (or Spa) |
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| Inspecting the Spa |
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| Back over the M6 |
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| Almost back at the Discovery Centre |
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