The Meanderthals: CONFLUENCE !

LANGHO 6.5 Miles

Walkers :- Paddy, John R, Danny, Anthony
John W, Mike, Frank. Harry.

From a relatively unpromising start along the busy A59 our walked proved to be a historical and literary tour de force with some quite personal connections. Leaving the A59 we turned down a side road and walked past "Northcote Manor." Someone suggested calling for a coffee but with such beverages being charged "in gold" by the centilitre we decided not .

With such a narrow footpath alongside a surprisingly busy road we were glad to leave it and follow a much quieter farm track.

As ever, when walking in this area, the eye is drawn to "Pendle". The looming mound that dominates the views.

To the North of Pendle all uplands are termed "fells" A Norse word giving evidence of Viking settlements in the region.

It was not too much further before the track ended. Here we took to a footpath skirting a large farm. This sloped down to a small stream which gurgled happily along in the, by now, warm sunshine. It took very little to persuade to settle down beside it for our coffee break.

Coffee finished we strode on up the opposite bank and across a field before arriving at yet another farm track which continued for someway before branching and dropping steeply down to the riverside fields where Hacking Hall was to be found. This ancient house (1607) has a Grade 1 listing and is indeed a magnificent dwelling. Sadly it's immediate environs did little to enhance it's reputation. The way through or round it was unclear and we cautiously followed a muddy and polluted path to one side.

Leaving the Hall behind we now had merely to cross the next field (Flood Plain ?) before arriving at the "Confluence" - the title of this report.

" The Hodder, the Calder, the Ribble and Rain

All meet together in Mitton's domain."

This oft quoted little snatch of poetry has many variants (Harry and John W each reciting it slightly differently) but all tell of three rivers converging in a rather damp bit of the Kingdom (or should it be "Queendom".). We stopped to admire the confluence of the Ribble and the Calder.

Just downstream of this riparian junction was the site of the ancient "Hacking Ferry" and a short distance away again was the equally ancient "Dinckley Ferry". Here with the readers permission (granted ?) I shall make a brief diversion.

It is thought that the Hacking ferry might well be the inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien's "Bucklebury Ferry" which crossed "Brandywine River" in "The Lord of the Rings" and the actual ferryman for one of the two ferries was the father of one of our Bowling Ladies (Whittingham Bowling Club) who was, herself, one of the last people to row customers across She still has a jam jar full of sixpences - the price of the crossing.

Back on track - well not quite. Our way lay along the river but the floods of the winter had left an untidy mess along the river bank. Debris had been dumped and parts of the bank appeared to have been washed away. We had to leave the bank and enter a sloping field which seemed to have been laid out as a Moto-Cross course. It was somewhat squelchy and treacherous underfoot. It was not too far, however, before we could return to the true path following the edge of the river, EDGE being a true reflection of the paths precarious position. We moved rather gingerly along this uneven, slippery and obstacle strewn "Highway" fearing a "Jordan" style baptism at every step. It was a relief to leave the water's edge and climb up into the surrounding scrubby woodland.

The relief was shortlived as we soon dropped back to the river but the path was much more amenable and felt considerably safer.

As we left the wood a turbulent stretch of the river known as the "Jumbles" was just a short distance ahead of us but were not to take a closer look as a sharp left turn took us away from the river.

Our emergence from the wood was greeted by a chilling wind and as it was now lunchtime we sought some shelter by returning to the trees we had just left.

This lunch break proved a rather jovial affair with the sharing of a number of amusing stories and jokes and ended with (or descended into) the communal singing of a number of "Lonnie Donnegan" songs. You may consider yourselves fortunate dear readers if you were not present, as this concatenation of cacophanous carolling would certainly have offended your finely tuned aural sensitivities. This unwarranted musical (ahem ?) interlude did, however amuse the group.

Onwards, ever onwards. Leaving the river meant going uphill. sometimes quite steeply before levelling out and going downhill for a while passing as we did the "Blackburn Rovers" football academy and a private ZOO ! So private there was almost nothing to be seen except a large bird of prey swirling and hovering above it. This turned out to be a Kite! No not a KITE, A KITE.......a childs toy-type kite. Strange !

Kite or Kite ?

Blackburn Rovers Academy

Being such creatures of habit as we are we were now looking for our third resting place were we finish of our flasks. We found an ideal spot but not before crossing several more fields and happening across a stretch of tarmacked road were on a previous walk we were astonished to come across a gentlemen in possession of a large lump hammer with which he was beating dandelions into submission. The English Eccentric is alive and well !

Our coffee spot was a sheltered sundrenched bank alongside a bridge over a small stream.

Is there some plotting afoot here?

Back on the road again and our walk nearly over but there are still interesting encounters to be had. First we passed a rather intriguing piece of old fencing. This Anthony explained was once surrounding an old R.C. churchyard. His Grandmother (?) was a parishioner and when it was rebuilt elsewhere she and another aged person were given the honour of leading the initial ceremony.