Chorley, Botany Bay. More Photos.

Some very desirable properties on the opposite bank of the Leeds- Liverpool canal

Shortly after passing by these houses, the canal splits.

We took the spur, which veered off to the left, and after a short distance this spur came to an end. A good opportunity to have a brew.
In days gone by, this spur carried on as far as Walton Summit. from where the coal barges from Wigan were unloaded of their cargo. From there the coal was loaded onto horse drawn wagons for the next stage of the journey, along the Tram Road and over the Old Tram Bridge crossing the River Ribble. From there the wagons were winched up to the top of Avenham Park by a steam engine. Horses were waiting to take over again, to take the coal to it's final destination, Preston and beyond, where the coal was used to fuel the mills and and houses in the north of the county. 

This prospective parent was seen to stand up and re-position it's eggs, presumably to give them all an equal chance of hatching.

From here we had to walk through a dark tunnel under the A6

Emerging from the tunnel, from where Vic set off on one of his
adventures. On his own, never to be seen again......Well not for quite a while anyway.

Here we have a cock pheasant, strutting his stuff........

.....And here we have four meanderthals strutting theirs. 

Anthony, our leader today, had chosen a pleasant sheltered spot for our lunch break.

The first part of this plaque, which was fixed to a wall, reads'
Brindle Workhouse operated on this site from 1734 - 1871

Originally taken over from a Catholic Mass house, the workhouse buildings were expanded and rebuilt, housing over 200 paupers and lunatics' until 1816, it was notorious for severity and poor conditions, even among workhouses, and took paupers from over 80 townships across Lancashire. Around 1812 it was absorbed into Chorley Poor Law Union, and effectively became the towns main workhouse, until it's closure in 1871, with the building of the new workhouse at Eaves Lane.

Close by was this well, which no doubt was a water supply for the workhouse. It doesn't need much imagination to picture the inmates queuing up to fill their pails.

Back to the canal, not far now.

We passed this heron,  (or one that looked very much like it,) at the start of our walk. It was quite tame and didn't seem phased by passing meanderthals. 

Botany Bay, almost back to the start of our walk. Thanks for the shandy Martin.

It's there again, look!
DK