BROUGHTON/BARTON CROSS

END GAME 6 Miles

WALKERS :- John W +

                       Martin and Frank +

                       Anthony and Paddy

The last day of 2020 - Good !  

Start Tier 4 - not Good !

Snow on the ground.  Debateable, 

The return of Frank   Good !

A planned walk for the group, from Broughton Village Hall, had to be cancelled as we had been plunged into Tier 4. the night before. 

In spite of the cancellation 5 people turned up at the Village Hall car park intending to go in different directions but in the end we decided we could walk together with precautions. Following the rule of two is difficult with five walkers.   To comply ; John W,  this weeks leader, set off by himself . Anthony and Paddy followed about two hundred yards behind. Martin and Frank brought up the rear another two hundred yards behind them. 

Following the Whittingham road and approaching the new by-pass

Some distance before the motorway bridge an opening between two rather "Swish" residences led onto the Bridleway going to Barton Lane. The residents of the swish houses obviously valued their privacy. Hence the high brick walls.

Social distancing   👍

At the end of the walls we came to a farm entrance. Hooles Farm.

Here Anthony stopped to read  a notice about some waterworks at Alston ??? It seemed a long way away. Wonder how they are connected ?

The farm track (Bridleway)  was well constructed and walking was easy.

Martin and Frank bringing up the rear. Social distancing still fine 👍
 

With the snow on the ground and freezing icy conditions the pace of our walk was at times cautiously slow and we hadn't gone a great distance before coffee time.

It must be confessed that social distancing was only maintained with some difficulty (if at all) when the group stopped for "Communal" refreshment. 

Every farm seems to have an area where old equipment is laid to rest,. Basically a dump. This particular "Dump" occupied a side lane and offered a sort of sheltered spot for brew time.

One twosome, Paddy and Anthony, occupied one side of the side track.....

....whilst others distanced themselves. 

The photographer was also socially distanced there's his seat.

However the distribution of mince pies by Frank and Martin's ever welcome "Firewater" meant that some closer contact was necessary. Social Distancing 😉

Frank distributing Mince pies

The lane was pretty quiet for most of the time with the occasional dog walker or walking couples passing by almost invariable with a cheery greeting though some seemed to eye our illegally sized group with a little disapproval. Fair enough !

One animal we were glad was not out along the lane watched us pass by. It seemed quiet enough though.

The temperature throughout the day remained at or below freezing point. This is here demonstrated by Paddy as he makes sticks walk on water in a cattle trough.

Yes .. Yes. we know it's ice but who can deny that ice IS water ?

From this point in the walk the well paved surface of the track changed dramatically and became steadily rougher and more difficult. The pace slowed to the extent that it was necessary to stop and wait to ensure that the rough icy surfaces had not caused accidents to any of the separated twosomes. This was especially necessary because the lane was also no longer straight but very twisty so that people were often out of sight.

Where are they ?

Ah ! Here they come.

The nearer we got to Barton Lane the worse the tracks surface became.

By now we were almost at the end of the track where we would join Barton Lane which begins it's journey from the A6 as Jepps Lane. Barton Lane leaves it to the right. Jepps Lane continues till it ends as a cul-de-sac at Barton Hall Farm

Here we decided on a tree of the week. An ancient and decidedly mouldering Oak.

There was a younger and happier plant quite close by though.

We did not linger in this tiny, affluent hamlet as the locals appeared to be less than welcoming. Also a bit suspicious of those daffodils !  Bit early ?

Out onto the highway and shortly crossing the M6

After a few minutes walking the Barton Cross hove into sight.

LUNCHTIME !!

The words on the cross tell us it was "Re-erected" in 1901 by the mayor of Preston Mr W Myerscough.

Whilst some of us chose to sit round the cross for our butties others set up across the road.  Social distancing  👍

From the cross we left Barton Lane to follow another Bridleway taking us back towards Broughton.

An old country saying predicts rain in February "February Fill Dyke" Well, they're already full,

This second lane proved to be much quieter than the first one with only a couple of houses along it. One,  Barton House Farm,  was particularly large and prosperous looking.

Once past Barton House the track gradually narrowed until it became a narrow footpath. But not before these mysterious foot prints appeared amongst the usual boot prints.

Actually it wasn't a mystery for long as we remembered we had just been chatting to a lady, with a dog, who was using a crutch as she was wearing a surgical boot whilst her broken ankle got better.

The narrow path we now encountered was littered with broken branches and in places wet and overgrown. It made for difficult walking but did provide some interesting sights including this attractive fungi on a dead branch.

As we neared the end of our walk the path took a right angled turn to the left heading towards Langley Lane not far ahead.  But it was not going to let us off lightly . The next few hundred yards were the toughest of the walk and it took some time for all of us to reach the highway.

Almost there but still with a very rough , frozen mud path with clutching brambles on either side.

Out onto Langley Lane then on to the Whittingham road and soon to the car park Only a couple of minutes from the cars we came across this tree close up to the motorway bridge..

This year has been reported as a bumper year for apple crops. It certainly looked like it.

What an awful waste that no-one was able to gather them ! 

Perhaps that is a good point at which to end this report.

THE END

JW