Meandanthonys Walk Fulwood and it's environs 5.5 miles

Due to stricter lockdown rules being introduced in Lancashire, only Anthony and I were walking together today. We met up at the end of Wycnor in Fulwood on a cold and frosty morning and within minutes we were out in the countryside heading towards Tanterton.

Tanterton Recreation Ground.

Cottom Hall Lane is looking spick and span in the frosty conditions. Any moss that 

is growing on the path will be hidden by the frost

There have been complaints on Social Media recently, about litter being left in the underpass below Tom Benson Way, but today it was positively clean.

There is an abundance of pathways through the parkland in Cottom. Yours truly has walked through the area several times, but he keeps finding new paths he has not explored before.

Occasionally he takes a wrong path. Today was one of those days. We arrive at the canal,

but we are on the wrong side of it. The ice covering the canal looked very thick, and the tow path on the other side was only about 10 yds away. In his younger stupid(er) days, he might have been tempted, but he's grown half a brain since then.
 

A short detour and we arrived at the bridge by the Uclan Sports Arena. Crossing the bridge

the cafe as we expected looked deserted, and so it turned out. However a couple of tables had been left out, so we made use of them whilst we rested our legs and had a brew.
 

Leaving the sports arena behind, a narrow muddy path, that had somehow escaped the frost,

led us up to the canal. This time we were on the right side of it though.

 

We soon arrived at the Ribble Link were canal boats are able, by a system of locks to  reach the Leeds to Liverpool Canal, but not today, as it was completely frozen over. On reaching the bridge at Cottom Lane we left the canal and after a few hundred yds  arrived at the entrance to Haslam Park.

 

The Lake on the park was also frozen over..........

..... bar for a small area at one end of the lake, where all the ducks had gathered. Many of which were flapping about in the water. Whether they were having a bath or trying to stop the remaining part of the lake from freezing over, it had the same effect.

Climbing back up to the canal, we crossed the first bridge we came to, exiting into Bexhill Rd. From there we made our way to Mayfield Avenue, and entered the woodland at the end of Lower Greenfield.

The other side of the wooded valley took us to Walker Lane. Anthony, misty eyed and runny nosed, (nothing to do with the walk I might add) stopped to sort himself out.

In the dip on Walker Lane, we decided to leave the road again to follow Sharoe Brook through the woods.

Crossing the first bridge we came to, the path led uphill to Manor Court. From their it was only a short walk back to our cars.

                                                                              DK