Meandanthony's walk. East Preston 7+miles

Leaving the carpark on Moor Park we headed for Sainsburys. Leaving this nice, tidy, clean road behind, we entered a world quite different. A grotty world.

I will mention this only once. to get it off my chest, otherwise a negative perception of our walk may be given, when some parts of it were fine.                                                                 As soon as we reached the footpath that runs alongside Eaves Brook, or should I say, the brook runs alongside the footpath, we were faced with a scene of litter on a grande scale, and it has to be said, this was a recurring theme on a good part of our walk.

                                      We followed the footpath to Cromwell Road

          Crossing Cromwell Road, still following the brook, we entered Brookfield Park

      The distinctive Cornus bushes add some much needed colour to the winter landscape.

Coming out of Brookfield Park, we got up onto the embankment of the disused Preston to Longridge railway line. After a short distance we exited right, onto Sion Close.

Crossing Ribbleton Lane, a path to the right led into the valley, on the opposite side of which is the RSPCA. Keeping on along this path led us to Grange Park.

There is little remaining of what was the mansion called Ribbleton Hall. All that is left is the remains of what was probably the main door, and the footprint of the house.    

Some of the garden monuments are still to be seen and the gardens themselves though not extensive, are looked after by the council. The avenue in the background is lined by what  my plants app tells me are Metasequoia Glyptostroboides.

A pleasant location for our dinner stop, was it not for the noise from the motorway on the other side of the bank, at the end of the avenue.

After dinner we left Grange Park, turning left along the fringes of the Moor Nook estate, high on a bank above Brockholes Wood. But what's this doing here.......

..... And all this. Hopefully, some fisherman has left it all here, with the intention of feeding the wildlife.

Anthony's stick is coming in useful on this flight of steps down through the woods, were wet leaves are making the descent hazardous.

The River Ribble is channeling more water than usual out to sea following the recent prolonged rainfall.

This mud splattered memorial at the side of the road on Brockholes Brow, is to Shelby Maher. One of two girls who were tragically killed whilst crossing the road in 2016.

Work has begun on developing the former Deafway home for the deaf, at the top of Brockholes Brow into a housing estate.

The path through Waverly Park with the weaving sheds coming up on the left. We kids used to watch the women on their weaving looms, through the open door. The noise was deafening.

Here we are back on the disused railway line which we accessed from Cromwell Road after a diversion through the cemetery. Will the plans to run trams along this route ever materialise??

 We exited the old railway by the Morrisons Car Park, and made our way along Blackpool Road to Moor Park while Anthony told me tales about his formative years in the area

                                                                The End   DK.