LOST & FOUND....... THEN LOST AGAIN !
7.5 Miles
SEEKERS :- Danny, Anthony, Paddy, Vic, John W.
With hearts aglow and SatNavs intoning directions we duly arrived at Hall Lane where we were to gather at the car park . BUT... no car park. After several minutes searching a local resident told us " Not this HALL LANE that one down the main road" There were TWO ! ! Back in our cars and a few minutes later we were all together in the proper car park. The walk could begin.
And what a delightful beginning....
This was obviously and quite rightly a popular spot.
The birds certainly knew which side their bread was buttered on .
We've followed this Crompton bloke before !Leaving this pretty area we briefly took to the busy road which was the other HALL Lane before setting off through the woods. As quite often we shared our route with others,
Not far along the track we came across this rather ominous signpost,
So,,,, no skinny dipping today fellas.😞Where is our leader taking us now ?
Aha ! He's spotted a comfortable seat for "elevenses".
Back to the track and onward towards Leverhulme Park. It wasn't long before we left the woods and arrived at the Darcy Lever area of Bolton. But Why a frog ?
We have often walked along old rail tracks which have been converted into Footpaths , Cycleways and Bridle Ways but this one must be quite unique.
High above the houses was this covered path . Sadly it was not part of our route but noted for a future visit perhaps.
Back into the woodlands as we walked on towards Tonge Fold. One of the first trees through the gate held this intriguing little message. Eh ?
The water, although contaminated, still managed to be picturesque.
Our path kept returning us to the banks of the River Croel (later Bradshaw Brook)
On the banks of which was evidence of previous industrial usage.
As well as the occasional , abandoned, oversized, garden gnome.
Horses were not the only animals to share the paths with us.
The paths through the woods had frequent diversions and it was not always clear which direction to follow.
"This way." our leader confidently (?) decides.
We now arrived at the next urbanised section of our walk "Tonge Fold" a mixture of old terraced streets and modern developments.
This was a particularly handsome development - a modern terrace.
By now lunchtime had arrived and as frerquently in the past the proximity of a cemetery meant a comfortable, quiet lunchtime stop.
We counted them all in !!!
....and we counted them all out. ..... all fit and well. Well - physically at least.
But look at those wonderful cobbles ...... or are they sets ? Much discussion and research have failed to clarify the difference.
Now we were walking back towards our starting point albeit on a slightly different route. As we entered a small neat area of parkland we passed what we presumed was a commemorative display ... KIWI ??
We have been laughed at from time to time for "Tree Hugging" . We are not, however, Green, New Age Hippies. but stretchig arms round a tree is a recognised way of roughly ageing the larger trees. For each person needed to encompass the tree it is approximately 100 years. So if it needs three of us to stretch our arms round a tree it is approximately 300 years old. These young trees, however, appear to be hugging each other.
And what was this mystery object ? a large rectangular metal tube.Vic thought it was some sort of storage box - Goalposts ?
Down through the woods.........
...over a bridge and back onto a path we had used on our outward journey.
What time is it leader ? Wristwatch .. No Smart phone .... No Fitbit .... No.
He decides to use the reliable and time honoured Dandelion Clock.
"5 o'clock " he declares . Near enough ( 2.30pm actually)
Mid afternoon and time for our "Flask Emptying" break. and somebody spots an excellent "view point cum brew point" .
Seats with a view over the river,
Are they hiding ? Have they done something wrong ?
Absolutely not . No evil here. Not spoken heard nor seen.
Off again and almost back at the cars. Over the bridge and back into Moses Gate Park
Just a last photo opportunity as these tree roots look very inviting.
...and so back to the cars and drive home. No, no, not that simple.
Four relatively intelligent motorists (Who told you that ?) set off through Bolton's late afternoon traffic. J.W. found himself doing the Grand Tour of Bolton . completely lost.
Vic was similarly totally bemused .
Anthony somehow managed to find himself in Wigan.
Danny, however, went straight home. ( Smart***e)
We eventually arrived home with the dulcet tones of SatNavs ringing in our ears...........
RECALCULATING.....RECALCULATING ...... RECALCULATING....RECALCULATING
An excellent walk well found by Danny but bookended by confusion,
THE END
JW
There are several car parks in different locations within the park. The one where we had parked was not the one from where our walk was to begin, so it took a little while for todays leader to get his bearings.
The first part of the walk was across the river from where we were. We crossed over the River Croal,--- but not by this bridge I hasten to add.
Hey-up, is this John telling another of his jokes.
The area has been planted with lots of trees, but they need a few more years to reach maturity.
Is it nearly brew time? Will YOU SHUT UP ABOUT BREW TIME.
In this part of the reserve there's a distinct lack of picnic benches or even seats. We eventually had to settle for a fallen tree.
This sculpture of a frog / toad has a front leg missing. Or should I say arm? What would you say?
This redundant railway line provides shelter from the elements, both wind and rain, for both walkers and cyclists, but it's not on our route today unfortunately.
This is the access path up to the bridge. I wonder if there's a sign at the top, advising cyclists to dismount before coming down it.
Our path lays straight ahead but we will be crossing this bridge on the way back.
WILL YOU STOP COMPLAINING. NO WALK IS COMPLETE WITHOUT A BIT OF A CLIMB.
Some of the areas industrial heritage is still to be seen, like this paint manufacturer at
The area has a scattering of small towns and villages. This is one of them, with the unusual name of Tonge Fold.
The cemetery at Tonge Fold, where we had us dinner.
For a small town like Tonge Fold, the cemetery is unusually large. Perhaps it is shared with it's much larger neighbour, Farnworth.
Afternoon brew, the river is behind us, which we must cross to get to the park and back to our cars.
Safely back at the lake.
