Preston 5 Parks

 Leaving the car park on Moor Park, opposite PNE football ground, we crossed the park, passing the Serpentine Lake and continuing on to the Jeramiah Horrocks observatory. An earlier observatory in Preston used to be situated on Deepdale Road opposite Stephenson Terrace, it was closed in 1927.The telescope from the old observatory was taken out and installed in the new one, and is still there to this day.

Martin and Mike have joined us, but will be leaving us when we reach Garstang Road and heading back to their cars, while the rest of us will cross over the road on our way to Haslam Park.

At the bottom of Aqueduct Street we turned right, up Shelley Road, then left along a footpath, to join the canal at it's southernmost point.

   Algae is starting to take a hold of this part of the canal, as is usual when the weather gets warmer.                       

               An ominous warning by one home owner on the opposite bank

As we near the entrance to Haslam Park, Frank has been waylaid by some passing friends who stopped for a chat with him, and Frank, always happy to stop for a chat, we carried on, arranging to meet him by the lake on the park.

   The Heron, once a rare sight in our part of the country, is now, thankfully, quite common. 

The lake is more covered with algae than the canal was, which must make it very difficult for birds like the heron to spot the fish.

            We had our dinner by Preston Marina where we met up with Martin again.

Is Frank helping Vic across the railway line ? Or is he holding him there ? 😆

                 The trains that travel on these rails are few and far between anyway.

The piers that once carried the Southport railway lines across the river, now only carry pipework.

                           The pipework is in the process of being replaced. 

      The Cliffs Hotel rising up above the trees of Miller park, adds to this picturesque view.

Having arrived at Avenham Park, we stop beside the Pavilion to finish our flasks. We were supposed to meet up with Martin again here, but confusion over the meeting time thwarted the arrangement.

           The climb up the steep path towards the town centre is punishing to tired legs.

A grey squirrel, camouflaged in this tree keeps watch over us as we pass by Winckley Square park, on our way into town to catch the number 19 bus back to Deepdale. John's wife Val has baked some tasty cakes for us, to mark John's birthday, as is our custom. Thanks Val.                                                    DK