MERESANDS RUFFORD

 PANCAKE DAY 5.5 Miles

In the FRYING PAN :-  Anthon, Danny, Martin, Vic, Guy,

                                       Jim C, Paddy, John W, Mike

" Pancake Day ?"  No,  not Shrove Tuesday - Think  "Flat As."  NO Hills !!!!! 

Meresands Nature Reserve is not the easiest place to find if you don't know it so we were a few minutes late setting off after waiting for "Lost Souls". After leaving the car Park we plunged straight into the cool, shady and delightful woodland.

Throughout the woods there are small and large expanses of water though only glimpses can be seen through the thick undergrowth and trees. In order to see one properly we visited one of the hides dotted around the reserve.

The view from inside the hide.

As we sat inside the hide , Guy , our visiting walker, told us how his mother had been instrumental in setting up the reserve and he himself had spent many hours working to construct the paths etc.

After leaving the hide we followed the paths through the wood continuing to catch brief sightings of the wetlands 

at one point finding a bridge . We are addicted to bridges, (actually they present a spot where we can line all the Meanderthals up for a group photo of that day's company).

( J W missing taking the photo.)

Until we arrived at an exit at one corner.

By now bright sunshine had replaced the grey, cloudy skies with which our walk had started. Shortly after leaving the wood we came to the well kept clubhouse and grounds of "Rufford Cricket Club" ........... Coffee time !

Sitting comfortably in warm sunshine has a dangerously soporific affect and it is not easy to pack flasks away and get moving again. but get moving we did.

The rich dark soils of this area of west Lancashire are famous for the production of vegetables and cereal crops.

This particular crop being BARLEY .

For a while now we took to the roads as we passed through Rufford and crossed the A59.

Once over the A59 we came to the canal

This took us round the back of the National Trust's "Rufford Old Hall" which was not visible through the trees and was not part of the days planning.

Sunny days and heavy showers are making for lush growth in the fields and wherever we walk the cows seem remarkably content,

Indeed the wildlife in general seem more confident after the quiet days of lockdown, Here a pair of ducklings "Hunker Down" as their mother swims a short distance away.

By now we had arrived at the "Swing£ Bridge where we had planned to take lunch.

"Yes Paddy we're stopping here for lunch. "

There were several concrete constructions on the other side of the canal upon which we could  disport ourselves to dine.

Mad Hatter's Tea Party ?

Tweedledee and Tweedledum  /   But which one's Dum ?

The bridge is a swing bridge and in the past we have had a go at swinging it but now it is firmly padlocked.

And here we have the Jolly Green Giant's garden gnome.

And this is guy,  our visiting walker, who helped set up Meresands reserve.

Dining done off along the canal to the next bridge where we leave it,

There were large rafts of what we hopefully identified as Fringed Water Lilies.

Steep steps took us away from the canal and eventually across the busy A59 ( doesn't look busy in the photo ) 

Not far along the A59 towards Rufford before we turned off to the right to join the farm tracks into the fields.

This would take us round the back of Rufford New Hall once the home of the Hesketh family. It has gone through several transformations but it's huge barn is now some highly desirable individual homes.

Mike is NOT  carrying a bunch of flowers and garden ornaments come big round here.

The Heskeths must have had money as this is a little over the top as barns go. They must have had lots of land too to need such a big barn.

This machine is an automatic water pump.  A few years ago we were sitting quietly in the shelter of one.  Totally Innocent of its character, it scared the   "* * * * ! " out of us when it suddenly roared into life completely unexpectedly.

We think this is the float which tells the machine when the water level is too high and sets off the pump

A few minutes walk took us to the road we had taken to arrive at the reserve. We followed it for a couple of hundred yards and crossed it to return to the wood.

A small bridge took us into the wood.

Do these two bridge crossers look totally happy to you ? perhaps just tired.

Near the end of the walk so time to stop and chat ?   No ! keep moving .

Not that way . We shall save that for another walk.

End of the walk but who is this . A total stranger. 

But wait a moment . There is something about her we recognise. Eventually we discovered that many years ago Vic had carried this lady on his shoulders during an amateur dramatic performance. Amazement all round !!!!! 

In view of this revelation the lady, as you can see, wished to remain anonymous. 😆

THE END

JW