HEATH CHARNOCK

MUD !     5/6 Miles 

Mudlarks :-  Martin, Anthony, Vic, Lawrence, 

                      Mike, Danny, Paddy, John.

As Danny put his boots on it looked as if he had got a good offer on "Laces".

Once we were all kitted up we set from the Yarrow Bridge car park and walked up hill along the A6 till we reached "FREDERICK'S"  Ice cream parlour.

Immediately next to the parlour a narrow country lane led down to the canal bridge to which we would return later.

and beyond this to a rather grimly concreted railway bridge.

At the end of this bridge on the jealousy privatised farm track. ( numerous warnings not to park and declaring the area private were plastered everywhere.) was a T junction. we turned left to go through a gate onto possibly the most treacherously muddy track we have experienced in a long time.

The moss growing on the base of this tree bears testimony to the thoroughly damp mini-climate this area seems endure. 

The track eventually petered out and turned to a path. The mud however held it's grip.

The mud and water filling the footpath was covered in green algae and plants. A sign of their longevity. In Lancashire (and other areas  no doubt) this was known as "Jenny (Ginny) Greenteeth and my grandparents told tales of "Boggarts" lurking beneath ready to catch the unwary and drag them under the surface. And I actually think they half believed these legends.

Boggarts, however were not the only types of entrapment along this footpath

but what on earth were a set of stocks doing alongside a footpath in the middle of nowhere ? 

Superbly modelled  and demonstrated, of course, by Danny and Lawrence.

Just a little further up the sodden, squidgy footpath and we arrived at the hamlet of Hollands Fold.

The term "Hamlet" would often imply a small group of rustic houses in a possibly idyllic spot.

Not this one, All the properties had been expensively and extensively refurbished . As we sat for our brews, tired after the muddy battle, garage doors and garden (large) gates opened as if by magic to allow the passage of gleaming saloon cars. Hyperbole ?  Possibly a little.  Jealousy ?  No reply.

Leaving his area of "Desirable Residences" we came to Long Lane . as we walked, possibly half a mile along this busy road ( aren't they ALL ! ), we could see Winter Hill and Rivington Pike in the distance. And look the ubiquitous Robin is with us again,

Back on to farm tracks and still amongst "Swish" residences.

Down at the bottom of this track we arrived at Lonsdale Farm. Here extensive rebuilding was underway, Your leader has to confess to being entirely confused at this point as the building work had obscured the divergent footpaths shown on his map.

The footpath is around here somewhere.  But in the meantime let's have lunch,

A newly constructed barbed wire passage led out into the fields in roughly the direction of our planned footpath. We followed it and it was indeed the right way to go.

Not long after we left the track and set off across open fields. What, however, is Danny climbing over a stile when there is a well used gap in the hedge right next to it ?  "Keepin' my boots clean, " he said, "Too late Danny. Far too late !"

The path through the field was clear and clean......... at first. It soon degenerated.

The constant mud really began to take it's toll on both body and mind,

Even the ever cheerful and energetic Danny looked "Tyred" out.

Not sure I would wish to buy a house were the garden was on stilts.

The path ended in an area that was little better than a "Dump" but through a gate and we were out onto the streets of Adlington.

A left turn at the White Horse pub and we were heading down hill towards the Leeds/Liverpool canal.

We now had to follow the canal which would lead us to the Bridge we mentioned at the beginning of this blog.

This magnificent narrow boat was very photogenic.

But not so this dead sheep.

Well look at that ! ! ! Your ignorant writer didn't even realise we had left Lancashire. ( In Greater Manchester ? )

And here's our bridge.

At this point the group split up. Some continued along the canal to the next  bridge where they could leave the canal and follow a path through a wood and over the River Yarrow and so back omto the A6. A slightly shorter walk.

The rest climbed up to the road to follow the A6 back to the cars.

A slightly longer walk but rather more straightforward. ( There was also a cafe but Sssshh ! Don't tell the others. )

I'll bet you thought it a bit of a cheek suggesting that the house name was sufficient for me to say we saw a ROBIN again.   No ! No !    There was a real one.   Here it is.

THE END

JW