Heath Charnock

It was a good turnout for today's walk, in an area that has up to now evaded us. We parked up between the Yarrow Bridge pub and Garage, on the A6, south of Chorley.

We set off walking south along the A6. Over to our left, the River Yarrow meanders through the wooded valley below

            We turn left after about 400 -500 yds, alongside Fredericks Ice cream parlour.

No we don't go down there. The canal walk is for later. We cross the canal, quickly followed by a railway bridge, to arrive at a T Junction.

Here we turn left. The walk which up until now has been clean and dry underfoot, now takes on a different complexion.

At the end of this track is a crossroads where all the tracks meet in a churned up muddy quagmire.

       The only possible option is to follow a comparatively less muddy path into the woods.

      Martin and Mike are pondering the best way forward. Pond being the optimum word.

                                                     Hello! what has John spotted?                                                 

                     A brave little robin, sat on a branch, a little way above our heads.

We arrive at Holland House Farm. A grade II (2) listed building. Note the ball, next to the chimney pot, and the blue plaque below the eaves.

         

Mike and Martin are trying to read the date on the ball alongside the chimneypot. The date is 1680.

                                                                               The Plaque.

Adjacent to the farmhouse is another cottage and barn conversion. In 2006 the owners applied for planning permission to renovate the whole complex. Chorley council sought advice from L.C.C. who ruled that there would have to be a full architectural survey of the properties before work could commence. Among other things that they found was a wattle and daub wall between the barn and the cottage.

With nowhere suitable being found to have our morning brew, we settled for these low entrance walls to a nearby house. A car arrived in the meantime, the driver of which didn't look very happy. He probably thought we were taking liberties by sitting on his walls. He didn't challenge us though, and the gates opened remotely, and in he went.

Would you challenge this man? At the end of the drive leading to the posh pads, we arrive at a busy bee road. Turning right we soon reach our next diversion.

       

In the middle of nowhere, we came across a row cottages, also 17th century The style of the upstairs windows suggests that they had once been handloom weavers cottages.

With tummies rumbling, again we were struggling to find anywhere fitting to our status to have our dinner. We had to make do as best we could, even if we did look like an assembly of vagrants.

  

                                                                             More Mud.

                                    The gateway to civilisation, er Adlington.

                               We soon found our way to the Leeds - Liverpool canal.

                          Heading west, before long, we were back in our own county.

      At this point our band of merry men split up. Some left the canal to go for a coffee.

While some of us carried on to the next bridge where we left to follow a footpath down to a footbridge over the River Yarrow, followed by a steep climb up to the A6. Turning right we were soon back at the cars.             Thanks for a good walk John.

                                                                          DK