LANCASTER

A HAT TRICK  5.5 Miles

Team Players :- Mike, Vic, Anthony, Martin, Danny, John W

Having driven to Lancaster and parked up in a car park close to the canal and the Cathedral, we suffered a lengthy delay.

John W whose car was back in Preston could not find his keys ANYWHERE. In his numerous walking gear pockets . In Martin's car in which he had travelled . In his rucksack.  On the floor round the cars.  NOWHERE !  Phone calls to Anthony's neighbours only told us that no keys where there and that John's car was unlocked. WHAT TO DO ? 

The decision was taken ( by John )  to continue our day's walking and deal with problem when we got home.

So, up to the canal and off we went in the direction of Aldcliffe.

This stretch of the canal was a fascinating mixture of the old and the new.

...........with walkers and cyclist both catered for

 

Amongst the developments along the canal were several waterside pubs. This one looked as if it would be delightful in the warmth of a summer's evening. Nobody there now, of course, in the "Bleak Midwinter"

The Towpath or perhaps the recently created footpath switched sides several times as we followed the canal. Here we go OVER a bridge and then UNDER it as we change sides once more.

As we neared our exit point, to then walk through the overtly prosperous village of Aldcliffe,  we came across some rather intriguing art works.

Many suggestions were proffered as to what these knitted objects might be . Non of the suggestions were suitable for your writer to include in this blog !

Let us quickly move on............

Across the canal we saw these mysterious lines in the field.  Modern land management. Natural land creep. Mediaeval or even Neolithic or bronze age strip lychets ???

As we left the canal we had a choice of routes to follow.

Follow the road to the left of the gatehouse in the photo or take the driveway to it's right.  Anthony wisely suggested that the road with blind bends and no footpaths would not be a good choice, So up the driveway we went.

Our choice was somewhat fortuitous for as we admired some magnificent modern gates the owner of the house came out to chat and told us he had made the gates himself.

Leaving the gates we continued to drop down past Aldcliffe coming, as we did,  to a clue to some aspects of the areas history. 

Once again a late start meant our coffee time and lunchtime were to be combined, With a sparsity of seating along the lane we had to settle for a low grassy bank in the shelter of a hedge.

And then came a moment of REVELATION. Sitting comfortable eating his lunch John took his hat of and....... Lo and behold..... after two miles and an hour and a half's walking.......there were the lost Keys. 

John was utterly amazed whilst his companions were hilariously amused.

"Well that caps everything"

"I'd keep that under your cap"

"Where there's no sense........"   etc. etc.

How on earth the keys had been in the cap without John feeling them remains a mystery. Trying the key-filled hat on again.... NO KEYS COULD BE FELT. 

More Comments....... "Solid wood up there John !"

MOVE ON !!!!!!!!!!

We were now following the old rail track from Glasson which has been made into a cycle route.

The track itself was fine but to the sides was evidence of recent heavy rain.

After last weeks super abundance of snowdrops it was almost touching to find a lonely little snowdrop bravely struggling to survive along the grassy edge.

A little further along and we came across further evidence of the areas history. This time Socio/political. This anonymous poem refers to centuries of "theft"  by "Lords and Ladies fine" who, through various Enclosure Acts, stole the Common Land from the people, often leaving them destitute.

The word FREEMAN  being redolent of historic injustices.

By now we were reaching the outskirts of Lancaster and here, as everywhere else we have been recently, large areas were being redeveloped.

We were now following the old quayside of the redundant Lancaster docks. 

More evidence of Lancaster's history as we pass the old Customs building.

On the river to our left a group of seemingly white birds bobbed on the waves but then disappeared.

There's one there. Can you spot it ?

Disappearing ? No they were diving down looking for fish. They were Goosanders. They have saw like bills for catching and holding fish.

As we approached the Millenium Bridge we stopped at some benches to finish our flasks.

Coffee time over Mike , on checking his watch, decided to hurry on through the town as our payed for parking time was about to run out.

As we passed the Millenium bridge we paused to look at this unusual sculpture.

It commemorates the "Captured Africans" (Slaves ?) who were landed here during that now disgraced period in our history.

As we made our way through the town historic buildings lined the streets.

As we passed through Dalton square Anthony reminded us of the infamous case of Buck Ruxton who was hanged for the murder of his wife in 1935.

The houses on the left were the scene of the murder early in the 20th century.

Just ahead of us now was the car park where Mike awaited us, It was ten minutes after our parking fees ran out but no penalties had been handed out.

All that remained was to drive home and check that John's unlocked car was still safe and sound,  It was !  John's capped keys will doubtless go down in Meanderthal legend. . Serves you right John.

THAT'S ALL FOLKS

JW