Brock- Claughton

                    Todays walk began from Barton Grange Garden Centre car park.

After crossing the A6 and the footbridge over the railway, an unexpected freight train came powering through on it's journey north. There was a rail strike on that day so the huge train hurtling noisily along, through the quiet countryside came as a complete surprise to us.

         As we neared the motorway bridge, the traffic noise again blighted the quiet of the       countryside.

               The noise gradually decreased as we walked alongside the River Brock.

As we crossed a footbridge over the river, a friend of mine who I knew from my working days gave me a wave. I went over to have a talk to him. He was busy burning some shrubbery and damping it down with a hose pipe, to prevent it from setting nearby trees alight. Within his garden are the remains of an old mill, which I shall expound further on,at the end of the blog.

Catching up with the rest of my friends, we soon arrive at this beauty spot where we always stop for our morning brew when doing this walk.

At the end of this private road is an old weathered signpost to Matshead, which is the name of the ruined mill we passed earlier.

                 John helps Vic on with his rucksack, so we can continue on our walk.

     Only a small bridge but long enough to serve it's purpose for the obligatory bridge shot.

Isn't that lovely.

After crossing this stile, we arrive at Walmsley Bridge. Crossing over the bridge, we progress slowly uphill, on our way to Claughton village.

At the end of the village is the Catholic church of St Thomas the Apostle and it's well kept cemetery. We as planned got here by midday, just in time for dinner. The monument provides ample seating for us.

Mike is pondering the intricacies of his collapsible seat. It took a little time to master the opening and closing of it.

Vic is lying low.

Off we go again. The sun is getting hotter and our fluids are getting depleted.

Turning right along a farm track, after passing the farm we go through a gate and enter woodland and enjoy some welcome shade. We descend through the wood to the river.

       We have another rest here and finish our flasks, or at least I did, and lived to regret it.

Back at Walmsley Bridge. From here, we must retrace our steps back to the cars. We have another stop by the waterfall on our way back. About a dozen young lads and lassies are enjoying swimming and frolicking in the hot weather. We didn't stay long, thirst drove us on, on the final stretch back to the cars.

Matshead Mill was originally a corn mill but was bought in 1805 by Roger Kenyon a paper manufacturer of Oakenclough Mill. He bought the mill, kilns and land and all water rights for £900, and modified it to become Matshead Paper Mill. Matshead was always a small paper mill. In the 1851 and 1861census it was recorded as employing 11 people. By the 1840s it would have moved from hand made to machine made paper, using its small 48" wide machine. The paper produced was only wrapping paper, and mainly brown, and in it's early days used local women, working from home to produce paper bags for shop use. In 1900 Matshead Mill was one of ,if not the smallest operational paper mill in England. By 1908 the mill became unprofitable, Larger manufacturers were able to undercut them, and inevitably it ceased operations.

                                                                      DK

 

CLAUGHTON

 DEAD CENTRE    7 +  Miles

Churchyard Chums :-  John R, John W, Mike,

                                        Anthony, Danny and Vic.

Another "Old Friend" of a walk as we set off from Barton Grange to follow the River Brock To Claughton. (pronounced Cly-ton)

Over the busy A6.       Through the busy car dealership .

...and then over the busy West Coast Mainline with the busy M6 Motorway next to negotiate.

In spite of the National rail strike the line seemed busy as freight was continuing to be carried round the country.

Over the bridge and then following the riverside path beside The Brock.

 

As we walked we passed a tank by the side of the track. Had we been in a different country passing a tank by the side of the road would have meant something entirely different.

A metal bridge took us over crystal clear waters of the River Brock  to where Danny met an old friend.

We left Danny to chat and he caught up with us a few minutes later.

We soon reached our usual coffee spot by the deep pool where John R used to swim as a boy.

I think this gentleman has been photographed eating a banana on previous walks. But who is it ?

Coffees finished we crossed the road, which led over the bridge, to continue our riverside walk, Initially along a well tended and pretty diversionary path, past a plush residence.

Danny prepares to take a "Bridge" photo which will doubtless appear on his version of this blog.

Once we had left the pretty footpath behind we found ourselves following a well worn footpath at the edge of the fields. 

The blue skies and sunshine were very welcome but it began to become rather WARM !

"A long and winding road "  (Lennon/McCartney)

At the next gate we came across a young mum struggling to fasten her toddler into a back pack. We helped ?  Well I hope she thought we were helpful !

I'm sure the child is wondering "Who are this lot ? "

The style of the next stile was not appreciated by Vic. Perhaps he tackled it the wrong way. Here's Anthony demonstrating a better approach.

We had arrived at "Walmsley Bridge" where we found the road permanently closed at both ends of the lane.

It wasn't long before we arrived at the gates of the cemetery where we invariably stop for lunch when walking in this area.

Hopefully not "disrespectful" the steps around the cross at the end of the grassy avenue provide excellent seating.

Did I say "Comfortable seating ? "   Well !!

The Graveyard held many notable graves including The Fitzherbert-Brockholes, Several Martyred parish priests and one "Gigli" who was possibly the well known "Tenor" of his generation

Members of the Fitzherbert-Brockholes family.

There was also this rather exotic tree. Hard to identify but it might be a "Sourwood".

Lunch over we set of to find the river bank which we would follow down to our cars.

A little way up the road we stopped to chat to a gentleman tending his garden and swapped tales about the churchyard we had just visited. We seemed to know more about than he did.

Along the road and then down a farm track before dropping steeply down through a wood to the meadows alongside the river.

OH !....... and John W was there too.

Time for an afternoon coffee in a shady spot.

But who's that beneath that shady tree ?  A shady character ?

Not at all. It's the totally upright Mike.  (Yes, Yes, I know he's sitting down at the moment.)

Magnificent beasts on the river banks.

A Russell by the river !

A Rustle in the grass !

The path now left the fields and rose high above the crumbling banks of the river.

It was a little "Dodgy" in places. But Mike can cope with it .

.....and here we are back at Walmsley Bridge.

A steady trudge along the footpath we had followed on our way out.

We always stop on our way back at the same pool we rested at on our outward walk. As we approached it we again took a bridge photo - the same bridge - but this time we swapped Danny for John W.

Arriving at the pool we found it full of youths and young girls happily splashing about in it. quite acceptable on a hot sunny day, All scantily dressed. (They WERE swimming !).

We stopped to empty our flasks but a group of "Old Men" sitting watching young girls and boys disporting themselves is not a good idea and your writer was quite relieved when we soon moved on.

Not many minutes later we were back at the cars and preparing to drive home. It was quite a long walk  (for old Men !) and it had been very warm all day and I have to admit to feeling pretty tired as our walk ended. We were amused by the speed limit shown on entry to Barton Grange

Does your car have a speedometer that works in quarters ?

THE END

JW