THREE RIVERS WALK 7 Miles
RIPARIAN RAMBLERS :- John R, Martin, Anthony,
Mike, John W, Danny, Vic.
Another "Old Friend" of a walk. Now often termed the "Tolkien Trail" as it is often thought that Tolkien penned part of his books whilst living at Stonyhurst College.
As we arrived, the village was alive with walkers delving into car boots to take boots, rucksacks and sticks out. Strangely many did not seem to know about the car park at the village hall.
Where there was plenty of space !
So... once all had arrived and we had paid our dues in the honesty box we set off towards the first River.... THE RIBBLE.
Some of our walkers have embraced the coming of summer..............
Others , however, are still stuck in the winter.......
Such is the influence of out totally unpredictable weather.
Past the Shireburn Arms ( There's that magic word "Shire".......... think "The Hobbit") and down the fields and steep paths.........
But what is this as we approach the river ???.......... an Astro turf footpath
😮😧
Someone had the rather brilliant idea of using a redundant football pitch to create a hard wearing and thoroughly usable footpath. AND IT WORKED !
We found a comfortable spot to open our flasks but were soon on our way again upstream towards the "JUMBLES"
Close by was Jumbles Farm where relatives of Anthony used to live.
A little further on and a simple sign advised us to leave the farm track and take to the river bank.
There's Martin in the white top.
Anthony and John R went to the bottom of the steps to have their lunch by the water's edge. Vic and Danny stayed at the top of the steps where there was a comfortable bench. Others stopped half way down on a rather dilapidated bench set into the bank.
At this point the HODDER , the final river of the trio, joins the Ribble at a confluence known in Older English as a Mythe
Lunch over we climbed, not without difficulty, back up to the farm track to continue our walk.
As we walked through Winkley Farm we discovered that Martin, in his haste to meet us, had left his car boot open. No problems ensued.
Beyond the farm was quite a stiff climb out of the valley. Past this unusual tree.
At the top of the rise we left the track to take to the open fields as a short cut to Lower Hodder bridge.
At the top of the rise Danny stopped to take a photo of the distant Stonyhurst College.
From here we followed the river upstream towards Hodder Place but first dropped down to the water to finish off our flasks.
As we had set off that morning there had been very few people going our way. The second half of the walk found a steady stream of walkers coming in the opposite direction. Apparently the guides to the "Tolkien Trail" take a clockwise path from Hurst Green. We always go anti-clockwise.
Amongst the pebbles by the river was this ! Was it a piece of ancient pottery or simply an unusually weathered pebble. ??
Danny has a rather quizzical look on his face !
Not far to go now as we approach the college.
" Let not the church come between us." was a somewhat portentous remark from Jim. The college chapel, said to be a copy of King's College Chapel in Cambridge, was the site of a very important moment. The baptism of one ANTHONY DONLAN. Better mind our Ps and Qs from now on.
Looking at the iron work of this kissing gate it would appear to have considerable age.
Then a final flourish, as is traditional in the Meanderthals, John's birthday cake provided by Val his wife.
Someone had the rather brilliant idea of using a redundant football pitch to create a hard wearing and thoroughly usable footpath. AND IT WORKED !
It wasn't long before we reached the aqueduct over the Ribble where we usually stop for coffees.
We found a comfortable spot to open our flasks but were soon on our way again upstream towards the "JUMBLES"
There in the distance is the much famed Pendle Hill. Another "Blue Remembered Hill" we have ascended on more than one occasion. More history of this fascinating area , The Lancashire Witches came from the countryside around Pendle.
We continued along the banks of the Ribble 'till we came to the Jumbles. A rocky ridge crossing the river. This is a point at which, when the water was low, it was possible to ford the river.
Mike stops to observe the turbulence of the river as it tumbles over the Jumbles.
Which we did.
Here John points across the Ribble to the second river of the three,
THE CALDER as it flows into the Ribble. In the distance over the river is Hacking Hall. Near here was a ferry. A friend of Vic and John W was the ferryman's daughter. She actually rowed the very last ferry to cross the Ribble at this point.
Our route continued through the sunny, mown fields until there, in the distance, we saw Martin coming to meet us, He had parked in the yard of Winkley Farm.
Martin turned around to walk with us for a couple of hundred yards to our planned lunch spot. Here a stile led to a quite steep set of steps down to the river.
Anthony and John R went to the bottom of the steps to have their lunch by the water's edge. Vic and Danny stayed at the top of the steps where there was a comfortable bench. Others stopped half way down on a rather dilapidated bench set into the bank.
At this point the HODDER , the final river of the trio, joins the Ribble at a confluence known in Older English as a Mythe
The Hodder the Calder
The Ribble and rain
All meet together
In Mytton's Domain
The Hodder comes in from the left or North of the Ribble seeming, in this photo, to be larger than the Ribble which has travelled down from the Yorkshire Dales.
Lunch over we climbed, not without difficulty, back up to the farm track to continue our walk.
Oh dear. What's this a "pregnant tree ???
As we walked through Winkley Farm we discovered that Martin, in his haste to meet us, had left his car boot open. No problems ensued.
In the farmyard was this rather magnificent water-filled "Trough" which seemed, in bye gone times, to have been chiselled out of solid rock ??
We also passed this signpost. One of our walkers was heard to ask "Wasn't that a posh girls school ?" I shall not reveal his identity as that would put his life in danger.
At the top of the rise we left the track to take to the open fields as a short cut to Lower Hodder bridge.
At the top of the rise Danny stopped to take a photo of the distant Stonyhurst College.
Note the flag which several of our walkers displayed as a tribute to the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
We joined the highway then took the short walk down to Lower Hodder Bridge from which we had a view of "Cromwell's Bridge" which was reputedly crossed by Cromwell on his way to Stonyhurst where he spent the night before the "Battle of Preston".
From here we followed the river upstream towards Hodder Place but first dropped down to the water to finish off our flasks.
As we had set off that morning there had been very few people going our way. The second half of the walk found a steady stream of walkers coming in the opposite direction. Apparently the guides to the "Tolkien Trail" take a clockwise path from Hurst Green. We always go anti-clockwise.
Amongst the pebbles by the river was this ! Was it a piece of ancient pottery or simply an unusually weathered pebble. ??
Our walk was already quite long so we took a short cut past Hodder Place a complex of rather upmarket private apartments.
As we passed this small building we saw it held an "EMERGENCY" defibrillator. John W , ever the pedant, wondered if there were other kinds of defibrillator. the "NOT REALLY NECESSARY" defibrillator or the "LET'S HAVE FUN" defibrillator. The profusion of defibrillators is a fabulous idea. But surely it goes without saying that they are for EMERGENCIES.
Danny has a rather quizzical look on his face !
Not far to go now as we approach the college.
" Let not the church come between us." was a somewhat portentous remark from Jim. The college chapel, said to be a copy of King's College Chapel in Cambridge, was the site of a very important moment. The baptism of one ANTHONY DONLAN. Better mind our Ps and Qs from now on.
Almost home now .
As we passed the old alms house we spotted this message on the lawn.
THE END
JW
p.s. A rather long blog. Sorry ! but perhaps testimony to the wealth of interest that we find on this walk,
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