The Meanderthals: HESKETH BANK

UNDERGROUND-OVERGROUND

WOMBLES :- Danny, Anthony, John, Jim, Mike.

Our Guide... Steve... Danny's brother

Wombles ? I think not. Tell you later. Potterers certainly.

Our Usual "Pre amble" brew and then off to the car park at the new....

"Hesketh & Becconsall Nature Trail"

"I'll open the toilets for you" said Steve... How did he know ?

Then off we went down the fine new path.

Soon arriving at the lake which was once a quarry were clay was dug out to make Bricks.

Mike Jim Danny Steve Anthony

The gang down by the lake . Full of birds and being turned into a beautiful spot complete with angler positions.

Steve again. Just so's you remember him. 😉

Who or what is Danny laughing at. I must find out next time we meet.

Leaving the main path we followed a narrow and at times tricky path until we came to these. Guess what they are ??

Right first time. The scary thing is that many of us had toilets like these when we started school all those years ago.

Even further into the woods and we came across this deep dark hole ??

.....and down we went. (This is the "Wombly" bit !)

It was an air raid shelter built for the workers at the quarry.

What wonerful things mobile phones are. Built in Torches. 😀

The far end of the shelter haf not been cleared so we returned the same way.

The "Half wall" you can see is a blast wall. There is a similar half wall just beyond it on the other side . It prevents any blast travelling the whole length of the tunnel. It also makes it difficult to negotiate in the dark. JW walked straight into a solid brick wall.😒 I think the wall came off worst. 😄

Up and out !

Back along the rough path to the track.

One of the excellent angling (fishing) platforms the association is providing. At first for the local angling club but daytickets may also be available.

John who has spent many hours, even days, fishing was invited to try the next one.

The path from here on had been deliberately left "natural" to give some challenge and originality to the walk.

A bit of under and over here as Anthony negotiates a leaning tree and then footsteps over the muddy bits.

We had of course left the fine footpath and were following the rough woodland path deliberately left to challenge the fitter walkers.

Rather a long muddy bit here. Best foot forward Anthony.

The path did indeed offer some challenges but there was even the chance for a ubiquitous "Bridge " photo.

LUNCHTIME !

Back to M & S for lunch. Jim declared that his "Butty" was not as good as it looked. It was somewhat "Dry".

Just before this, Steve had left us to return home as it was quite close.

Lunch over just time for a visit to the old church and the nearby shipyard.

So our next visit was to the old church we have visited before. It was, in earlier days, the Becconsall's chapel of ease. (Not sure what that entails....help)

During World War II, A german plane, perhaps anxious to escape home. had dropped a random bomb on the graveyard. The damage it caused can still be seen. Pure speculation but perhaps it had been part of an attack on the Preston Dock or the airfield at Warton. or even trying to hit the customs house nearby.
Just look at the central gravestone.

Need to ask Danny about the above gravestone . There was something special about it.

The next photo shows a helping hand BUT WHERE TOO ? up or down

We spent some time looking at the gravestones in the yard and were quite taken by how many of the occupants were in their late seventies and eighties. Modern medicine perhaps not quite as good as we thought. There were many graves of IDDONS, presumably a local family name.

Becconsall Old Church. "All Saints" 1764.

Just another 50 yards down the yard was a boat yard, Most of the boats had been put to bed for the winter but many were already moored ready for action along the creek 0r pehaps it was actually the river Douglas itself.