On a dull morning nineteen of us set off, a few minutes later than usual, following the river towards Bonds taking the Wyre Way, through an old mill, now converted to a rest home, and up steps to reach the Lancaster canal at a bridge which was built in 1787 by the great engineer, John Rennie. He also designed Waterloo Bridge, London Bridge, Naval dockyards including Liverpool and the Royal Military canal in Kent. His working day was 5.00 am till midnight!

As we continued on the canal it was noticed that Jean and Dave Taylor were missing. After a call to Dave, who fortunately had his mobile switched on, it was found out that Jean had been bitten by a bad-tempered collie dog and was making her way back to her car and  Dave would meet us at lunch time.

Leaving the canal we went under the railway, over the motorway and on to Sandholme Bridge turning right to Crabtree Nook and on past Cross House to St. Thomas’s church Claughton where we had our coffee stop. En-route we passed a memorial, erected by Thomas Fitzherbert, to his two sons who had been killed in WW1.

On the way to Clarkson’s farm the first sheep rescue of the day occurred. John T and Brian noticed a sheep stuck in the barbed wire and eventually managed to tug it free and run away. Leaving the farm we should have had good views of Beacon Fell but not today, alas, as it was still very murky. Before crossing Gonder Lane we had another sheep rescue with John doing the honours again, and on to Foggs Farm we came across the muddiest section of the walk and it was lucky we all managed to negotiate a tricky stile without coming a cropper!

Through Cobble Hey we went on to Landskill with its junction of several paths, and our lunch stop at St. John’s church Calder Vale. Dropping down through the woods full of autumn colours we came into the village. No shop, no pub but with a still-working mill producing Oriental/Indian clothing. Here Stan and Shirley left us and our numbers were now sixteen. We went through the village ascending to Kelbrick Farm, walking over Barnacre Moor with glorious views of the coast and the Bleasdale Fells (but again, today we had to imagine them) descending the road to Grizedale Bridge.

The final few miles of the walk took us through Grizedale Valley and various fields to reach the disused railway, the Pilling Pig, down past the playing fields and back to the car park just before 4 pm.  After contacting Jean she said she had been to the Royal Preston Hospital where she waited almost 3 hours to get her wounds attended to but otherwise she was Ok. Quite an eventful day!

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