Pilling, Dec 12th


The group are ready to go

A Winter Seaside Walk

Walk Leader:        Sue and Steve

Number on Walk:   11

Distance:              10.5 miles

Weather:               Heavy frost with some sun

Ten walkers assembled on a very chilly but sunny morning to look out over Pressall sands with the sea in the far distance. Sadly too late in the year to collect samphire from the shoreline. One new member Jackie joined us as well as a friend of the leaders Dave from Richmond Yorkshire.

We set off along Lancashire coastal way and were met by Jane who had decided parking in Knott End might be easier given the weather. Gulls and waders were seen as we walked to Knott End where the statue of Lowry who used to draw here was admired. No chance of more than a view of Fleetwood as the ferry was closed.  Joining the Wyre Way we left the estuary for the golf course. At this point Jaqui hugged a golfer about to tee off – obviously a long lost friend. We carried on past Hackensall Hall (a listed building) rebuilt in 1656 following the fire of the 1190 building. Hackensall Hall is known for its boggart, which took the form of an industrious horse who would work on the farm overnight, so long as a fire was left burning in the kitchen hearth for it to sleep by when its work was done. If the fire went out, the household would be rudely disturbed by the noises of an angry horse stampeding in the kitchen! Lesser known is the fact that Hackensall Hall was also thought to be haunted by two human ghosts, whose rest was disturbed when their skeletons were found during restoration work on the Hall in 1873. It was rumoured that these two unfortunates, both women, appeared to have been deliberately walled up and left to die. The ensuing reports of haunting were so disturbing that a priest was summoned to perform an exorcism.

The path took us over the area of brine deposits where pumping took place until 1924 and is now owned by Halite for gas storage. The brine mining was carried out by Fleetwood Salt Co. Ltd. and during the first world war kept going by women. Lunch was eaten just before we left the estuary in wintry sun.

Walking down Corcas and Back Lane we made our way to Presall via what would have been a very muddy route if it hadn’t been so frosty.  Via fields we past Fleetwood Charity School established about 1695 to reach our highest point of the walk! Dropping off a mini hill we headed back across mixed terrain to Pilling Lane passing lots of duck farms, some sadly depleted of stock probably due to bird flu but clearly upgrading their rearing areas for the future.

Jane accompanied by Jaqui (always willing to walk an extra mile) left us to go back to her car as we wandered by Ridge Farm to join the coastal path back to our cars.

A very enjoyable wintry walk where a few threatening grey clouds did no more than make us concerned re a change of weather.

To look at the other photos please press Here