Leyland
Walk Leader: Terry Pilkington
Number on walk: 24
Distance: 11 miles
Weather: Beautiful sunny day
The walk today was from Terry & Clare’s bungalow in Leyland Lancashire, on a beautiful and sunny dry day, perfect for walking.
24 members and 1 dog were raring to go after signing in and looking at the garden “Terry’s Pride and Joy”.
We set off along the River Lostock a river that starts up near Withnel Fold and ends up in the Rivers Yarrow, Douglas and Ribble and then onto the sea. The path takes us up through woods following the river passing a very old pub The Dunkirk built in 1629 in the reign of Charles 1st, originally a manor house Grade II listed and was made into a pub in 1983.
Then in to the meadows past some very old stone fencing dated around 1404, probably a boundary fence, on through more woods and past Leyland Warriors Rugby fields, coming out near the old ammunition storage bunkers of WWII for the ROF factory, which is now just meadows, as it is all underground. After a long track we passed behind Garth and Wymott prisons. Turning left into Ridley Lane to Littewood Hall Farm, then left again into fields of long grass, back along the side of the river with views of Winter Hill in the distance, coming out eventually at Lostock Bridge Farm, Ulnes Walton Lane, where we decided to have our lunch stop.
Then straight across up Holker Lane, eventually turning left, after more fields to reach the river again, following the river, although the path was overgrown. Turning right to reach Leyland Lane, the main road, across to Altcar Lane to Altcar Farm, where they do intensive chicken and egg production, onwards through more fields but better walking as the grass was short, over a footbridge into Worden Park, 150 acres, and up to the old Worden Hall built between 1725-1742, the home of the Farington Family. Sir William Farington extended it around 1840-1845, it burned down in 1941, “the same year Terry was born”. Over the years it has now been renovated and recently more work has been done by Leyland Council and South Ribble Council who bought the park and hall around 1950
The idea was to have an ice cream or coffee here in the cafe. Big mistake the place and park was heaving with people because of the nice weather in the middle of the holidays, so after a toilet stop we decided to carry on.
Back through the park, past Wade Hall estate, back along the River Lostock to finish the walk back at the bungalow where Clare had made ready, biscuits and hot drinks for everybody, to end a great days walking a distance of 11.18miles. People said they had enjoyed the day, thanks to everybody for coming
Regards
Terry Pilkington
