Despite the threat of rain, thirteen Stramblers met at St Mary the Virgin Church in Church Road, Rufford for today’s walk. It was lovely to see Anne Blundell back with us. A short walk along Diamond Jubilee Road took us to our old stomping ground, the Leeds Liverpool Canal, and we joined the towpath to head south.
With St Mary’s Marina to our right and Fettlers Wharf Marina to our left, we travelled just over half a mile along the canal. We spoke to the crew of a C&RT boat pushing an open tank vessel past us. Leaving the canal via a swing footbridge, we crossed the A59 and walked north along it for 150 yards back into Rufford. We then went down some steps to a footpath with fields to one side with trees on the other which led to Brick Kiln Lane via a stone step stile. After crossing the lane, we took a footpath with a boardwalk base alongside a brook. At the end of the path we crossed Cousins Lane and passed the Rufford Cricket Club field and entered Mere Sands Wood Nature Reserve. We walked around the woods, stopping to look at the wildlife on the lakes through a number of hides. The majority of the birds on the lake were Canada Geese, with mallard ducks and some cormorants. We took a refreshment break at the Visitor Centre before leaving the woods at Holmeswood Road and taking a wide path along the edge of a field of onions with bluish leaves. There were horses and sheep in the fields to our right and the path curved round to Croston Drive. Here, an impressive building was thought to belong to Rufford Old Hall, but a couple leaving through its gates told us it was an old farm converted into apartments and houses. The couple, coincidentally, were originally from Maghull.
At the end of the drive, we crossed the A59 again and took Spark Lane which led us to the canal. We went down the steps to the towpath and followed it for a mile back to Diamond Jubilee Road. The weather had been fine up to this point – warm enough for coats to be taken off – but the forecast rain soon arrived. Light at first but soon heavy as we passed Rufford Old Hall on the far bank. Luckily we were almost at the end of the walk and on reaching the road we split into two groups for lunch. Some at the Hesketh Arms and some at Tastebuds at Fettlers Wharf.
Thanks to Judith, Sheila and Viv for organising, recce-ing and leading a most interesting walk. Mere Sands Wood well worth another visit.