Leeds Liverpool Canal , Greenberfield Lock to Barrowford
Thursday 28th September was another lovely lovely day walking along the Leeds Liverpool Canal. After an hour or so travelling in the mini bus to Thornton in Craven on the edge of Yorkshire we alighted at Greenberfield Lock by bridge 157 at the beginning of the “summit” level of the canal at 498ft above sea level.
Due to holidays we have 4 places on the canal walk this Thursday (28th September). The walk is between the Pendle Heritage Centre and Greenberfield Lock Bridge. Bridge numbers 143 and 157. The walk will be on the flat and approx 7 miles. We go by mini bus which drops us off at the start and picks us up at the end. The cost is £15. If you are interested in joining us please contact Brenda McKenzie on 531 0207 or 07900525222 or at the Group Support Table tomorrow 26th September.
Due to holidays we have room on the mini bus for 1 person to join us. The walk will be from Green Lock Bridge Barnoldswick to Pendle Heritage Centre. The cost is £15 contact Brenda McKenzie on 07900525222 or come to Group Support table on a Tuesday morning.
We had a mild panic today with sixteen walkers in the car park but no minibus! A quick phone call from David calmed the nerves – the driver was on his way. Rain on the M6 dampened the spirits a bit, but it didn’t last and we arrived at our starting point at the “Weavers’ Triangle” with dry but cloudy weather.
There were sixteen walkers on the July leg on 27th. Here’s David’s resume:
Leeds Liverpool Canal Clayton Le Moors to Burnley July 2017
Our 3.5 hour walk on the meandering canal was one of dramatic landscape and weather changes. As we left the outskirts of Clayton le Moors we were in farmland with long distance views of Pendle Hill to the north and moorlands to the south. Soon we came to a lovely wooded narrow valley as the canal turned sharply northward. Beside the usual canal barges the far canal bank was home to two bright orange enclosed lifeboats normally seen on ocean going craft and a narrowboat in a floating “dry dock”.
David has researched the next leg and below is his preview:
Leeds Liverpool Canal Clayton le Moors to Burnley July 2017
This section of the canal takes us into the heart of what was once one of the most important cotton weaving towns in the world with 79,000 looms in 1900. However our walk starts in the much humbler town of Clayton le Moors which was for a while in the early 1800s the western terminus of the eastern section of the canal and these buildings remain a little to the west of our starting point at bridge 114b
This walk was something of a landmark for us as it took us past the official midway point between Liverpool and Leeds at 63.625 miles between each city. The canal took a surprisingly winding route as we skirted low hills, former cotton towns like Riston, Oswaldtwistle and Accrington, crossed the M65 on the oddly named Dunkenhaigh Aqueduct and reached Clayton Le Moors, our destination for the day. The route was full of interest with plenty of wildlife in the form of ducks and Canada geese with their offspring by the score. The canal’s meandering form felt more like a gentle river than an industrial waterway with lovely vistas opening towards Pendle and the Pennine moors. Needless to say, it was not without its industrial archaeology, with sturdy stone bridges, the traces of stone quarries, relatively modest and grand stone mills, the remains of unusual brick coke ovens, canal workshops, stables and warehouses….all in a 7.5mile hike.
We walked from Whitebirk Bridge to Riley Marina on Thursday May 25th.
Take 15 intrepid canal walkers, a canal through downtown Blackburn and a very hot sunny day and you have a surprisingly green and pleasant walk. We started on a round about at Whitebirk, on the east side of the former cotton town of Blackburn, with the warning that this would be quite an “industrial” walk. Quickly we saw our first large former cotton mill called Imperial designed by Sidney Stott in 1902. It was a bit ‘down at heel’ but the more observant members noticed that it was still in use with a variety of users. A little further on was Daiseyfield Mill much restored as offices for Granada(?)
April was the first time the Canal Walking Group used a mini bus to take them to the start and pick them up at the finish of the walk. This proved to be very successful, we left the canal halfway through the walk and had a look around a small village where we had lunch. We finished up at a pub were we had a welcome drink in front of a blazing fire and planned our next walk. We have now reached Riley Green Bridge which is number 91b. We are hoping to reach Skipton by November which is bridge 179. Everyone agreed this stretch of the canal had been the best so far. So onwards and upwards, we will be walking from Riley Green to Whitebirk Bridge next month. Thanks to Tommy for taking great photographs. Read David’s update from April walk Continue reading
This group has two places available on the mini bus on 27th April . The group will be walking from Cowling Bridge to Riley Green. The walk is approx 7 miles long. We also have places on the May walk which is from Riley Green to Whitebirk Bridge, again this walk in approx 7 miles. If you are interested in joining the group on either or both of these walks please contact Brenda McKenzie on 0151 531 0207 or come to Group Support Table on a Tuesday morning.
April Walk -Chorley enjoys an excellent reputation for its lively markets which date back to at least to 1498, In the Middle Ages the parish church is said to have had a reliquary containing some of the bones of St Laurence. Close to the town is Astley Hall, the Elizabethan former home of the Charnock family, well worth visiting and entry is free(check opening days/hours first) and contains the bed where Cromwell slept after the battle of Preston in 1648.