Hurst Green, Nov14th


                          The Old Cromwell Bridge                                                                                The start at Hurst Green

 Walk Leader:              Barry Wilson

Number on walk:         10

Distance:                     15 miles

Weather:                     Wet and grey

 

10 walkers met, on Tuesday 14 November at Hurst Green Car Park under grey, leaden skies to take what was essentially a figure of eight route of some 14 miles. We walked from the village down to the River Ribble then followed the river to its confluence with with the River Hodder where a welcome ‘Brew Stop’ was taken. Light rain continued to fall, thick grey cloud shrouded the hills and conditions underfoot were ‘clarty’ (Northern terminology for, muddy, dirty, sticky.) setting the scene for the day. Then after leaving the river to pass Winckley Hall, a short walk along Whalley Road took us to Lower Hodder Bridge. An adjacent much older bridge dating from 1561 is said to have been used by Oliver Cromwell and his 8,000 strong army on their way to the battle of Preston, provided an excellent photo opportunity.

A full swift flowing River Hodder was followed before branching off at Hodder Place, a former prep school for children attending Stonyhurst College. The grounds of Stonyhurst were soon reached and a path around the college took us back to Hurst Green the half way point. Despite the poor weather conditions nobody was tempted to return to their car.  

With lunch time approaching we set off on an easy uphill track passing Greengore in the direction of Longridge Fell. One of the group members lives on the route and very generously he, ably assisted by his wife and daughter, provided a scrumptious lunch time meal consisting of homemade soup with buns,  followed by home-made cakes, tea and coffee ‘mmmm’ All consumed in the warm (and very dry) kitchen.

Our grateful thanks expressed and suitably fortified we continued upwards through forestation to the trig point on Longridge Fell, the most southerly fell in England. We then headed downhill along a meandering path through the forest to reach and cross Clitheroe Road. A still very muddy path took us through fields to the grounds of Stonyhurst College, (one of the country’s leading boarding schools which moved to this site in 1794 although the oldest parts of the existing building date from the sixteenth century) and a quiet lane back to the car in Hurst Green.

The wet weather was the downside of the day, lunch more than made up for this, thank you so much Tony and family, and, the good humour and friendly banter throughout made the day complete.

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