Walk Leader:               Doreen Viney

Number on walk:          27 + 3 dogs

Distance:                     10 miles

Weather:                     Wet

After the registration formalities had been completed we started the walk by dropping down from the car park to the farm and making our way past Smithills Open Farm to Smithills Hall where we had a look at the old building and the herb garden. Continuing on now to Barrow Bridge with the rain making its presence felt a bit more before passing the Old Links golf course and making our way up Edge Lane turning left on reaching Matchmoor Lane. With the rain coming down steadily and the wind getting up a bit now we carried on through rough pasture to reach the track which led us to our lunch stop in a more sheltered area near Holden’s Plantation.

After lunch we walked up to the cairn on Two Lads then made our way to Smithills Moor footpath near the Winter Hill TV Mast. Unfortunately, after about ½ mile one of our party slipped and either sprained or fractured his ankle. Good teamwork meant that he was kept as still and warm as possible whilst most of the members were led off the fells and back to their cars and others stayed with him with two going back to the TV mast to await the arrival of Bolton Mountain Rescue team who had been contacted.

The first member of Bolton MR arrived quite quickly as he lived not far from the scene and he was soon on his way to the casualty. The rest of the team came up, some in cars and two in Mountain rescue ambulances. As we were making our way back to the casualty he was being stretchered off and taken to Hospital. He was later discharged from hospital with a bad sprain and is now back at home. The only good thing was that it had stopped raining and the wind had dropped. 

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