TPW 1 – GARSTANG TO CHIPPING

1. Start from the ‘Riverside Trail’ information board on a large bend of the river bank. This is reached by crossing the car park from the Wyre Discovery Centre at the northern end of the High Street.

2. Turn right downstream on an urbanised path which accompanies the Wyre for a short but pleasant start.

3. Before reaching Garstang Bridge we are forced away from the river along Coach House Mew, to join Bridge Street at the bottom end of the High Street.

4. Turn left to cross the bridge, and immediately over it turn right along a short driveway.

5. Pass under the archway at this former corn mill, now a nursing home.

6. At the end of the car park a grassy path runs into trees, and the river returns for company as a large stone bridge is reached.

7. Underneath it the footpath ends, so turn up some wooden steps to gain the canal towpath.

8. The route turns right, to trace the canal towpath for the next mile and a half.

9. Three stone arched bridges are passed under before the modern suburbs of Bonds, across the water, are left behind. Now in open country, the first feature of note is the ruin of Greenhalgh Castle on its prominent knoll over to the left.

10. The canal makes a large loop to the right, passing beneath three further bridges in farming surrounds. Much of the ensuing way is on a delectable green towpath.

11. The canal is left at Ray lane, the next road bridge (number 54).

12. Double back up steps onto the road and cross the canal, immediately followed by passing beneath the railway.

13. The way turns sharp right at this road junction, through a gate into a field to follow a track parallel to the railway embankment.

14. Across an iron bridge on the river Calder, a tall motorway footbridge awaits to the left. Advance a little further then cross the field to it.

15. Over the bridge, head away upstream between the winding Calder and a hedgerow.

16. River and hedge converge to join a farm track leading out onto a road.

17. Go left briefly to a junction at Sandholme Bridge.

18. Don’t cross the bridge but turn right up Butt Hill Lane.

19. After a good 200yds take a gate on the right, just before a farm on the left (and just before the power lines).

20. With a hedge on the right, cross just a few yards to another gate in front, then rise left with a fence. A substantial hedge is joined and followed along to the right.

21. From a corner stile continue along to a gate as the fence bends right.

22. Now cross to the farm at Crabtree Nook just ahead, entering its yard and passing left of the house to emerge onto a back road, Smithy Lane.

23. Turn left for a good stride during which the motorway drone can be escaped in pleasant rural surroundings. Almost at once a cross is passed on the left.

24. Passing Cross House Farm with its attractive pond, the road runs on to the scattered hamlet of Claughton-on-Brock.

25. The road runs on past a tiny school and lovely red-brick cottages to a T-junction with May Lane.

26. Walk a few yards right and turn left along a short farm drive.

27. Level with the white-walled house, don’t advance to the gate at the end, but locate a small stile in the hedge to the right.

28. Now turn left along the field-side to a stile in the bottom corner.

29. Drop left to pass a hedge corner and down to a footbridge straddling both hedge and ditch to emerge onto another back road.

30. Turn down this to quickly arrive at Walmsley Bridge on the river Brock.

31. From a kissing-gate on the left turn upstream, an intermittent path crossing a pasture to briefly enter riverside woodland.

32. Re-emerging, continue upstream for some time, the tree-lined Brock being matched by a wooded bank to the left.

33. On approaching a tall hedge coming down from the left in an otherwise open pasture, bear left with it, crossing a side stream and slanting up to the field top, where a gate and kissing-gate admit onto an old cart track.

34. Turn right on this, dropping down to run on through well wooded surrounds.

35. The main path continues on, pleasantly if sometimes muddily, to quickly arrive at a footbridge across the river at Brock Bottom.

36. Don’t cross the bridge but resume upstream on what has been dubbed the Brock Valley Nature Trail.

37. This smashing path runs up through superb wooded surrounds to the Brock car park and picnic area at Higher Brock Bridge.

38. Cross the bridge and leave the river on the road (White Lee Lane) climbing steeply away.

39. It eases out and rises gently through a veritable avenue of trees to a T-junction.

40. Go a few yards right to a stile and cross the field to a footbridge, then resume the ‘ascent’ of Beacon Fell up a wooded bank.

41. A path climbs as far as a hurdle-stile, after which continue directly up a steep field.

42. A stile at the top is gained. Then rise to another stile just above, and through the trees the road encircling Beacon Fell is joined.

43. Turn right to quickly arrive at the Bowland Visitor Centre.

44. From the grassy area alongside the centre a well built path rises away from an information board, bearing left through trees to emerge onto the open summit of the fell. Better though to take the public footpath which starts at the same point but climbs more directly into the trees. Ignoring any other ways rise with an old wall through the trees and on to their far end, emerging with a contrastingly fine view over the inspiring cirque of Bleasdale fells.

45. Turn right on the path rising between moor and trees to a surprisingly sudden arrival at the white painted Ordnance Survey column.

46. Resume eastwards on the main path across the moorland, the surround of trees keeping sufficient distance to have little impact on the views

47. The path slants gently down to run above a parallel one on the top edge of the trees.

48. It doesn’t join it as expected, but runs on to part of the Quarry car park.

49. Follow the little road out through heather colonised knolls to meet the fell’s circuit road again.

50. Go left for a few yards to a junction, then right along a road descending away to the east.

51. Within yards however leave this by a stile on the left, and cross to the brow of the field before slanting right, down to a fence corner.

52. At the fence corner an old hollowed way is met.

53. Follow this left down the field-sides.

54. As it swings right for Wood Acre, take a stile/gate in front and continue down one further field-side.

55. At the bottom corner ignore the stile in front and turn right to approach the buildings.

56. After an intervening stile, a stile in the fence just before it keeps us out of its confines, advancing to a gate to follow the drive out onto a road.

57. Go right as far as Watery Gate Farm, past which take a gate on the left just before a line of trees.

58. Double back left a few yards to trace a sunken pathway away with a fence.

59. From a stile at the far end bear right over the brow , and cross towards Lower Core Farm

60. A gate in front admits onto another road.

61. Go left for a couple of minutes and turn up the drive through the fields to Blindhurst.

62. Pass to the right of the house into an enclosure, but instead of following the track away, turn up the wallside to a fence above.

63. Just a little beyond the gate an initially faint green way slants across the field.

64. The green way quickly levels out and crosses a tiny brook, beyond which slant up towards a stile onto the foot of the fell proper at an access notice.

65. Ignoring this stile, advance to another in the field corner just beyond.

66. Cross the head of a tree-lined trickle and contour across the large field.

67. Locate a particularly substantial stile built into the wall at the end, then angle gently down the next pasture to a stile above a few scattered trees.

68. Resume the contour across a larger field to a ladder stile at the far end.

69. Slant down this final pasture to a stile onto the cul-de-sac road descending from Fell Foot.

70. To the right is a junction with a through road.

71. Turn down this (left) to a T-junction with Fish House Lane.

72. A quiet road walk into Chipping can be enjoyed by going left, descent past the wooded clough of Chipping Brook being entirely delightful.

73. Otherwise, cross straight over to a stile, and follow a crumbling wall away.

74. This curves down Lingley Hill to be replaced by a few trees and a tiny beck.

75. At the bottom of a steeper slope the old way becomes enclosed, but in practise is impassable. A fence-stile to its left sees us down the field-side outside the morass. Occasional waymarks help confirm the route, which actually takes a messy way either side of the stream.

76. Supposedly, at a gateway in the old way (before a side stream on the left), cross the marshy section and resume down the hedgerow side to the corner just below.

77. Here the stream’s dark confines are entered, crossing to the other side to continue downstream again.

78. A little further, before the corner and the barn of After Lee, superfluous stepping-stones cross the beck to an adjacent wall-stile.

79. Rise away to a stile part-hidden by holly at a kink in the fence above.

80. Head directly away from this – with Springs House over to the right – to a stile onto its drive.

81. Turn left to join a back road, and follow this down to the right and into the village