EAST LANCS LDWA

TWO CROSSES CIRCUIT CHALLENGE EVENT
Amended route for 2018 – please see highlighted section.

MASS START – 8.00AM FOR RUNNERS and WALKERS, 17 and 25 MILES

Tottington Youth Centre, Laurel Street, Bury BL8 3LY (SD 777129).

 

Equipment to include:- Clothing and footwear appropriate to the event and weather, compass, whistle, mug and map (1:50000 OS109 Manchester or 1:25000 West Pennine Moors Explorer 287).

 

Please note the following important information:

·         Checkpoint 4 closes at 13:00hours. Entrants arriving after this time will be retired.

·         Checkpoint 6 does not provide water.

·         Retirement MUST BE REPORTED to an official event marshal. 

 

SPLIT POINT MILEAGE IS INDICATIVE ONLY

 

Leave Youth Centre and first L up Laurel Street. Cross main road and ahead along unmade road onto Moorside Road. When road bends sharp L, take path on R after house number 44. Continue through stables and take path to R of house fence and R over bridge. Up field to stile then L on track. First R up metalled road and into field. Follow field boundary to stile in opposite corner. Up field with hedge on R. Over stile in fence on R, around reedbed and ahead to fence at Gorsey Clough passing paddocks. L over stile with trees on R to road (766129).

 

R and immediately L at Four Acre Farm. L behind buildings and ahead over 2 stiles. Immediately L after third stile, follow fence and wall on L to house/road junction (759129). R on road passing Pack Horse Inn to the first cross of the circuit, Affetside Roman Cross. Take path from the cross with pond on L, passing between hedge on L and fence on R to stile.  Through stile into field and ahead to reach road, A676, (737132). Cross road and follow track. Take second R at 5 bar gate. R at T junction and up steps to pass through car park. Continue with reservoir on L. Near end of reservoir, L over footbridge (736149), up steps and ahead through gate to road, B639. Turn L to Checkpoint 1 - Turton Tower (732151): [5.0mile].

 

R up track with Turton Tower on R. Cross railway and in 100m R through gate onto track.  Ahead on track for approx 11/4mile/2km and just before reaching the B639, the 17 and 25 mile routes split. Cut Off Point: [6.5mile].  - 25 mile option please go to *.  10:15am cut-off for 25 mile route.

 

17 mile route only. 

R to cross road, through gate and onto footpath. Continue through gate, cross minor road and drop down on path into gully. L into car park to Checkpoint 4 - Batridge Barn Car Park  (721172): [6.8mile]. Continue on 25 mile route at +++  (i.e. miss out next 4 paragraphs).

 

* 25 mile route only.

Continue on track to road, L on road and in 300m at first finger post on L take footpath over stile. Head towards top R of field and nearest pylon. Turn R and with fence on L to stile next to gate. Over stile and continue ahead. Over next stile and with pond on R head down to stile over wall at A666 and Checkpoint 2 - A666 (699173): [7.9mile].

 

Over stile, ahead on track through trees and over second stile. Take second stile on L before trees and follow down to footbridge. Cross bridge and R up path to top of bank. Over stile in fence on R. Continue with fence on L. Over 2 stiles 5m apart and ahead between fence and wall. When fence meets wall continue with wall on L. R onto stony track (687168) for approx 2mile/31/4km to Checkpoint 3 Track Junction (667190): [10.8mile].

Turn R up track. Over stile by gate and uphill on track. As track bends sharp L, ahead on path up hill to reach wall and finger post (675191). Through 2 gates and gap in wall, ahead on path sign posted to Turton (74°), ignore paths on L to Darwen. After 1/3 mile (540m) note start of culvert on R. After a further 120m at marker post on L, (680188), cross culvert and over stile to take faint path. Follow path to stile with fence on L (685186). Over stile with fence now on R onto broad track. Stay on broad track down to cross the A666 (702180).

 

R on road to take first footpath on L in stone wall. Take second fork on R at marker post (704177) leading down to narrow steps. Turn R and ahead to follow path with Entwistle Reservoir on L.  Take steps on R before reservoir dam wall and up to Checkpoint 4 - Batridge Barn Car Park (721172): [15.0mile].

 

+++ 17 mile competitors, rejoin full route at this point.

Leave checkpoint with wall on L, down steps on L and L into lower car park. Continue onto and over reservoir dam. Keep R to pass Strawbury Duck. R over railway and in 25m L through small gate downhill. Through gate and descend through trees to cross footbridge. Cross second footbridge then immediately L through trees. Ahead over stile and uphill passing house on R to gate, L onto track (731181). First L on track between houses, cross main road and up Moorside Road. As road bends R turn L on track and in 80m bear R to Orrel Cote Farm. With house on L continue to Checkpoint 5 – Orrel Cote Farm (740190): [8.5 or 16.8mile].

 

Over stile behind garage and bear R (200°) to grassy track. L on track keeping quarry on L.  Keep wall on R, over stile, through 2 gates to road (746186). R and first L up track passing farm buildings on L. Through gate and uphill (86°) to stile in top R corner of field. Over stile and R to join track to reach road (751183). L on road, over cattle grid and fork L onto track with 2 concrete strips towards chain link fence. Bear L up track to corner of chain link fence. Pass rusting harrow on L. Continue ahead on path (45°), to broken wall corner with 2 wooden stakes 2m apart. Rise up peat bank towards a stake 30m up on the moor. From stake on moor bear 40° for 700m then 90° for 500m to MOD warning signs at base of Bull Hill (765188). Do not ascend Bull Hill but take footpath to L, narrow but well trodden, initially at 52°, continuing to corner of walls by finger post - Checkpoint 6 - Wall NE of Bull Hill (772192): [11.5 or 19.8mile].

 

From checkpoint take path, initially at 122° then bearing 200° turning uphill at 2nd path junction to pass MOD map. Follow path to second cross of the circuit, Pilgrims Cross. From cross follow path to L (135°) to Peel Tower (777164). Continue passed tower (200°), as track bends sharp L take stile on R downhill with fence on L. Ahead at fence corner to stile. Over stile and turn right on track.  In 100m turn left through stone squeeze gap.  Follow path over 2 stiles, then R and almost immediately L on narrow track.  Follow footpath through woods.  Over stile.  Follow track for 90m, then down to the kissing gate on L. Turn half right across field to far corner.  Cross stream and up hill to reach footpath at top, by fingerpost.  L along track.  Pass through gate.  In 50m R and follow path down steps and round to L. R on signposted path to cross footbridge.  Climb steps, over stile and up field to reach stile and track.  L along track and then R to pass house on L (along driveway) to stile. Over stile and immediate L. Over stile and R. Continue with fence on R to tarmac road. L on road to Checkpoint 7 – Spenleach Lane (767150): [15.0 or 23.3mile].

 

Cross main road and over stile onto footpath. Follow footpath on grassy track between hedges. As hedge on R ends bear R (180°) to stile. Over stile, into trees, cross stream and up bank, continuing ahead to golf club. Keep ahead on main track passing clubhouse, through car park, L to cross stream and up to Hove Close. Turn R into Larkfield Close, cross road to pass church on R. Turn R, cross main road at zebra crossing and L at Bulls Head/Toby Carvery.  Immediately after car park turn R to join disused railway (778143). Ahead over bridge then under road bridge and in 300m bear R to Youth Centre and FINISH (777129): [16.7 or 25.0mile].  WELL DONE!