Around Preston

There is a great seaside walk from Heysham Port Station to Morecambe Station. I did it with my family, and they may sneak into a the odd photo. It is four or so miles. There is exactly one train a day to Heysham Port, arriving at 1315, so you really need to start here, and head to Morecambe, which has two trains an hours to Lancaster. Trains to Heysham stop first at Morecambe, then reverse to head to Heysham. The driver has to stop and get out to change the points himself! Heysham Station was a fair size once, but is just a single platform now, moved from its original site, so it is now a bit closer to the ferry terminal. The station is very much geared to the ferry, and exiting to road is something of a leap-of-faith across a waiting area for vehicles, but does afford great views of the nuclear power station. This is the view looking back at the ferry terminal with the connecting ferry towering over it, behind. Heading left, the road crosses a level crossing, giving access to the nucl

Higher Walton is a small village on the road to Blackburn, just beyond Walton-le-Dale, where the road crosses the River Darwen. The view from the bridge upriver. There are two old mills, both still standing. There was a cotton mill, High Walton Mill, between the river and the road. The mill is now a series of industrial/commercial units. The road rises as it turns, making the mill the big - and I would say, most attractive - feature of the village. The other mill, Moon's Mill Foundry, also known as Coupe Foundry, and now Shakespeare Foundry, appears to still be operational, though a map of 1891 indicates it was disused way back then. It is not as picturesque, and set back from the road. At the top of the hill is All Saints church. The church is still open, but the Wesleyan Methodist chapel across the road is not. Higher Walton has three pubs still open. On the hill, opposite the mill, is the Swan Inn. At the bottom, on the corner of the road to Bamber Bridge, is Bar 47. This opened