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...

 Withnell Fold is a delightful village on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal, between Chorley and Blackburn, though not on a through road. I visited it as part of a loop that started from Higher Wheelton, and included the canal and the River Lostock. From Higher Wheelton I headed northeast on the A674, which runs some way up the side of the valley, and has some pretty cottages along it. I wonder if this farmer is a Newcastle fan. After about 800 m I reached the turn for Withnell Fold to the left. The land on the right here appears to belong to the local manor, Withnell Fold Hall, which seems to be privately owned, and sold recently for around £5m, as described here . It is not possible to see the house from the road, but you can see the gates and lodge. Next door is a Methodist chapel, built 1852. And shortly after we get into Withnell Fold itself. In was built as a "model village" in 1843 to serve the mill, built the same year. As you can see, they keep the place very neat. Many of t...

 At last I come to the end of the Goit! The Goit flows into Anglezarke Reservoir, which is kind of the unknown cousin of the two Rivington Reservoirs, despite being the biggest. All three were built to supply water to Liverpool, though Anglezarke now supplies Wigan. All were built between 1850 and 1857. Wiki tells us the parish of Anglezarke has a population of 23 (2001 census) - I probably saw more walkers than that. It looks like it should have a bizarre pronunciation, but apparently is just "angle-zark" There is a cark park on the east side of the reservoir, towards the south end. There is virtually no signage to inform the public, and going along the access road is something of a leap of faith that you will not end up in a farm yard. When I arrived there was only one other car there - and there were a good dozen parted along the causeway on the way to it. The great advantage of the car park is the shade I could park my car in. I walked all around the reservoir, going anti...