Midge Walkers

Walk No.  156

Calder Vale   -   23rd July 2022

During a week in which we had experienced the extremes of climate recorded, we were pleased that Saturday the 23rd promised moderate temperatures. When the 6 of us assembled at the Calder Vale Country Club car park just on the outskirts of the village, a slight precipitation caused us to wear appropriate clothing. Undaunted we set off passing a war memorial on the right, continuing downhill to a point where a set of well-worn slippy stone steps on the left allowed us to climb to a path at the rear of a row of houses, leading to a series of fields linked by stiles and a footbridge, emerging on to Strickens Lane, adjacent to The Lancashire Racing Stables.

Crossing the road led us into an area where the horses were galloped and a starting stall formed a suitable back drop for the group to pose for a photograph. Following the fence line on the left over 3 stiles and the crest of a hill, a lone wind turbine to the right and what should have been magnificent views of the area beyond the M6 and the broad coastal plain of the Wyre and Garstang to the West, we descended to enter the yard of Heald Farm, passing through to walk down the drive to its junction with Parkhead Lane and Cross House. Taking the road directly opposite, we followed it to its end, where we turned left, following the way-marker skirting Beesleys Farm, to arrive at a field gate at which a goodly number of cattle had congregated seemingly impeding our progress. As there was no real alternative, John Wilson using his umbrella, encouraged the bewildered animals to move and opened the gates to allow the rest of us to sneak through and again progress along the boundary fence towards a wood.

Entering by a stile and crossing a footbridge we climbed to leave by another stile into a field. Another couple of fields linked by stiles brought us to exit on to Turners Lane adjacent to Turners Farm where we learned that Welsh Cob’s were bred. Passing through a gate on the opposite side and crossing 3 fields which included a foot bridge, a stile on either side of a lane allowed us to cross into another series of fields, one of which was full of barley. The final stile was heavily concealed in the hedgerow and found us emerging on to Sandholme Lane at the side of Lees Farm, where we chose to use the front wall as our lunch stop.

One of our number (me), was struggling with a bad back so our leader, in conjunction with the rest of the team, took a decision to abort the rest of the walk, but suggested that perhaps I might like to try the benefits of walking on the flat roads for a short distance just to see if it helped. Turning left to the junction with Strickens Lane, we then turned right and continued up the incline to Sullom Side Lane. There is no doubt that by this point I was struggling even more and so it was decided that I would remain perched on the yellow gritter bin situated at this junction, whilst everyone else returned to collect the vehicles and subsequently return for me. This they did and so about ½ hour or so later relief was at hand. It wasn’t quite the same as an Air Ambulance but whatever. We’ll do it again some- day.