Midge Walkers

Walk No.  172

Brindle & Withnell Fold  17-09-23

On a typically autumn day, 13 of our number met at the car park of Brindle Community Hall ready to start a walk last undertaken in November 2019. Turning up the hill towards the Cavendish Arms on one corner, believed at one time to have been a manor house linked to the Cavendish family and part of the Duke of Devonshire’s Estate. On the opposite corner St James Church, with a history traced back to 1190 and the present tower housing its ring of bells having been constructed around 1500. Here we turned right into Sandy Lane, walking for a short distance, and turning right again at the Old Post Office, passing through a gate into a field.

Taking a route towards the top left hand corner caused us to confront a herd of cows gathering around the gate we needed to get through. Fortunately, a course of cow- whispering seemed to do the trick and the obliging animals moved away. Continuing across a further field and gate led us to a stile which emerged on to Marsh Lane where we turned right. Taking a left turn down a farm track brought us to Lady Hall Farm and passing through the yard and onwards through a gate, a further field gave us access via a stile to a wooded area and down to a footbridge. Continuing through the trees up the slope brought us to a well-made path where we turned right leading us to the tow path of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. On the opposite bank the dilapidated building of Withnell-Fold Paper Mill dating back to 1843 looked to be in a sorry state, having in its time been a hive of industry. Bridge No 88 became the resting place for a few of our number, whilst others crossed and went up into the village to view the workers houses and the school. Kathleen Ferrier the world-famous contralto lived at one time in the village. Those that had taken this additional educational route returned to the bridge where we all enjoyed a refreshment break.

Resuming our route along the tow path, we continued to Bridge No 85 where we branched left over a stile to take a downward sloping path along a fence and over a bridge to enter the first of a series of upward sloping fields. Exiting on to a farm track continued the upward slope and at a particular point in the hedgerow a stone construction was pointed out as “Harry’s Well’ which in bygone times had provided refreshment for weary travellers.

Emerging at the top of the track brought us to Denham Lane adjacent to an area known as “Top O’ Th’ Lane” where opposite a group of dwellings stood. Going down the left side and viewing a plaque on the wall revealed a hidden secret. Between 1734 and 1871 these had been the site of Brindle Workhouse and Lunatic Asylum. At its peak it housed between 200 and 300 paupers in harsh conditions and had gained a reputation as ‘a general receptacle for pauper lunatics and the idle refractory poor.’ This was ultimately replaced by new premises at Eaves Lane, Chorley.

Turning right along Denham Lane, as the road turned we took a stile to the left to enter a field and skirt the perimeter, to another stile and followed the left hedge-line down to cross a final stile and head out on to Water Street via a path at the side of Brindle Primary School and regain our starting point.

There is no doubt that on this occasion 13 was not an unlucky number, we had enjoyed good weather, beautiful scenery and as ever good company. We are grateful for those who continue to support these walks and for those who organise them.