Midge Walkers
Walk No. 122
Healey Nab Ramble
A group of 10 adults met near the Shepherds Rest Pub in Chorley under threatening skies wearing all the appropriate clothing.
The walk took us down Cross Hall Lane and over the canal bridge and past Cross Hill Community (a small group of very nice houses), where we left the road and skirted along a path climbing a series of stiles, which took us into fields adjacent to the M61. We eventually came to a footbridge over the M61 Motorway, which we crossed which brought us to a Scout campsite located at Bibbys Farm. As we were leaving, we spotted a large box of varied size bicycle wheels which we were informed were available to take. At least one of our party showed an interest in returning later to see if their was one that suited his needs. Walking along a made up drive around the site, we continued along a series of roads with hedgerows laden with blackberry’s, in various states of ripeness, which gave a suitable boost of vitamin C to those who sampled them. A horse looking over a gate caused our next stop as we fed it with some nice tender clover which he could not reach himself and appeared very grateful
Leaving the roads once again and taking to a bridle path we climbed to take in stunning views of Winter Hill with its distinctive masts and further on gained sufficient height to look over to the purple coloured heather on the moorland surrounding White and Black Coppice and Anglezarke Reservoir. At the top of an incline a sign informed us we had reached the site of Nab Hill Memorial Gardens where it is possible to plant a tree in memory of a departed loved one. Suitable seating formed an ideal stop for our coffee break and for the organized amongst us a biscuit or two.
A break of this nature isn’t always a good idea as it seems much more difficult to get those aching limbs moving again.
Continuing our endeavours we again took an uphill route through a wooded area to emerge at a pile of stones known as Pilkie’s Folly and were reliably informed we had attained a height of 210 metres above sea level. Once again it was possible to soak up the panoramic views overlooking Chorley and well beyond to the Fylde Coast with Blackpool Tower in the distance and to the south the wind farms we had seen on a previous walk around Mawdesley, and round to Rivington Pike.
From here our route was predominantly downwards, which caused some difficulty for our Leader, Rodney, as he manage to make a graceful slow motion backwards fall down a steep descent. With some amusement, the party following knew where not to tread to do the same. Passing over another couple of stiles, we made our way back towards our starting point. As we reached the canal, we discovered that a new housing estate had developed with a lovely row of Town Houses fronting onto the canal (we were later to find out that the last one sold was in May at a cost of £215,000). Once again crossing the Motorway by a different bridge and emerging back into Cross Hall Lane where we had started, we again thanked Rodney for his Leadership.
Although this was another walk that we had already done, as it was three years previous and with a slightly different group, many of us had forgotten how nice the walk had been previously. It was again an excellent work-
