Midge Walkers

Walk  No. 27

Cuerden Valley 13-11-11

Today, Sunday 13th November 2011, Remembrance Day. As we leave home to go on the walk, Lewis Hamilton is leading in the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix; the sun is shining; and as we arrive at our starting point, the bells are chiming at St John’s Church in Whittle-le-Woods - what more could you ask?

It is a good turn-out – I think there are sixteen of us! Rodney’s reputation is obviously on the up and up, or is it the weather, or both? It’s a lovely day for a walk as we leave our cars at the Lower Kem Mill car park, not far off the A6.

Rodney tells me that the winter walks will be a bit shorter, this one looks to be about 4.5 miles, a comfortable walk with no hills and only one stile (Judy will be sorry to miss this one, she doesn’t get on with stiles). We walk around the back of Lisieux Hall, a care home run by the Jesuit Brothers of Charity – an unusual view point; past the tip (the less said about that the better), past the Clayton Quarry and the derelict Clayton Manor and we emerge onto Spring Meadow, at the top of Lancaster Lane. From there, down the dip to the bottom of Sheep Hill, and then we take a left to walk through Cuerden Valley, going in a northerly direction. It passes through my mind, that perhaps Cuerden Valley belongs to Jack and Eileen and that they can lay claim to the ‘Manor of Cuerden’ which goes back to 1190; they haven’t mentioned it at Midge, so far as I can recall, but you never know with those two!

We have a slight obstacle to overcome when we arrive at the banks of the River Lostock and are faced with stepping stones – some quite wide apart, at least for those with short legs; anyway, we are so successful in negotiating the river, that there is even talk of a trip to Bolton Abbey where they have more stepping stones, more precarious and the water is deeper!

Up to the Cuerden Valley Lake where the heron resides, but I can’t see him today; we take a well-earned rest for ten minutes; and from there, it’s all downhill; crossing Town Brow near Shady Lane, then along the Cuerden Valley track, this time in a southerly direction. We arrive back at the car park in perfect time, just as the day- light fades.

Another successful trip, many thanks to Rod and his merry band of helpers!

 N.F.