Friday 23rd August 2024

Friday 23^rd August 2024.

Jumbles Country Park and Kingfisher Trail.

On a bright but chilly evening twenty-four walkers set out from the car park at Jumbles Country Park and headed down the steep slope to the start of the Kingfisher Trail. The trail was originally set up by the Croal-Valley Rangers Service in the early 1990s to highlight the abundance of wildlife reclaiming a once industrial valley. Unfortunately, we saw very little of the wildlife this evening. Following the well-marked footpath along Bradshaw Brook we were distressed to see the destruction cause by Storm Lillian, with large branches of the trees lying across the footpath.

Once at the bottom of the valley we crossed Bolton Road and continued to follow the brook through Longsight Park Arboretum. The Arboretum has a collection of thirty-nine different species of tree from all over the world, which were planted in the 1980s, unfortunately the handkerchief tree was not in blossom. Continuing to follow the way markers through the wood we eventually left the Kingfisher Trail and after crossing a footbridge over the brook we climbed a series of steps taking us out of the valley.

At the top of the steps, we crossed Tonge Moor Road and turned left into Oak Lane where we walked up to the level crossing, across the Northern Ribble Valley Railway line, which goes as far as Clitheroe. Once across the line we turned right and walked along a picturesque path with overhanging trees. At the end of the path, we crossed Darwen Road and turned left into Shady Lane, which eventually becomes Grange Road.

After passing several large and attractive houses we joined a narrow footpath on our right which led back into Jumbles Country Park, which many of us did not recognise because of the amount of Himalayan Balsam that had overgrown the park. From here it was a short walk back to the steep climb into the car park having covered four very attractive miles.

Wednesday 21^st August 2024

9^th Section of the West Pennine Way: Clough Head to Burnt Hill

On an initially overcast morning, sixteen walkers set off from Clough Head car park for a walk combining spectacular views and a landscape shaped by quarrying and reservoir building, walking across moorland and fields and through woods.

We began by ascending the path behind the café to Nab Hill before turning right to follow the signed route for the West Pennine Way (WPW) and Rossendale Way. We passed behind Jamestone Quarry and along Picker Hill before turning right to follow the WPW markers descending past Clod Farm. The sun emerged from the clouds so we could appreciate the views of the three reservoirs before us (Holden Wood, Ogden and Calf Hey) and Musbury Heights opposite. We followed the path down through Leys End farm, crossing Grane Road to continue the path over the stile opposite and down through the field. We continued following the WPW markers over the footbridge by Holden Wood reservoir before ascending the steep old tramway track, pausing at the top near the chimney for a break and to admire the view and the purple heather.

We continued our walk on a straight path following the WPW and Rossendale Way route with Musbury Heights on our right. The path wound round the scenic valley to Burnt Hill. After Burnt Hill we left the WPW route (our next walk) and continued to follow the Rossendale Way for a short while, gradually ascending until we reached the wall. We turned left to follow the wall before we ascended up Musbury Tor for a lunch stop at the quarry.

We then descended to Tor End and down to the B6235 at Helmshore. We crossed the road, turned left then followed the path on the right which led to the old railway path. We turned left, walking behind the museum and followed the path by the river before we emerged at the B6235 again. We crossed the road then ascended the path to Holden Wood reservoir before turning right until we reached Grane Road. We crossed the road and took the path on the left of the cemetery past Holden Hall, then bore left to follow the lower path through Mary’s Wood. We continued on this path emerging back onto the hillside before eventually turning left at Heap Clough to reach the quarry track. After turning right onto the track, we then took the footpath on the left to ascend the hill overlooking Grane Road. We followed the path, viewing where we had walked earlier in the day opposite, and walking parallel to the road before a gradual descent skirting round the bottom of Jamestone Quarry. We then took the lower path back to Clough Head car park to finish our walk of around ten miles.