PICTURES AND TRIP REPORTS FROM MY WALKS IN THE ENGLISH LAKE DISTRICT

After my truncated walk on the Cumbria way I wanted to get back to the Lakes but after a bit of a hard week at work combined with a midweek trip with David to Newcastle University the last thing I wanted on Saturday was another long drive so I decided to stroll the 18 or so miles from home to the Roman village of Ribchester

. There are many nice walks over the the moors from my front door so why Ribchester? Well, I'm a great fan of Mick and Gayle's excellent blog, they are dedicated long distance walkers and last year I followed their progress as they walked from Kent to Cape Wrath and I began to think of planning a long walk of my own (although nothing on the scale of Mick and Gayle). I decide to try and plan a way from the Lakes back home, After wrestling with the maps I worked out a route of about 85 miles which will take me four days. The last day consisted of Ribchester to home but I had planned to get a lift home and return the next day as it seemed silly to camp in a place that is 18 miles away on footpaths but only about 20 minutes by road in the car.

So on Saturday I decided that I would do the Ribchester to home leg but I had a problem as everyone was out and it was too late to get the bus therefore I had to walk the leg in reverse so that's what I did.

My walk takes me through the cemetery and as I pass these graves from the Great War I feel a bit melancholy as they they are all markers of boys who were younger than my eldest son.

But I soon pass on to the open moor and head for the path to Darwen tower..

An interesting old lane.

Darwen Tower come into view. It had a metal domed roof until Christmas when it was blown off in a gale..

Coming down off the moor now and heading for Tockholes.

After crossing the road the path drops down through pleasant woodland to the Roddlesworth reservoirs.

Not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Looking back to the tower from Roddlesworth.

The overflow slipway. From Abbey village the path wound it's way through several farms until it passed under the M65. I found this stretch a bit depressing as the path was full of litter and people had driven down the small lanes to fly tip.

A bit of dodgy navigation meant that I walked on the road a bit more than planned but the little village of Pleasington lived up to it's name. This the bridge over the river Darwen.

Pleasington Priory

After leaving Pleasington I made my way through farmland and past the little village of Mellor until I dropped down to the river Ribble. Unfortunately the only bridge accros lies a little way from Ribchester so I had to walk around one and a half. miles to reach the the end of my walk.

The Ribble with Ribchester beyond.

Last walk - Cumbria Way take one Next walk - A tour of the far eastern fells

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Darwen to Ribchester 26th March 2011

Route - Whitehall cemetery - Darwen Moor - Roddlesworth reservoirs - Abbey Village - Pleasington - Mellor - Ribchester.