18th & 19th August – Lancaster Canal & Walking in Walkden

18th & 19th August – Lancaster Canal & Walking in Walkden

18th August – Return to the Lancaster Canal

Earlier in the month when I was walking from Preston towards the Bilsborrow area along the Lancaster canal, I decided when the time came to walk the section from Bilsborrow towards Galgate to look into staying overnight in the general area.  I ended up booking a night in the Manchester Central Travelodge (the one on Blackfriars Street alongside the River Irwell, between Salford Central & Victoria) as for a Tuesday night it was good value.  Also having stayed there back in September 2020, I found it reasonable, not too much noise from nearby roads).

The trip began with 158883, 159003 & 159005 on the 06:57 from Grateley to take me towards Waterloo, where I had a gentle stroll towards Euston, mixing things up by going a different route which took me near Euston Square.  After grabbing some late breakfast, I boarded the 09:30 Glasgow train, which was a busy 390154 to take me towards Preston, only losing a few minutes due to congestion caused by a late running Liverpool train (which was loading up alongside the Pendo and it was very lightly loaded (one of the last peak time trains).  In Preston, after swinging via the little Tesco outside the station for some lunch, I strolled towards the large bus station and onto the Stagecoach run route 40 service bound for Lancaster.

This bus took me (slowly due to traffic) towards the Barton Grange Garden Centre (a busy bus stop as half a dozen others alighted from the bus here).  After a short walk along the A6 I reached the canal with the stairs used earlier in the month and I resumed the canal walk along the grassy towpath.  I will admit the first mile or so wasn't the nicest of walks due to the traffic noise from the M6 drowning out sounds of trains as all 3 forms of transport run side by side towards the Barnacre area where thankfully (for my ears) the canal started to drift west, leaving the endless traffic noise behind.

A Lumo 222 alongside the Lancaster Canal between Brock & Bonds

This section was very rural, mostly a grassy towpath with fields, weaving its way towards Bonds where the towpath became a hard surface with the canal entering the town of Garstang where the canal got busy with moored boats and towpath busy with other walkers.  Soon I crossed underneath the A6 again, passing a couple of marinas before the canal returned to being in the middle of nowhere with not much noise.  Some beautiful countryside scenery along the way with the canal heading generally north, twisting & turning at times, passing some small settlements.  Very nice it was, the nature of a rural canal in the countryside (and unlike some canals, the edge of the canal was reasonable quality with no large holes in the towpath caused by erosion, I guess with the Lancaster canal being effectively isolated it doesn't get as much traffic as some of the canals within the centre of the country).

I continued the walk along the towpath, passing a static caravan park and not a lot else.  Time flew by as I strolled on the grass, the sun making an appearance.  Some nice woodland sections along this canal, as well as a cutting close to the junction with the Glasson branch.  I was worried when I saw a sign ahead saying "towpath closed" but all it seemed was a bridge carrying a minor road being partly blocked off which didn't affect me.  I reached the junction with the Glasson branch and reached Galgate, coming away from the canal near the marina with a link not shown on Google Maps.  This took me towards the busy A6 at a poorly marked bus stop near the Plough pub.

Lancaster Canal between Garstang & Galgate

The first southbound bus was a Stagecoach run route 42 service to Blackpool, which followed the A6 towards Garstang & Claughton-on-Brock.  Before following the A586 via St Michaels on Wyre & Great Eccleston to reach Poulton-le-Fylde where I left the bus near the church (it was that time of day where I reckon the run towards Blackpool itself would have been very much stop-start with heavy traffic).  A gentle stroll took me to the station and onto a Manchester bound 331021 & 331026, I was expecting it to be busy but the front unit was near enough empty until Preston where it did get a bit busier.  This was an all station (to Bolton) stopper so wasn't the fastest but the days of fast Blackpool - Manchester trains are in the history books.  Due to a 25-minute wait for the next Victoria bound train at Salford Crescent, I stayed on to Oxford Road, walking to the Travelodge via a Spoons close to St Peter's Square tram stop.

After checking in, I found my room (not the best due to overlooking the kitchen area), and relaxed after a mostly enjoyable canal side stroll.  I will probably do the section to Carnforth before the year is out (as that is a cycle path quality hard towpath) but the section towards Kendal (including the disused sections) will wait until next year.

26th August – Old Railways in Walkden & Lostock

After considering various options for the Wednesday, I made up my mind (although I did end up swapping direction of walk).  After checking out of the Travelodge I headed towards Salford Central via the riverside path via the front of the Lowry Hotel & the New Bailey towards Irwell Street (complete with lots of construction work), after swinging via a little Tesco Express I headed to Salford Central for the first time in a few years and onto a Headbolt Lane bound 150206 to Walkden where my walk began.

River Irwell from Irwell Street, Salford

Back in February I made a start with the Roe Green Loopline path (which runs from Eccles towards Bolton) leaving it at Roe Green itself to head towards Leigh alongside the busway.  After leaving Walkden station I followed the roads towards Parr Fold Park (which was quite beautiful).  I picked up the Roe Green Loopline path near the park and followed it in a north western direction.  It was mostly within a woodland cutting which sheltered the busy path from the urban environment it was located in.

This path took me away from Walken to Little Hulton where I had a little detour along the route of the former Peel Hall Colliery Railway, doubling back to the Roe Green path to carry on towards the Amblecote Playing Fields where the cycle path towards Linnyshaw (along another old railway in parts) began.  The next section was via a road to cross over the M61 as I entered Farnworth, the old railway route being lost to developments in this area.  I followed cycle path 55 as it headed north via the suburbs (mix of high fences and dog-poo), passing the Royal Bolton Hospital and into the Great Lever area of Bolton.

Parr Fold Park, Walkden

I continued along the path as it entered a short section of the old railway route which hadn't been built over (a cutting with road bridges), this section headed towards Heywood Park where I switched to the roads.  Cutting through the suburbs of Bolton I soon reached the start of the cycle path which runs alongside the railway towards Lostock, close to the River Croal (and the Middle Brook).  The first section of this path wasn't the nicest for fly tipping/litter but it soon changed into some nice woodland, crossing over the river itself.

Soon I was walking with the railway line on my right-hand side and Middle Brook River on my left-hand side, as the rain started (arriving earlier than expected).  After pausing a couple of times for photos (and to listen to a 769 on heavy acceleration), I soon reached the Lostock area.  I was originally going to continue towards Horwich Parkway station following another cycle path, but with the rain getting heavier I decided that could wait for another day.  I reached Lostock station and onto 331015 & 331023 to take me towards Manchester Piccadilly where I headed out of the station to grab some food for lunch before boarding 390153 on the next London train.

331018 from the path alongside the Middle Brook & Railway Line, between Bolton & Lostock

An uneventful journey to London on this fast service (Stockport, Stoke & Nuneaton) and I reached the sunshine in London.  With the sun out I headed towards Waterloo on foot to take a seat on 158881 on a Salisbury stopper to take me to Andover where I got picked up by Mum so we could head to Tesco for some shopping for the week ahead.  And that rounds up my adventures for August, as always thanks for reading, and more photos can be found on my Flickr *Here*.  September is going to be a busy month as my 2 weeks annual summer leave has arrived.