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OS Grid ref: SD 66837 31027
Lat/Long: 53.774304, -2.503255
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I'm on another one way walk. Fortunately I have been able to get
a lift from my brother to the start of my walk at The Spread
Eagle Inn at Ramsgreave. It was very misty with slight drizzle
as I walked west along Mellor Lane. It was shortly after 8:30
a.m. when Iset off and there was lots of traffic travelling at
speed. As I entered Mellor I turned right up a muddy field track
to the Ordnance Survey trig post on the summit. This is also the
site of a Roman signal station which can just be seen on the
lidar images. |
Spread Eagle. |
Rain along the lane. |
Mellor distance information plate. |
ROC (Royal Observer Corps) installation. |
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Slightly to the west is a ROC (Royal Ordnance Corps) observation
post. The access lid is covered with a large stone slab and it
appears to be sealed. There is also an information plate with
with views that can be seen in the distance but I couldn't see
anything in the drizzle. I followed a path through the field
down to the lane back into Mellor. |
Mellor summit showing old map and lidar image. |
Hacking House Gatepost. |
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I continued down Nickey Lane to the former Whitecroft Farm on
the left. The footpath is shown going through the Farmhouse yard
on the old maps but it is now a private house house and I had to
go through their garden with a large dog. Once out into the
fields the path was horribly wet and I continued down towards
Hacking House a stile on the way was very difficult to get
through. I reach the farmyard and then out onto the main A677
road. I turned right to head towards Preston as far as the
bottom of Mire Ash Brow then turned left onto an old track that
was the original access route to Stanley House. It is now very
overgrown but there was still the original lighting post
sticking up from The verge. Higher up I joined the tarmac access
to Stanley Grange and continued to the car parking area which
was almost deserted as the place seemed closed. I headed out
into another muddy field to the boundary wall of the Woodfold
boundary wall of the Woodfold estate. I headed east along a path
through the field which became wetter as I continued. I
descended through the trees to cross the access road to Middle
Lodge then down through the fields passing Walks Cottage and on
to Arley Farm where there was a substantial wooden footbridge
over Arley Brook. |
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I walked up the wet field to Middle Farm which I could see on
the horizon. There was a narrow section of path between a hedge
and fence which was not obvious at first. I emerged onto a
surfaced track and followed it up to Westholme School boundary
wall. On the corner of Mains Road was a large benchmark. I sat
on the wooden stile to eat my sandwiches then continued South up
a very wet field to emerge on Billinge End Road at the Clog and
Billycock Inn. |
OS Bench Mark near Westholme School. |
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I turned right to head down Billinge End Road doing my best to
avoid the speeding vehicles. It was good to reach the sharp left
hand bend where I left the main road to follow a minor access
road to the houses around Close Farm. I turned right to head
down the very rough lane which passes Alum Scar Quarry and on
down to the bridge across Arley Brook. It was very muddy over
the bridge but the track improved steadily as I headed up to
Wallbanks House. |
Alum Scar track |
Bridge over Alum House Brook. |
Woodfold Hall in a ruinous state. |
Elma Amy Yerburgh (1864 - 1946) |
This is where I reached the tarmac and across the fields to the
right could see Woodfold Hall being extensively renovated. I
believe it is being subdivided into apartments. The hall was
originally built for Henry Sudell, a cotton merchant, in 1799
before being acquired by John Fowden Hindle who was High Sheriff
of Lancashire. In the late 1850s, the property was initially
rented by Daniel Thwaites Sr. before being purchased by his son
in 1865. At its height, the property comprised over 20 ground
floor rooms, built surrounding a courtyard; the house stood in a
400-acre estate, with a dairy and small brew house.
The
estate is surrounded by a 9 feet high wall, which was 4 miles
long. |
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Woodfold was for many years home to Elma Yerburgh, daughter of
Daniel Thwaites. Elma Amy Yerburgh (née Thwaites, 30 July 1864 –
6 December 1946). Elma had taken control of the brewery's
affairs, when Daniel died in 1888. She was on her honeymoon tour
when she received the news of her fathers death and was aged
just 24 when she became proprietor of the Thwaites empire.
During World War II, Mrs. Yerburgh moved away from the property
to live in Scotland, and Woodfold Hall became a home for elderly
women evacuated from Merseyside. On her death in 1946, the
estate was inherited by her son Lord Alvingham, but he soon
abandoned the property. In May 1949, the house contents were
sold by auction and the house roof was removed (to avoid
property taxes), allowing the house to decay. The Hall &
Orangery on the estate are Grade II listed buildings. |
Nabs Head. |
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I reached Further Lane and turned left to Nabs Head then steeply
down to Samlesbury Bottoms and the bridge over the River Darwen.
The Old Mill is now separate industrial units and it is good to
see it being used. Heading up the steep climb I'm I crossed a
style then steeply up a field to Blakey her Farm access track.
The official footpath goes through the farmyard but the Farmer
appears to have made a stile across the track and into the field
opposite. I took that route and soon regretted it as the field
was incredibly wet and boggy. |
Spring Bank Farm 1882, Nabs Head. |
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Continuing South across fields I descended steeply down to cross
a brook then up to reach Goose Foot Lane where I turned right
for a short distance then left along a footpath and an extremely
wet and narrow way between overgrown hedges. I then headed out
across fields to cross roach Road then for a short while up up
Cripple Gate Lane then across fields towards Quaker Brook. It
was while crossing the fields I saw a man approaching with a dog
which was running loose. The dog ran up to me and bit my left
hand but fortunately didn't break the skin. |
Dog bite. |
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I had some choice words to say to the man and after he'd
apologized continued on his way. I reached the main railway line
where the path follows the northern side of the railway to the
A675 Blackburn Old Road. I climbed the steps to the road and
followed it down to The Straits and access track to Brindle
Lodge House. |
Brindle Lodge. |
Rest here awhile with me. |
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I only followed the track a short way before the path took me
through open ground where I stopped by a bench for a short rest.
The path continued to Brindle St Joseph's Church where I turned
right by the graveyard and headed across fields to Gregson Lane
where I turned right and soon left to follow a footpath across
the fields back to the railway line and the crossing at Oram
Road. At Oram House I walked through the farmyard then out
across fields towards Haddock Park Wood. |
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I crossed Gorton Brook at a shallow ford and then up into the
fields and a very wet and muddy Gateway. continuing across the
fields I thankfully reached the footbridge over the motorway at
Seed Lee. I then on a defined path here which was still muddy
but much easier to negotiate than the fields. Crossing under the
M65 at the farm track tunnel I reached Pippin Street. |
Train at Oram crossing. |
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I decided to stay with the road and headed south to Thorpe Green
and then along Holt Lane. I stopped by the Weavers cottages to
look at the extension which had recently been completed. The
last time I was here it was just a large hole in the ground. I
continued along Denham Lane then Carwood Lane footpath and home. |
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