January Ramble – Condor Green Round
Finding a suitable walk this month proved to be a bit of a challenge because the endless heavy rain meant that the countryside was totally waterlogged and any walk that involved crossing a field was out of the question. Therefore, we decided to revisit an old favourite that would give us a circuit of good dry paths, or so we thought!
We started the walk from the car park at Condor Green and headed north on the old rail-bed of the Glasson branch line. This is a good pathway used by walkers and cyclists which takes you into Lancaster. However, we covered the first two miles, enjoying excellent views over the Lune estuary and the Lakeland hills and thankful for the excellent weather that the day provided.
We now left the coastal path and started the steep climb up to the village of Adcliffe, with its collection of large, smart modem houses, followed by a short section of main road walking down to the Lancaster Canal. From here we followed the tow-path south until we came to a bridge with a couple of seats and our leisurely lunch stop.
On our way again, the paved path came to an end and it became very wet. In places, the water drained off the adjoining fields directly over the path and into the canal. Later, looking to the fields on our right, we noticed three Heron, whilst over on the opposite bank, a Wagtail gave us a sprightly flying display. Later, we were passed by two narrow boats, both with weather protection in place at the rear, something rarely seen whilst on the move.
Eventually, we arrived at Galgate and were met by three beautiful Swans just before the junction of the Glasson Link. The pathway down to Glasson Dock was just as bad as the previous one, but improved as we passed the locks. Eventually, we left the canal at Thurnham mill and returned to Condor Green by road, finally stopping for a coffee at the Cafe’d Lune.
It appears that the next few walks will be somewhat “Urban” as we search for good dry solid pathways and more and more of our traditional haunts disappear under water. However, we will always come up with something worthwhile as the North West has such a wide variety of opportunities.
Linda & Eddie Grange