The December Ramble – Led by J & J Sommerville
Only four walkers (plus two spaniels) assembled at a small car park next to the cemetery in Great Harwood, on a windy and wet day. The comedian Billy Connolly once said that there was no such thing as bad weather only the wrong clothing. Well Billy the clothing was certainly waterproof and the weather was very bad. Walking down under an old railway bridge and crossing a stream, a track was followed which led to the towpath of the Leeds/Liverpool Canal. Turning left along the towpath the walkers were welcomed to Rishton by torrential rain. This walk was interesting from the industrial archaeology point of view, as at various places boards gave details and the history of the many canal-side mills extinct and extant.
As Oswaldtwistle was approached, the rain turned to sleet and it continued until Church, where a canal-side wall was marked artistically as the mid-way point of the Leeds/Liverpool Canal and named all the towns it passes through. A planned lunch stop was abandoned due to the weather. A large ruined brickworks was passed which had its own basin from where the Accrington brick was transported on the canal.
The canal meanders through each town but does not enter Accrington, although it had a branch towards the foot of the town. The canal then passes fields as it wanders to Clayton-le-Woods passing under the M65 on the way.At the A680 bridge it was decided to cut short the ramble and the group then walked along the A680 to Great Harwood, then along the footpath on the old railway line back to the cars for lunch.
This walk was chosen as a “good” bad weather walk, distance covered 7 miles.
Jim & Janet Sommerville