Health Walk - Tuesday 1st January 2019

Photos by Michael S, Rabia & Sheila - Please click on photos to see a larger one

Today we had thirty-nine walkers for our New Year's Day walk, twenty-seven for the main walk and twelve for the short walk

A lovely spring morning with plenty of sunshine

Michael led the main group with Lawrence back marker.

Carmel led the Elite group with Maggie back marker.  

Michael decided to do the same walk as last year but including Michael G's Duck Ponds

I need t check with Carmel which way she took her walkers

Michael set off down Back Lane but immediately turned through the Kissing Gate into Sheep Hill Wood

Photo 1 - Rabia
wandering around, down

Photo 2 - Sheila
and up - two of the photographers,

Photo 3 - Rabia
leading everyone a merry dance, on the left is Sheila the other photographer

Photo 4                                                              Photo 5
Rabia's got every one to pose on the way up

Photo 6 - Rabia
Rabia loves old twisted things.  We came out on to Sheep Hill turning left to walk

Photo 7 - Rabia
to walk past one of the many WW1 wiry sculptures

Photo 8 - Rabia
Continuing towards Town Brow we crossed over the River Lostock to

Photo 9 - Rabia
enter the south side of the Park, normally the preserve of the Whittle Health Walkers

Photo 10 - Rabia
Several views of the Lostock through twisted branches on our way along the Cycle Path

Photo 11 - Rabia
The river is serene this first day of 2019

Photo 12 - Rabia
Leaving the Cycle Path to walk alongside the river

Photo 13 - Rabia
One of Rabia's favourite structures.  

We rejoined the cycle Path only to leave it again

Photo 14 - Rabia
keeping near the river to disappear in the trees to come out in view of Lower Kem Mill

Photo 15 - Sheila                                                 Photo 16 - Sheila
The river always look interesting here

Photo 17                                                          Photo 18
can't really think why, must be the little waterfalls, were they constructed for the Mill?

Photo 19                                                             Photo 20
Looking downstream

Photo 21 - Rabia                                       Photo 22 - Rabia                     Photo 23 - Rabia
Through the Kissing Gate to collect ourselves before attempting Whittle's Cardiac Hill, of course I'm posing

Photo 24 - Sheila                                                Photo 25 - Sheila
Rabia enjoying banter with the walkers

Photo 26 - Rabia
Having conquered Cardiac Hill we look forward to the Steps out of Bomb Hole Wood

Photo 27 - Rabia
Fungi, magnet for our photographer.  

We turned right towards Michael G's Duck Ponds

Photo 28                                                               Photo 29                                             Photo 30 - Rabia
but before we reached them Rabia got everyone to pose again and insisted I was on the photo too.

Photo 31 - Sheila                                            Photo 32 - Sheila
Jimmy always asks Rabia if she's got Japanese origins?

Photo 33 - Rabia
What Rabia can see, Pond Number 1

Photo 34 - Rabia
Pond Number 3

Photo 35 - Rabia
approaching Pond Number 3

Photo 36 - Sheila
Leaving Pond Number 3

Photo 37 - Sheila
Not sure where this is?

We came out on to Wood End Lane and left Wood End Lane on the path heading north, approximately to climb another hill

Photo 38
to a few yards from our destination

Photo 39                                                 Photo 40 - Rabia                    Photo 41 - Rabia                            Photo 42 - Rabia 
As we approached the final Kissing Gate we spotted an envelope wedged in the gate so, full of curiosity, we opened it to find this message

Photo 43
Through the gate, across the road to our

Photo 44 - Rabia
Lovely and congenial Lunch

Today's walks (Red Main Group, Green Short Walk Option Group).  
Where there are green arrows on the red route it means the Elite walkers had followed the main >> or the main group had followed the Elite walkers >>.  similarly for the blue arrows

Compiled by Michael Swarbrick

Cam Lane
Cam Lane Cottage
The Chorley Walks.  
Cinder Path
Cock Cabin Wood
Cuerden Hall
Cuerden Valley's Health Walk
Lower Kem Mill
Hawksclough Farmhouse
Park
Pinetum
Ponderosa
Visitors Centre