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Tuesday, February 07, 2006 CHURCHTOWN WALK

This is a short 3 mile circular walk starting at St. Helen's Church, right in the centre of the small, delightful village of Churchtown, nr. Garstang in Lancashire. It should take no more than two hours for the average person and is ideal for a summer’s evening picnic. The British Countryside at it's best!

The Start
Take the A586 off the A6, signposted for Churchtown, town left into Churchtown and pass the Horns Inn on your left, follow the road into the village and pass the village cross on your right, then the Punch Bowl Inn on your left, the car park for St. Helen’s Church is immediately on your right.

The Walk
Passing St. Helen’s on your left follow the path out of the churchyard to an old iron gate, through this is an embankment path leading to the visible suspension bridge, holding hands cross over this and then over the wooden stile directly in front of you and continue up the lane to the left, on the right is the unmistakeable white house which is Catterall Hall.

Continue up the lane, passing a small woodland on your left, with a good mixture of trees including some young chestnuts. Look out for the circling Lapwings in the fields around these woods. Eventually the road levels out and meets Catterall Lane, turn left and follow this long quiet lane until just before the Franklaw Water Treatment Plant is reached on your right, don’t take the signposted footpath on your left, but continue down the lane a bit further to a signposted path which is a gap in the hedge on your left.

On entering the field aim for the obvious gate almost directly in front of you, which is at the end of a long hedge to the right. Go through this well fastened farm gate, making sure you fasten it securely, as on our visit there was a small herd of young bullocks, or so Lovely Redhead thought! Enter the next field and head diagonally to the right where there is a small stile right in the corner of the field.

Over the stile is the footpath by the side of the A6. Turn left and follow this for only a short while before turning left down Old Lancaster Lane, passing the lovely coloured Mulberry Cottage on your left. Continue on the footpath through this small hamlet and then turn left down the track, after the red brick detached house, with a footpath sign. Through the farm gate, again fastening securely and heed the warning about the Bull (we didn’t see one) and Dogs!

You are now walking virtually alongside the river Wyre, here, on the bank is the romantic picnic spot, watch out for some wonderful wildlife, and the electric fence on the bank!. Across the river are some wonderful views of St. Helen’s Church. Note the massive house to the right and the play area and gazebo structure.

Follow this track, passing the house named Arnwood on your left, until you reach a couple of wooden stiles and then the path leads you back to the suspension bridge, cross over to the embankment path, if you’re having a picnic this is a great spot, or why not continue back into Churchtown, and have a short meander through this Lancashire gem, before slaking your thirst at either of the two local hostelries.
Posted by Cadley Dad :: Tuesday, February 07, 2006 :: 12 comments

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