A Happy Ending

We've reached our final bridge of the day, #25---Halsall Warehouse Bridge.

Allan looks happy,and so he should. Only 109 miles to Leeds!!

A short stroll along a country lane brought us to Halsall church, where,lo and behold, a #300 bus took us right back to Lydiate where we had parked the car.

It had been a thoroughly enjoyable day.

Pedometre said 14,428 steps, which equals 5.69 miles.



A Cut above the Rest

This pleasant stretch of canal is called Halsall Cutting. I was hoping to find something very special here and was not disappointed.

It was such a delight to discover this tiny little plaque, as I had read that the first sod of the canal was cut around here.

We nearly missed it though! It was high up on a wall and I had to stand on tiptoes to photograph it! Obviously not as important as I thought it was.



As Time Goes By

Well, Christmas has come and gone and it's time I picked up where I left off several months ago!!  Some reading I have done tells me how times have changed along the canal.

Today's walk....amazingly still number 3....seems to have been all about fields.

They stretch as far as the eye can see.

Fields of corn, cabbage, maize and potatoes.

The canal used to play a huge part in agriculture.

Manure was brought from Liverpool to the fields of Lancashire (very smelly boats!!). Limestone was quarried and transported to be used as fertilizer. Then finally the produce from the fields was shipped along the canal to it's destination. It was certainly a busy place.

Yes,  times have changed a lot!

Crossing the border.

As we passed beneath bridge 21A, we left Merseyside behind.

It seems that the boat people of Lancashire are very welcoming.

They left out a couple of chairs for us!

Fine Fayre

Time for lunch in the beer-garden of the Scarisbrick Arms, a large bankside pub.

This was supposed to be a time-lapse photo of us both. I didn't quite make it!

The food looks pretty good though!



Another week---another walk.

It's taking a while to catch up with these walks!  This is walk #3, on Aug. 9th. We began where we finished last time, at bridge 17.

The Mersey Motor Boat Club is right by this bridge. 

It's a bit cooler today. No need of suncream or hats. Coat weather for Allan.
After a warming cup of coffee, it was 'best foot forward'.

Really tall, lush ferns grow by the side of the canal here.

They remind me of Susan in New Zealand, the land of ferns.

This photo, plus the milestones we pass, remind me of a long but well-loved poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson, called 'The Brook'

Two oft-repeated lines....

'For men may come and men may go,

But I go on for ever.' 

A bit further along, the ferns have given way to these beautiful long grasses, which I love. There is such a variety of plant-life along the canal bank.

It's a joy!



Eating up the Miles

We are getting nearer to Leeds with every step!!

Our final bridge of the day---No 17---Dicconson's Bridge.

It had been a good walk, interesting with pleasant scenery.

Now our long journey home began!

First, a bus from Lydiate to Maghull, which meandered around the villages and seemed to go on forever. Then a train from Maghull to Ormskirk, change for Preston, and a final train to Euxton, to pick up the car.   Whew!!!

We walked just under 6 miles today,

but I forgot my pedometer so no record of steps.