BLUEBELL WALK
Starting Point: Village Hall, Mawdesley. - Distance: 6 miles.

This walk goes over the fields to Eccleston, passing. Heskin Hall on the there and Heskin Old Hall on the return. It passes country which is lovely at any time of the year; but which is perhaps seen at its best in late May when the bluebells in the woods around both Heskin Halls are a picture. .

From the Village Hall the walk follows the same route as walk 1 as far as Monks Farm. Enter the cobbled farmyard, behind the barn conversion on your left is a conifer hedge, the footpath goes between this hedge and the fled. It is a little overgrown to begin with but soon emerges into the open. Continue with the hedge on your left, passing in and out of two small copses until you reach a footbridge over a stream in the dip. After crossing this look ahead, you will see two gates in the field corner, make for the right hand one and pass through the small gate beside it. Continue along the left hand hedge to cross a stile and reach Ridley Lane, where you turn right. Turn left into Salt pit Lane and walk along until it begins to turn left. Take the concrete track on your right, signposted "Halfpenny Lane", towards Salt Pit House. In the field on your right are the saline springs that give the house, and the lane, its name. Turn left just past the bungalow onto another concrete track and pass through the gate at the end. Half right you will see a hawthorn hedge which ends at a field corner, cross the stile at the corner and walk along the hedge. Where it finishes continue towards a clump of trees under which you will find a stone bridge and another stile. Once across make your way through the scrub bearing left to walk along the field side until you reach the farm where you turn left through the gate into the yard and walk through to Halfpenny Lane.

Cross the stile opposite, the path goes straight across the field but during the growing season it is easier to follow round the right hand field boundary. The land rises at first and superb views open up to the north and east, on a clear day good views of Black Coombe, the Bleasdale Fells and the West Pennines can be seen. Walk under the power lines and head downhill. Over the hedge on the right is the flooded quarry from which the 'handless corpse' was recovered a few years ago. Make for the footbridge in the far right hand field corner, cross this and the stile to reach Barmskin Lane, where you turn left.

Walk along the road for about 300yds., ignoring the first track off on the right but take the second, heading towards Heskin Hall. As you near the trees surrounding the Hall notice the stile beside a gate on your left, this is your route, but before taking it go a little further along the track to get a closer look at Heskin Hall; best seen from the driveway. Return to the stile mentioned earlier and cross. Beside a gate under the oak tree ahead is another stile, cross it and continue along the edge of the beech woods. These woods are especially attractive in the springtime when the fresh green of' the beech leaves provides the perfect foil for the bluebells. Cross the stile at the end of the woods and walk ahead, crossing two further stiles, to reach Syd Brook where you head left along the bank.

Eccleston lies over the brook, continue to the second bridge where you have a choice. If you wish to continue with the walk turn left along the track to emerge on the main road, cross and go left for 100 yds., then turn down Wrennall's Lane on your right. The directions continue after the next paragraph.

If you feel the need for refreshment in Eccleston you can turn right over the bridge and stepping stones to walk up a sunken lane which leads to The Green. A left turn takes you to the middle of Eccleston where there are several inns to choose from. Suitably refreshed, return to the lake outside the Carrington Centre. Walk down Redhouse Lane opposite to the far end and continue along the footpath just beyond Red House. Turn left at the end beside the new I estate and continue to the stile into the meadow where you head half left to cross Syd Brook by a footbridge. Cross the stile ahead and walk up with the hedge on your left to the gap in the cross hedge. Slightly left up the rise is Sherbourne House Farm, enter the yard through the gates and go up the farm drive to Wrennall's Lane, where you turn right.

A footpath signed "Halfpenny Lane" goes left just beyond the bungalow called 'Low Ridge', this takes you through the farm to a stile and into a meadow. Cross the stile at the end into Knowles Wood; the steep banks of these woods are a picture in the spring being covered with a carpet of wildflowers. The cobbled path drops to cross the stream by a footbridge and continues up the far side to emerge on the driveway of Heskin Old Hall, where a right turn brings you to Halfpenny Lane and then its junction with Hall Greer Lane and Tannersmith Lane close by Blackburn House. Straight across is a footpath which goes to the right of the fence. Continue across two stiles to emerge onto Salt Pit Lane and turn left.

Almost immediately on your right, opposite Barrett's Farm is a footpath going down the left hand side of the hedge; this leads to Bluestone Lane, the village lies to your left. On the way you pass through the area known as the City which contains a number of interesting buildings; see the notes in the appendix.