Harrock Hill

HARROCK HILL
NOTE: Some changes have been made to this walk. If you are printing this page please be sure you print the two revisions as they will affect the route you take. Enjoy the walk.

Original 1:

Cross a stile into the meadow and head half left downhill towards the fence corner; the path runs along the left side of this fence across two fields and reaches a stile under a sycamore tree. Cross this and turn left onto a pleasant green lane. The way is clear, it crosses two more stiles and passes a pond on the right before reaching Jackson's Lane by a double stile, where you turn right.

Revision 1:

Cross a stile into the meadow and head half left downhill towards the fence corner; the path runs along the left side of this fence across two fields and reaches a stile under a sycamore tree. Cross this and walk down the concrete drive towards the farm house. As you approach the house, the concrete drive heads along the right-hand side of the property, follow it all the way to Jackson's Lane, where you turn right.

Original 2:

This track leads towards Cedar Farm, but just before entering the farmyard take the stile on the left and follow around the outside of the buildings, a concrete barn and some low black wooden pigsties, to find another stile on your right which takes you onto an enclosed path. This leads to the car park of Cedar Farm Galleries, a good spot to break for . refreshment.

Revision 2:

This track leads towards Cedar Farm, after a short distance there is a gate on the left leading to fenced path that runs in a straight line along the side of the Farm. The gate at the end of the path leads to the car park of Cedar Farm Galleries, a good spot to break for refreshment.

This is probably the most popular walk with the local inhabitants. Harrock Hill is the nearest high ground to the village and is easily accessible both by road and across the fields. Although only 350ft above sea level it can provide some magnificent views and the chance to see the village from a different angle. We visit the ruins of one corn mill and pass close by the site of the second.

From the Village Hall car park turn left and walk up Hurst Green to the junction with New Street where you turn right. Across the road, next door to the newsagents, is the attractive stone Chapel House; this was the original Methodist Chapel, converted to a dwelling in 1905. Cross the road by the Red Lion and continue along to take the path marked by a signpost which goes off to the left after about 150 yards. It follows the hedge on the left up the drive of Wrest House, going past a garage and a shed before heading across the overgrown field. Just after it enters the trees the path crosses a ditch and swings left, after about 25yds turn right over a stile to enter a meadow.

The way now follows the left hand hedge going through 4 fields and passing a pond to reach another stile. Just after this the path crosses to the other side of the hedge through a gap on your left beside an ash tree. Continue and go through the small gate in the corner of the field onto a path enclosed between a fence and a hedge before coming to Bradshaw Lane.
Cross and bear slightly left to go up the drive of Woodside Farm, the enclosed path goes to the left of the garage and crosses a stile to enter another meadow. Keep to the right hand hedge to cross a substantial footbridge then a further field to enter the cobbled yard of Monk's Farm.

The right of way goes forward between the farmhouse and a barn conversion and along the driveway to reach Back Lane where you turn left. A footpath goes off on the right after 300yds, opposite The Gables, this path follows the right hand hedge across two fields to reach the road at Bentley Lane where you turn left. This is a busy road and there is no footpath for the first 200yds so care is needed. As you approach the end of Ridley Lane, note the stone house bearing the date 1799 on the left called Anderton's Mill; there used to be a corn mill attached to this building which gave its name to the area. Take the first road on the right, Sanderson's Lane. The lane soon starts to climb quite steeply into the trees, it is a very attractive stretch and one worth lingering over you can always take a break on the pretext that you are soaking up the atmosphere. There used to be a drift mine on the side of the hill on your right, coal was obtained until the early part of this century; all signs of the mine have gone. As you near the top magnificent views open up on your left; Winter Hill, crowned with its radio and TV masts to the east, the Bowland hills to the north with Preston and the Fylde plain to the north-west. On a clear day you may even be rewarded by views of the Lakeland fells, quite a vista considering that you are barely 350 ft above sea level! Where the road turns left at the top your way is to the right up the track leading to Harrock o' th' Hill Farm. The path continues up past the farm and goes through beside a gateway and up the stony track to the top of Harrock Hill. This is truly a place to stand and stare. The views that you saw on the way up extend even wider. On a good day the whole of the Lancashire coastal plain is there from the Lakeland hills in the north to the Welsh hills in the south with the sea glinting between. Close to hand stand the ruins of the windmill. This must have been a hive of activity at one time as it was used to grind the local grain. The mill caught fire and was burned out in 1880; Tom Culshaw, a local farmer, wrote a verse describing the fire, this was subsequently set to music and recorded by a local folk group. Now it stands in peace surrounded by inviting close cropped grasses, just the place to take a well earned rest. From the windmill the path continues along the edge of a the trees to meet the wall where you turn right, the path going between the wall and the trees to a stile, cross this and again turn right. me path now runs along the top of an old wall between the trees and a fence, the ground is uneven and stony so care is needed. Cross a stile into the meadow and head half left downhill towards the fence corner; the path runs along the left side of this fence across two fields and reaches a stile under a sycamore tree. Cross this and turn left onto a pleasant green lane. The way is clear, it crosses two more stiles and passes a pond on the right before reaching Jackson's Lane by a double stile, where you turn right.

Follow the quiet leafy lane to reach Bentley Lane, cross with care and go left for a few yards; look out for a stile on your right beside a gate. Just before you cross the stile note the name of the house on the opposite side of the road, they must have good eyesight! The path follows the hedge on your right to cross a footbridge and then runs along beside a fence, eventually emerging onto Old Lane, a farm track, where you turn left. After about 300yds. look out for another farm track turning off on the right beside an iron gate, when I was last there it had a piece of barbed wire draped across which served as a crude barrier. This track leads towards Cedar Farm, but just before entering the farmyard take the stile on the left and follow around the outside of the buildings, a concrete barn and some low black wooden pigsties, to find another stile on your right which takes you onto an enclosed path. This leads to the car park of Cedar Farm Galleries, a good spot to break for . refreshment.
From the Galleries turn right along the road, continue ahead at the junction with Gorsey Lane and where the road swings right cross the stile in front into the field. The path follows the hedge on the right. Horses are kept in these fields so make sure that the gates are closed after you have passed. The path goes left at the far end of the field to cross another two stiles, just after the second one keep your eyes open for a footbridge crossing the ditch on your right. Once over walk up the field with the hedge on your right to the pond, which you should have passed early in the walk, turn left here. Walk back over two fields, cross the stile and then turn left. Follow the footpath back to New Street. Hurst Green lies about 150 yds to the right along the road.