Well it's deja vu all over again with local restrictions meaning we are advised not to leave our coughing hell pits, so it was a local walk today.
Left home after the early rain had passed through to walk a circular route taking in parts of the Leeds-Liverpool canal, some roads and boggy fields, a bit of the Trans Pennine trail, some boggy fields, more roads and a local village, and some farm tracks and more roads, before finishing off on a boggy field leading to another road and home.
First part of the walk was a short road section to arrive on Rimrose Valley, a reclaimed council dump which has been turned to urban wild area between Litherland and Crosby. This area is a lovely place to walk the dogs and to score some good quality crack (depending on the time of day I believe), but is the subject of much concern at the moment as the powers want to put a four lane road through it to serve the docks.
Rimrose Valley
Crossing Rimrose brings you onto the canal bank.. it's a fair way to Leeds
Plenty of birdlife about - ducks, geese, coots and this grey Heron - I love his impish look;
I followed the canal for around eight of nine miles, through Aintree, where it turns (at the canal turn surprisingly) to head to the countryside. I walked for a while with a chap who was cleaning up a stretch of the bank - he was telling me he plays golf four times a week, and cleans the canal three times - he does a half mile stretch near the racecourse. He was 85!! Best line was "I don't really like walking".
Once into the country the views open out a little;
After a while, the town of Maghull is reached - this has many properties backing onto the canal, some with wonderfully imaginative decks/gardens - but I'm not a nosy parker so I didn't take any pictures of them.
Shortly after Maghull my route took me across country for half a mile to pick up the Trans Pennine Trail, where I turned North. This section of the TPT is an old rail line so is virtually dead straight, and has hedges on either side. Views are fleeting in many places;
When the views do open out they are mainly of the West Lancashire plain;
After a half mile or so I took a sharp right, heading west on a farm track which runs dead straight for a lifetime and a bit,
before reaching the mighty River Alt;
The embankment was the only climb of the day
From there my route was across this boggy field margin
And then having to climb this gate as the farmer had locked the gate blocking the ROW, and had used a combination lock. I tried my birthday but it didn't work;
From this point my route was mainly on roads for a couple of miles round the village of Ince Blundell - no pictures as I was dodging cars, and then across some fields towards the village of Little Crosby. This is an interesting little place, local tradition is that there are no Protestants, Paupers or Pubs in the village. It is a very Catholic place - many of my descendants are buried here - please excuse the old photo - my camera battery went flat.
From here it is a mile and a bit to my house, via some fields bordering the estate of the local Lord Fauntleroy.
Overall around 16 miles with 35m of climbing. Pleasant walking, the first stretch along the canal being new to me, but I am looking forward to a return to the hills.
