This walk passes through Down Holland. The name is apt because it would take little imagination for the visitor to believe they had been transported to some polder in the Netherlands in descending from lofty Ormskirk (50m above sea level). The land is flat, the agriculture arable and the walking easy. The route incorporates the Cheshire Lines Path and the Leeds-Liverpool Canal.
Time: 3½ hours
Terrain: Very easy walking – flat!
Start: Car park: Carr Lane.
From A59 Lydiate Roundabout, turn right onto B5407 and then immediately right to Moss Lane. After 2 miles on reaching A5147 Southport Road turn right. ½ mile along turn left into Station Road. Take the next right, Punnell’s Lane. At the next T junction, Carr Lane is obliquely opposite to left.
Map
1. Car Park to The Ship at Haskayne (9Km or 5½ miles: 1 ¾ hours)
From the car park join the Cheshire Line Path passing sign for Lydiate Station on your right.
Follow it for a little under 5 Km or 3 miles (1 hour) until you reach Moss Lane Birdge, again clearly signed. This is the route of the Cheshire Lines Railway Company that once linked Liverpool to Southport, and was officially closed in 1952. Through the work of Sustrans, a national charity that promotes and develops safe routes for cyclists and pedestrians, the disused track was turned into a recreational path and cycleway in the late 1980s.
Exit from path using sliproad on left in front of bridge, then turn right to cross it. Moss Lane is aptly named; to the left and right of you is a prairie of dark, rich soil. The lane is narrow and cars have to use passing places to negotiate it. After crossing another bridge (over a disused branch of the old railway) turn left at first junction and walk to Haskayne.
Once in the village turn left at T junction into School Lane. On reaching A5147 Southport Road,
cross it into Rosemary Lane to reach the Ship Inn and the Leeds- Liverpool Canal just beyond.
2. The Ship to the Car park. (5Km or 3½ miles: 1 hour)
Turn right onto the canal tow path. Follow the canal towards Lydiate. After 4 Km or 2½ miles (50 mins) you will reach Lydiate Hall Bridge.
Cross bridge, turn right onto a footpath that leads to Southport Road. (Southport Road cannot be accessed from the tow-path.) Turn right. After 300m turn left into Station Road. After lane bends to left turn right into Punnel’s Lane. Cross Altcar Lane into Carr Lane. Car park at end.
The Ship Inn
The Ship lays claim to being the oldest inn on the Leeds to Liverpool canal. It certainly has all the character of an old canal side inn, sporting low ceilings with wooden beams, a mixture of carpets and floorboards with a coal fired range and a separate coal fire. It has several rooms and a veranda which overlooks the canal.
There is a varied and interesting menu and usually 2 or 3 cask ales.
On this occasion we had a choice of 3 cask ales namely: Shepherd Neame's Bishop's Finger (5%), Shepherd Neame's Master Brew ( 3.7% ) and Moorhouse's Blond Witch (4.5%).
We opted for the Master Brew and the Blond Witch both of which were served in good condition and can be highly recommended, the Master Brew being a more traditional bitter and the Blond Witch one of the newer, lighter coloured bitters with something of a citrus after taste.
The walk is worth the effort just to have an excuse (if any were needed) to lunch at this lovely inn.
PS. On subsequent visits we have also enjoyed Deuchers and Black Sheep - always served in lovely condition.