Wrea Green
Wrea Green has exactly what it says on the tin – a green; and not just any old scrap of turf the landowners forgot to enclose in the 18th century but a proper green – one to practise archery or play cricket on, complete with duck pond and a gorgeousness of cottages looking out onto it. This walk starts and ends on the Green and will take you out onto the farmland of the Fylde.
Start: The Green, Wrea Green. [Sat nav PR4 2NQ] From junction 3 M55 take the A585 towards Wesham and Kirkham. On reaching
Summary: Distance: 8k 5m
Time: 2 - 2 ½ hours
Summary: For the most part pleasant easy walking.
Directions: From the north east corner of the Green continue along the B5259 now Moss Side Lane passing the duck pond and then the war memorial.
You soon get the sense of leaving the village. About 300m from the Green, where the road bends pronouncedly to the right take a footpath on the left next to the drive of a house.
At first you are on a farm track, soon to become grassy.
It leads down to a stile. Once across it keep ahead with a hedge on your left passing below electricity pylons. After a footbridge over gently rising ground continue in the same direction with the hedge now on your right. The footpath will bring you to a narrow lane (
Turn left. The lane dog legs past an imposing and recently abandoned New House Farm to reach Bryning Hall Farm and then a little way beyond the hamlet of Bryning which rather unsurprisingly is on
"Prospect" seems an apt name because on the slight inclines of the Fylde you will have remarkably distant views - Beacon Fell and the Chipping Fells to the east; the West Pennine Moors to the south east. From Prospect Farm follow a grassy track to its end and then after a kissing gate follow the field boundary on your right.
It would be quicker to walk diagonally left across this field to a stile. However the right of way edges around the field and passes beneath pylons; in effect you have turned a sharp left from the previous direction of travel.
Keep alert for there is another sharp turn 250m or so after the pylons. This time turn right over a narrow footbridge.
Crossing two fields you will arrive at a farm lane.
Cross this to a stile and following the direction of the footpath sign diagonally cross the next pasture.
Cross the stile leading into a stables yard. Keep ahead through the yard. Where the track turns right, enter a field and walk down to its wooded corner.
Cross the stile and follow the path to another.
This gives out onto rough pasture alongside a Home Office facility. The path will bring you to a drive.
Turn left and in a short distance reach the busy A583. In the summary we stated "for the most part pleasant easy walking" - this next bit is the part that isn't pleasant and is a little bit awkward. It isn't pleasant because of the speed and noise of traffic. It is awkward because for 600m there is no pavement. You can elect to cross the road of course but that would entail you re-crossing it thereby doubling your chances of being turned into coarse mince. We advise keep on the verge until you reach the cycle track.
Once on the cycle track follow it to the left at the roundabout to join
Cross the field diagonally left to a stand of trees and then walk alongside them to reach a stile.
Cross the next two fields at first with a hedge on your right, then on your left to reach an enclosed lane. A short way ahead when this meets a junction of footpaths turn left along a grassy track.
This will lead you back to the village.