Start: Croston Village Centre. Car park off Town Road Croston (Thursday to Sunday) or on Town Road itself. From Junction 28 M6 join A49 to Wigan. At Euxton follow A581 to Southport. This will take you into the village centre. The car park is on the right behind the Lord Nelson. (If you intend taking refreshment in one of the village's several hostelries you should be able to come to an arrangement to use a pub car park.)

Map by kind permission of the Blackpool Gazette

Factfile: Distance: 7 ½ miles 12k
               Time: 3 - 4 hours
               Summary: Flat, easy walking. Near Mawdesley the MJT (Mawdesley Jubilee Trail) is used at various points.
              Map: OS Explorer 285 Southport & Chorley

Directions: From the car park return to Town Road and turn left towards the church.

Cross the ancient packhorse bridge over the Yarrow and turn right into the Hillocks.

Follow the lane between rustic brick barns and turn right at the junction. At the next junction turn left onto Drinkhouse Lane.

 Follow this as it sweeps to the right and then on the edge of the village sweeps to the left onto Moss Lane.Keep ahead for the best part of 20 minutes, passing Moss House Farm.

After an isolated small brick building turn left onto a track between fields.

 At the next junction turn right onto another track.

This crosses Mawdesley Moss and leads onto Gales Lane. Still an unmetalled track follow it as it bends left then right.

After crossing a brook the track arrives on the edge of Mawdesley on Blackmoor Lane.

Turn right and walk down to the junction with Sandy Lane.

Turn left and then after 150m turn left again onto a footpath.

Keep ahead as the footpath skirts a large field to arrive at the rear of stables.

 Again keep straight as you pass to the left of the buildings to emerge on High Street obliquely opposite St Peter's church. Take the footpath besides the church yard and follow it as it curves to the right behind the church to bring you to School Lane. Here turn left and bear left at the next junction reaching Cedar Farm Galleries a popular attraction.

Take a footpath on the right, through the galleries car park, passing to the right of the centre. The footpath turns left behind the complex and continues to a farm track. Ahead you will have a good view of Harrock Hill.

At the track turn left.

When the track reaches Back Lane turn right. Follow the lane as it bends left and continue for a little under 500m turning left onto a footpath between properties. Crossing pasture land for a little over 500m the path comes to a footbridge close to a modern development. (Tarnbrook Drive). Turn right. As the drive swings to the left turn right to cross a footbridge. With a hedge on your right follow the edge of the field around to the left. At the bottom turn right to reach the entrance of on old quarry on Hall Lane almost opposite the war memorial. Turn right. At the Black Bull turn left.

Keep ahead at a gate to follow a rutted track which will bring you to a large field.

Keep ahead for 450m (it is an enormous field!) aiming for a hedge corner. As you approach the hedge you'll see a stile about 50m from the corner cross this to enter a pasture.

 Continue to a stile on its far side and turn left onto a metalled farm road by Cliffs Farm. (A children's activity centre)

After passing the main farm buildings turn right, walk past Boundary Farm and then as the road turns right turn left onto a footpath leading besides large arable fields. After 700m you will reach a bench ("Jimmy's"). From here turn slightly left and follow the field boundary up where it intercepts a broad track. Turn right. This will lead you back to Croston.

 After Sumner's Farm (on the left) the track upgrades itself to become fully metalled.

Apologies. At this time we are unable to post a printer friendly version of this walk.