Nestled below Great Hill on the edge of the West Pennine Moors, the hamlet of White Coppice has the most attractively set cricket ground in Lancashire. If this is not inducement enough to try this walk then add to the list the lovely woodland near Brinscall.
Walk towards road junction turning left across a footbridge (or ford if you feel like it) by an attractive row of cottages.
Now on a farm track begin to steadily ascend a hill to where it bends to the right. At this point go straight ahead crossing a stile to the left of a metal gate.
Keep ahead with the hedge on your left but after a short while on your right. The path drops slightly to a wooded corner.
After crossing a wooden stile, cross a small brook to reach a second stile.
Once across enter a field (quite likely to contain horses) and continue with fence on right. Although not particularly high you will have a sense of elevation looking across to the moors and woods to your right. Dropping to a metal gate
in a muddy corner of the field, go through and then cross a substantial bridge over the now dismantled railway. Once over the bridge turn left on a farm track. Where this meets a lane after 200m turn right.
This lane will bring to a cluster of houses. Keep straight and then follow the lane as it bends to the right in trees to reach a substantial property. Here take the track that continues past the driveway entrance.
This leads to a junction of footpaths.
Your way is to keep ahead crossing a field with a fence on your right. The footpath enters woods by way of a stile next to a cattle grid.
Turn left onto a wide track that leads up to Brinscall Hall.
After the track turns left in front of the hall turn right to walk into Brinscall Village by way of an attractive tree lined drive.
2. Brinscall to Abbey Village (2½ Km or 1½ miles: 45 mins)
Turn right into School Lane and descend through the village turning left after 200m onto a footpath signed for Withnell and Abbey Village.
Follow this as it crosses open ground to enter attractive semi-parkland, with woods and ponds. Soon may recognise this as a disused railway line and the impression will be confirmed when you reach Withnell Nature Reserve.
Here follow the sign post for Abbey Village. This part of the route of the dismantled railway now enters a deep cutting before emerging on the A675 at top end of Abbey Village.
Turn right. Refreshments are generally available at a sandwich bar on the right of the wide Bolton Road or a little further on at the Hare and Hounds on the left.
3. Abbey Village to White Coppice (5 Km or 3 miles: 1 hr 30 mins)
From the Hare and Hounds, cross the road and walk 200m towards Bolton. On reaching a footpath sign turn right onto a path.
With the field boundary on your right keep ahead. After 500m you reach a timber yard. Follow the path as it bears to the left and then turns right to enter the yard.
Cross the yard and then turn right to reach the lane. Turn left on the lane. (Dole Lane) 400m ahead where the lane divides keep left to join Twist Moor Lane.
700m along, past a quarry on the left and before the lane drops deeply to Brinscall, turn left onto a footpath.
This leads across rough pasture providing an elevated prospect of Brinscall.
Where the path forks,
keep right to arrive at a stile leading into a (Edge Gate) lane.
Turn right and then, after a short distance left onto a broad track leading through Wheelton Plantation.
Keep on this track as it curves through the trees and begins to gently descend. After 700m/10mins it begins to descend more distinctly rightwards and on the edge of the plantation reaches a footbridge.
Cross the footbridge and turn immediately left.
You are now walking alongside the Goit, an artificial watercourse constructed as part of the Rivington Reservoir Scheme. Keep on the concessionary path which will bring you after 800m to a small reservoir. With the reservoir on your left cross a field to arrive at a footbridge
in its corner, then by a connecting footpath, come out onto the cricket ground. (One of the county's most attractive) Turn right skirting the edge of the field past two lovely cottages. On reaching the gravelly/cinder lane descend to the car park.