Distance: 7 Km or 4½  miles
Time: 2 hours
Terrain: Footpaths and farm tracks prone to muddiness after rain. Some road walking and a very short, sharp ascent to Ashurst's Beacon.

Start: Beacon Country Park Visitor's centre car park which is shared with Beacon Golf Club. From Junction 27 M6 take the A5209 to Parbold. At Parbold keep on the A5209 and 600m after the canal turn left onto Higher Lane. After 2 Km this road will swing right onto Beacon Lane. Beacon Country Park is almost 2 Km further on.

From the car park walk past the attractive name sign to enter the park. Follow signs for Carr Lane Car Park. This will bring you up to a trig. point and a superb view towards Liverpool and the Clwydian Hills beyond. For those familiar with the city many landmarks can be picked out. From the car park walk out onto the lane and turn left. At the first house on the opposite side take the footpath to the right of the property.


The footpath sign is somewhat obscure but once on it, the way soon takes you through meadows which in spring and summer contain a variety of wild flowers and grasses. Keep the field boundary on your left. After almost 15mins of gentle descent look for break in hedge on left. The gap leads into a lane.


Turn right. A short distance ahead take the footpath unusually indicated on the gate into an attractive property.


The path leads to the left of the house and once again reaches open fields. After 300m the path joins a track.


Follow the track left as it skirts woodland, then where the track turns pronouncedly left, keep ahead onto a narrow footpath that will take you through trees onto arable land beyond. [If you see this sign - you have overshot (no pun intended) the footpath by about 50m].



When the footpath meets a track turn left. After 100m turn right through trees on a waymarked path that will bring you to the rear of a farm with its row of handsome poplars.

The path skirts to the left of the farm and gives out onto a lane.


Cross the lane on a track that initially has the hedge on its right. [At the time the walk was checked - June 2008 - extensive construction was going on to a property to the left of the track.]




After crossing a stretch of open arable land, the route passes through a ribbon of woodland to reach another track. Turn left and on reaching a footbridge pass through a kissing gate to begin a gentle ascent in the next pasture. There is a track but it is only just discernible at first.


However as it becomes more obvious turn onto a proper track that leads along a brick track into Hillock Lane. Turn left. At 400m turn left again into Higher Lane. This, you'll find, is busier, but has a pavement. After 700m, 10 mins, turn left past the primary school and before the church towards Ashurst's Hall.



This  path soon leads you up a sharp incline to Ashurst's Beacon, one of the finest viewpoints in the county. Look about you and enjoy. Slightly away from the monument to the left, there is a helpful viewpoint indicator. From the folly continue on a broad grassy track and then drop onto Beacon Lane. Turn left. The car park is 15-20 mins walk along the road. Note that after the Prince William there is no pavement, so from this point on you are advised to walk on the right facing the on coming traffic.  

The Prince William
Lunch was taken at The Prince William and very nice it was too. This is a pleasant pub set on a country road close to Beacon Country Park. 2 cask ales were on offer - Hartley XB (4%) and Robinson's signature beer Unicorn (4.2%). We had the Unicorn which was served in good condition and at the right temperature. There was a good choice of food but we settled for a burger with bacon and cheese. This came with a side serving of chips and salad. We were lucky enough to be able to eat and drink al fresco it being a nice sunny day in June. The inside of  The Prince William would be more than inviting in less clement weather.