Argleton - a stroll around our home patch.
At the beginning of November Argleton in Lancashire became the subject of worldwide publicity when its appearance on Google became a matter of dispute, and it was even claimed that Argleton does not exist. Well at the cost of revealing the secret location of our HQ we have to assert the opposite. Argleton does exist and we have been happily living there for years. The walk that follows is an introduction to this delightful and unspoiled corner of Lancashire but first a brief explanation as to why Argleton has been missed off OS maps and yet can be Googled.
When surveyors for the OS were working in the latter part of the 19th century they made their calculations using based on triangulation. Methodically covering the country from Land's End to John O' Groats they came to Lancashire in the winter of 1891. Bearing in mind the industrial landscape they were charting with well over 1,000 mills spewing smoke into the atmosphere it is hardly surprising there was some corruption of the instruments. It is now well documented that a particle of soot landed on the lens of the surveyor general's theodolite just as he was measuring the final triangulation for Ashurst Beacon to Formby Point. His (understandable) error of 0.0303 led to the creation of a deviant triangle overlooked and uncharted and exactly in the middle of this space was the village of Argleton. Its residents were quick to realise the potential of this serendipitous event. To wit they could enjoy public services without paying rates or taxes; no junk mail; no speed cameras; no doorstep canvassing at election times.Now alas thanks to Google all that has come to an end.
We residents were well aware of the danger of discovery when Google Earth came on stream. There was an attempted cover up by means of a hot air balloon festival in 2003 which worked a treat. But once Google had finally pin-pointed the village the game was up. Of course we got Duff Peters at Edge Hill University to put up a smoke screen to stave off the inevitable and he did a wonderful job of throwing BBC local news off the scent. In the meantime we had a village meeting. At it www.lancashirewalks.com were invited to devise a route so show off the village's best features now that it has been forced into the limelight. In this way it is hoped to attract enough visitors to generate sufficient income to pay off 108 years in back taxes and rates.
Start: Dotcom House, village centre. For location go to Google.com
Summary: Distance: 5k 3m
Time: 1 1/2 hours
Terrain: Undulating with a number of unexpected twists and turns.
Note: If you seriously consider attempting this walk please consult your GP first.
Map by kind permission of the Blackpool Gazette
From Dotcom House walk down the drive and turn right onto Kleeo Lane. After passing the parish church of St Anthony
follow the lane to the left to arrive at the village cricket ground.
For next part of the walk special care needs to be taken. For years escaped lions from nearby Knowsley Safari Park have made this part of Argleton home and have established a breeding colony.
Several villagers have in fact been eaten highlighting one of the few drawbacks of living in a non-existent village - if you don't officially exist then its hard to prove you are being pestered by lions. Keeping alert walk up towards Skit Hill. On the way you'll cross Geph Beck which most times of the year is an inconsequential dribble of water but after prolonged spells of wet weather becomes a different proposition.
At Skit Hill you will have sufficient elevation to appreciate the truly wonderful place that is Argleton.
From its lovely coast to the majesty of its hills it is a perfect microcosm of Lancashire.
From Skit Hill continue to Geeks Corner turn right and walk back to the centre. On reaching Kleeo Lane turn right for Dotcom House.