Lancashire's Lake District - Anglezarke
The great advances in public health during the 19th century were as much the work of civil engineers as they were of medical scientists. But while Pasteur and Lister became household names where are the monuments to Bazalgette and Newlands? In 1847 the City of Liverpool through Act of Parliament won the right to look for fresh water supply outside its city limits. Its first project was to construct a reservoir below the West Pennine Moors at Rivington. Highly controversial at the time, as it would be today, the area of water collection has now become a place of public amenity popular with walkers, mountain bikers and anglers. On this walk it will become easy to see why.

Distance: 9 Km or 5½ miles (This can be reduced to 6 Km or 4 miles by completing a circuit of Anglezarke Reservoir only.)
Time: 2½ - 3 hours
Terrain: Mainly easy along well established paths and tracks

Start: Car park at Anglezarke. As popular as it might be, it's a pig to describe how to reach it! From Junction 9 M61 take A674 towards Blackburn. Turn right for Heapey and White Coppice. At White Coppice follow signs for Rivington and Anglezarke. After passing viewpoint and small car park descend sharply towards reservoir. At bottom of the incline turn right into the car park.


Map by kind permission of the Blackpool Gazette



1. Anglezarke to Yew Tree Inn (5 Km or 3¼ miles: 1½ hours)
From the lower car park pass through the metal squeeze stile that leads onto the Anglezarke Trail. In a few minutes pass below the cliffs of a quarry.


A little way further on you will reach the track besides the reservoir. Turn right. Ahead on the edge of woodland follow signs for the shorter woodland trail.



Then as the main track swings to the right and upwards, keep ahead along a narrower footpath in woods.



Below, on the left, you will see the edge of the reservoir. These woods, mainly oak and beech, are particularly lovely in high autumn. When you reach a crossroads of footpaths, turn left. After another wooded section you will reach a wooden kissing gate, after which you will emerge into open pasture. The footpath is quite distinct. Keep ahead at the next junction of paths, re-enter woods and shortly after reach Moor Road. Turn left. Follow the lane past the handsome Waterman's Cottage to reach the end of the reservoir.


Walk across and where the road bends  to the right, turn left onto a footpath, once again in woods.


Across the water you will be treated with a lovely view of Waterman's Cottage. Keep on the path for 700m until on an upward rise it reaches a wooden stile on the edge of the woods. Cross one field to emerge onto a farm track (Heapey Fold Lane) and turn left. Now you will have wide views of the uplands over Rivington and its reservoirs. Keep forward at the point where the lane narrows to a path, soon after coming to Kay's Farm.


Here turn right and then left onto Back Lane. For a stretch the lane follows closely the retaining banks of the reservoir. Keep ahead to Lane Ends and bear right at the junction to reach the Yew Tree. [For those readers not particularly interested in a refreshment stop turn left onto a footpath that passes by a fishing club's car park, and follow it as it brings you to Knowsley Lane that runs between Anglezarke and Upper Rivington Reservoirs. Turn left if you wish to shorten walk or cross and pick up directions from below.] 

2. Yew Tree Inn to Car Park (4 Km or 2½ miles: 1 hour)
From Yew Tree Inn turn right and walk along Knowsley Lane to just before it bestraddles the two reservoirs. Turn right onto service lane past highlighted "No through road" sign.


Keep on this track and soon views open out towards Rivington and Winter Hill. At the end turn left onto Horrobin Lane. This divides the Upper and Lower Rivington Reservoirs. On the far side turn left into a shaded lane that leads to a (anglers') car park.


Beyond the car park the track soon leads upwards and then to the left of a metal gate.


Ahead the distinctive geometry of another reservoir will come into sight. Steadily the lane will rise to reach water level and you will be rewarded with a wide panorama of the moors beyond, especially Winter Hill with its array of masts. Keep on the track until it reaches a lane (Parson's Bullough Road). Here turn left and descend the hill to arrive at the car park.

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The Yew Tree
We lunched at the Yew Tree. It is very convenient for this walk and is a lovely pub being well appointed and with a good menu of high standard food. Unfortunately no cask ales were on offer and we had to make do with a pint of Keg Boddingtons. We had a ploughmans sandwich which came with a small dish of home made chips. Service was friendly and efficient.