Start: Village centre close to the church.

From Preston take the A59 towards Liverpool. On reaching the village turn left onto the B5246 towards Parbold. St Mary's Parish church is a short distance on the left. Rufford is served by good bus and rail links from Preston & Ormskirk.

Fact file:  Distance: 8k
                 Time: 2 - 3 hours
                 Summary: Easy walking.

                 Map: OS Explorer 286 Southport & Chorley

Map by kind permission of the Blackpool Gazette

Directions:  From the church continue along the lane, Diamond Jubilee Way, until you cross the canal. Drop down to the tow path and walk along it with the water on your left.

 This is the Rufford Branch of the Leeds Liverpool Canal.It was opened in 1781 to replace the earlier River Douglas Navigation which once linked the Wigan coalfields to the River Ribble. The canal soon passes the rear of Rufford Old Hall. This was the home of the Hesketh family until 1936 when it was presented to the National Trust. It is said that Shakespeare may have performed at Rufford Old Hall when his theatre company went on tour.

This section of the canal is perfectly straight - its navigators having no difficulties with contours since there aren't any. 1500 metres after joining the canal leave it at Spark Bridge and the A581.

 Turn left and then left onto Spark Lane.

Follow this round to the A59 close to the Rufford Arms Hotel. Cross the road to Croston Drive a private road but a public right of way.

 At Woodbank, an impressive piece of real estate based on Park Farm, join a track that skirts the property to its right.

 Beyond it continue along a tarmac lane to reach a bend.

Here at a cross roads of rights of way keep ahead on a footpath leading alongside large arable fields. The way is always ahead

 until you reach the scattered community of Holmeswood though the growing season will have some impact on what you see. On reaching Holmeswood Road turn left. Passing Mossend Farm turn right onto Sandy Way.

"Sandy Way" and "Sandy Lane" and "Meresands Wood" give a small clue about the underlying geology of this part of Lancashire. In the not too distant past the whole area was submerged beneath a huge shallow lake or "mere" remnants of which can still be seen at Martin Mere. It was the largest lake in England and there is some suggestion it may have been the lake of Arthurian legend from where Excalibur. Heedless of this romantic association landowners began to drain it in the 17th century with the help of Dutch engineers. This helped create the rich arable farmland you see today.

Continue along Sandy Way for over 600 metres.

 Just before a low bridge crossing Rufford Boundary Sluice turn left onto a footpath.

This sluice part of the matrix of artificial waterways that criss-cross the Lancashire Plain between Croston and Southport will guide you back to the A59. After edging along arable fields it joins a farm track and soon after enters Mere Sands Wood Nature Reserve.

 

Run by the Wildlife Trust this was once an area of sand extraction on an industrial scale. When sand quarrying ended in 1982 the Trust developed the site and took over the management of the woodlands.  If you decide to complete a circuit of the reserve it will add an extra hour to the walk.

On entering the reserve keep ahead on a broad track for 600 metres.

 This will bring you to the far side.  Do not cross the footbridge across the sluice on the right but continue to a kissing gate and exit the reserve.

After an arable field the path passes the village cricket ground. 

Walking through the residential area you'll find the footpath will swap sides of the sluice at each lane.  At the first, Cousin's Lane, turn right across the sluice and then left behind houses and continue with the water on your left.

This brings you to Brick Kiln Lane. Here you return to the other side of the sluice taking a footpath to the right of a chapel.

On reaching Sluice Lane cross to a footpath that passes a large workshop and then bends round to the A59.

When you reach the busy road turn right and then left to cross Marsh Meadow Swing Bridge.

Turn left to join the towpath which will take you back to the starting point.