Start/finish: St Anne’s Church. From Junction 32 M6 join the A6 northwards towards Garstang. At Broughton traffic lights turn left onto Woodplumpton Lane (B5269). At the B5411 turn left into the village.

Fact file: Distance: 11 ½ k 7 miles
                  Time:  3 -4 hours
                 Summary:  Easy.             
 Map: OS Explorer 286 Blackpool & Preston

Directions: Before setting out you may wish to visit the Witch’s Grave – that of Marjorie Hilton aka Meg Meg Shelton aka the Fylde witch reputed to have caused as much trouble to the neighbours dead as she did alive – future residents of Haydock Grange please note.

The route continues past the grave then turns right to cross the wall of the graveyard

to follow a footpath across two fields to reach Whinney Lane.

Here turn left and follow the lane as it leads round to Whinneyfield Farm. Through the yard turn right onto a footpath

 that after a shrubbery crosses a field to the Lancaster Canal.

 Over the bridge cross a stile to take a footpath to the far side of the field. Here over a plank bridge

enter a vast field and keep ahead aiming slightly to the left of a large agricultural building. This line will bring you to a footbridge

(there will be a lot of these on this walk) which you cross and continue with Woodplumpton Brook on your right. When you reach the road cross it

and follow the path close to the brook. After a footbridge

the path turns leftwards and quickly reaches Catforth Road.

  Turn right. Pass the Running Pump pub

 and walk a little over 500 metres to Green Lane.

Turn left and then right onto a path by a large house.

 After passing a derelict farm on the right the footpath continues along an overgrown section to emerge into a large field.

 Bear to the left of the barn ahead to cross a footbridge quickly followed by another.

After this second turn left. Now on the remnants of a common follow the path for over 300 metres to reach a metal gate.

 Through this turn left and follow a waymarked path as it crosses two small footbridges to reach a farm lane.

 Turn right. This soon passes Sharrocks Farm and enters a hedge lined track.

Keep ahead to the fence of the next field.

 Do not enter but turn left and reach a rather rickety stile (at the time of writing).

Bear right across a pasture aiming to the left of a large white bungalow. After crossing a stile into a lane

turn right and after 150 metres turn left onto a footpath

that crosses the field to Wolf’s Farm.

The path leads past a barn then turns left past the house to the drive. This leads down to Chapel Lane. Turn left.

Unsurprisingly Chapel Lane leads down to a chapel in 700 metres. Just before the chapel turn right

onto a path crosses Miller Lane and then continues to Bay Horse Lane.

 Continue on Willacy Lane to reach Benson Lane and keep ahead through a wooden gate

on a footpath that cuts a corner to Roots Lane.

Turn left. There follows 15 minutes of rest from route-finding as the lane crosses the Lancaster Canal

 to reach Blackleach Lane in just over 1000 metres.

 Turn right towards the motorway bridge. Just before crossing it turn left down a flight of steps and follow a path across a large field close to the motorway

to reach a track leading to Swillbrook.

When you reach Rosemary Lane opposite the First Methodist Church

bear right and take a footpath

that bears left along the field boundary. After crossing a footbridge

cross a field to a stile by a prominent oak tree

and continue to a metal gate.

 After this drop to the final footbridge (named Sergeant’s Bridge on the map)

 and then climb slightly bearing right passing below pylons and to the right of a pond on a path leading through a gap

to a metal gate that gives out onto Whinneyfield Lane. Turn right for Woodplumpton.