Goosnargh

 

 

It is not always necessary to climb the peaks to enjoy great views. This walk from Goosnargh offers the walker the wonderful scenery of Beacon Fell and the Bowland Hills without the effort of scaling a peak.

 

Start. Close to the Grapes pub and church on the village green. PR3 2BH
 

Distance: 8 miles 13k

Time: 3 ½ -4 hours
 

Grade: Easy

 

Map: OS Explorer 286 Blackpool & Preston

 

Map by kind permission of Johnston Press 

Directions:

1. From the corner of the village green at the junction of Church Lane and Goosnargh Lane walk along Goosnargh Lane

 

leaving the village. Just under ½ mile turn right onto a broad drive

 

at Swainson's House (the home of Goosnargh Duck!). This leads onto a farm track.

 

Keep on it as it leads to a complex of buildings at Middleton Hall.

 

At a metal gate before the buildings

 

turn left over a metal step stile. At first keep to the hedgerow on the right but at a pond

 

bear left crossing the corner to a metal gate. Now in a large field follow the obvious footpath across it to a gateway.

 

Through this follow the path as it nears farm buildings at Little Westfield. When you reach the drive

 

follow it left reuniting you with Goosnargh Lane. Turn right. In 200yds reach the junction with Langley Lane.

 

Turn left then almost immediately right onto a farm drive. Keep on this to reach Barton House.

 

Turn right on a drive just in front of it. Keep on the drive for 500yds to arrive at an ancient cross.

 

2. The base of the cross is ancient but the cross itself is a recent replacement. Cross the lane to follow a drive

 

to Cross House Farm. Here weave through the buildings to a track on the far side. Follow this as it takes you towards Westfield Brook. Just before the track dips to the brook

 

go through a gate and take a footpath to the left which goes down to cross the brook further along and then climbs right over a rise and then down towards Sparling Brook. Go over the stile and immediately turn right (ignore a footbridge to the left) and continue on the right side up along a wooded valley

 

to reach a field just before Blake Hall.

 

When you reach the drive turn right and follow it to Langley Lane.

 

Turn left and then quickly turn left again over a stile

 

leading into fields. Cross to another stile, then down to a gate

 

and then angle right up hill towards right hand edge of trees. . Dip down left to join a sandy track that crosses the brook

 

and leads uphill. Where the track levels out turn right in front of a gateway and then in 50yds turn left over a stile

 

into a green lane. This leads onto Latus Hall complex. When you reach the drive follow

 

it all the way to Bilsborrow Lane.

 

Turn right to enter the attractive village of Inglewhite.

 

3. From the green and its ancient cross pass the Green Man into Silk Mill Lane. After passing a small chapel on the left turn left at the next property on a footpath that crosses its yard between the house and garage

 

to a stile leading into fields. Follow track to right and immediately turn left and go down right hand side of hedge to cross Factory Brook by a footbridge

 

and then continue

 

to Inglewhite Road. Turn right and then after 50yds right again onto a bridleway

 

leading past Colbourn House. The state of the drive downgrades to a rough track

 

as it crosses a Brook and then improves passing Inglewhite Lodge

 

to arrive on Langley Lane. Turn right and then left into Curwen Lane. As the road bends left turn right over a stile on a footpath

 

leading across fields with hedgerow to the left. When you reach Langley Lane (again!) turn left. At the next bend turn left onto a private road

 

leading past Goosnargh Lodge. Keep on this drive which becomes a track to cross a substantial footbridge. After this pass Middleton Hall

 

briefly re-joining the outward track. Three hundred yards from the complex take a footpath on the left by a stile next to a metal gate. Follow the hedge on the right and cross a difficult stile and aim for a wooden footbridge,

 

and then bear right to a field corner. From here follow a fence towards the grounds of a large property. On reaching the drive turn left

 

to go back onto Goosnargh Lane and left again for the village.

Printer Friendly Version