Head south from the car park to cross the crossed the footbridge, follow the stone After passing a small pond in a wooded area on Start and Finish: 5 St.Helens via the old . footpath upslope to the right. (1.1km) Turn left and walk around vehicle your left, Stoneyard Cottage comes into view. Red Brow Wood car park. access barriers along this traffic-free section of The Act of Parliament authorising 3 (556 metres) Follow the stone footpath to Hall Lane, heading in an easterly direction At the rear boundary of Stoneyard Cottage, turn construction of this historic canal left through the line of mature trees. Keep Nearest postcode WA12 8RA the left, heading south along the edge of a field. following the edge of Gypsy Wood. You will for navigation was passed on 20th March following the narrow footpath south along the By car, from Bradlegh Road, follow signs for the car i Bradlegh Old Hall will come into view on the eventually encounter another set of vehicle 1755. Henry Berry from Parr, who at the edge of a garden and then private drive, before park down a narrow tarmac access road. Please note right. access barriers before Hall Lane Farm appears time was ’s Second Dock negotiating a small brick stile positioned to the that there is a maximum vehicle height barrier set at on your left. Engineer, was appointed Engineer for the The fortified Bradlegh Hall used to right of an electric gate pillar post, finally to 2 metres. stand where the main farmhouse is scheme. Construction work began in 1755 6 (2km) At Hall Lane Farm, there is a choice START/ emerge on Alder Lane. By public transport, regular bus and train services and lasted until 1757 at which point the now,i and the remains of the moat are still of two routes - the longer blue route or the FINISH 7 stop at , approximately 1km to the north. canal was opened to traffic. This allowed present, along with a 15th Century shorter red route. 1 (2.4km) At Alder Lane, turn right and walk Some bus services also extend to Bradlegh Road. gatehouse. The Hall was once the home of west along the footway for approximately 330 transportation of coal from the The blue route follows field edge footpaths 3 2 To walk from Earlestown to the car park, start on coalfield mines to the growing Sir Piers Legh whose family held the title metres to reach Point 8. of ‘Lords of the Manor’. It is said that in that are unsurfaced and can be heavy going Earle Street and head south down Junction Lane. chemical industries of Liverpool, together at times. Prolonged periods of heavy rainfall 8 (2.7km) Look out for passing vehicles Follow the eastern side of Sankey Valley Industrial with iron ore and corn. These industries 1482 Richard, Duke of Gloucester – who later became Richard III - stayed here on can lead to sections of the route between before carefully crossing over Alder Lane to head Estate service road before heading down past the rapidly expanded, and spread back along Points 6 and 15 being flooded, given that this south along a field-edge footpath. You will also his way to take Berwick Castle. 4 ‘Mucky Mountains’ to the Red Brow Wood car park. the line of the canal to St.Helens, area is a flood plain. pass a small pond before arriving at Point 9. This 1km walk should take around 20 minutes. , Earlestown and , which Before a hedgerow obscures the view, the 17 To follow the red route, continue heading were small villages until this period. The Sankey or Nine Arches railway viaduct can also be 9 (3.1km) A waymarker post will appear to Enjoy your walk! southeast along Hall Lane for 290 metres to 5 canal was thus an important factor in the seen looking off northwest to the far right. your right at this junction of footpaths. Continue Watercross & Hall Lane Stables. Having 16 regions industrial growth. This Grade 1 listed viaduct was built straight on, heading south along a more defined 1 (Start & finish) Red Brow Wood car park. passed the private access road into the 6 in 1830 to carry the world’s first 15 farm access track. The car park gets its name from the Continue south from the old swing bridge, stables, turn left at Point 6a onto a passengeri railway from Liverpool to adjacent red sandstone outcrop. following a narrow tarmac footpath into a small signposted footpath. Follow this footpath 10 (3.2km) Look out for a finger post on your Manchester. The massive structure was 6a Sandstone quarried from here was used wooded area, before arriving at another north over Sankey Brook via the footbridge, right as you approach another footpath junction. i engineered by George Stephenson and cost for local building works, including the footbridge that crosses the Sankey Brook. passing back into the Borough of St.Helens. 8 Continue following the defined farm access track £45,000, a huge total at the time. Each of its Nine Arches railway viaduct and possibly This once clear trout stream was so After 310 metres, this footpath eventually to the left, heading eastwards. After nine arches is 50ft. (15m) wide by 70ft. 7 the nearby Bradlegh Old Hall. If you look badly polluted by various local joins the Sankey Canal towpath at Point 16. approximately 400 metres, you will encounter a (23m) high. This was to accommodate the 14 closely, the tool marks made by masons industriesi that it was nicknamed the From here, continue left, following the canal small mixed wooded area tall-masted boats that used to in past centuries can still be seen on the ‘Stinking Brook’. Following the demise of heading north to Point 17 and then to the containing a transport goods on the St.Helens Canal that vertical rock face at the these industries, the brook’s water quality finish at Red Brow Wood car park (Point 1). pond. passed through the third arch from the north side of the has dramatically improved again, to the Total distance walked for the shorter red 9 point that it is now home to an increasing right. car park. Red Brow Wood route is 4km (2.5 miles). 10 11 number of birds and fish, as well as 4 (926 metres) Continue around a metal To follow the longer blue route from Point 6, 12 13 freshwater invertebrates such as the vehicle gate, watching out for passing vehicles turn right onto a signposted footpath that Key striking Banded Demoiselle damselfly. accessing Bradlegh Old Hall and New Bradley Hall immediately crosses a field. In the distance, a Red route 4km (2.5m) Blue route 8km (5m) 2 (136 metres) The footbridge over the Farm. Continue south along a short section of small waymarker is positioned at the start of a Sankey Brook marks the Council boundary private road until you reach Hall Lane. drainage ditch. Continue along the footpath in a 1 kilometre between St.Helens and . Having southerly direction keeping this ditch to your left. The footpath then follows a line of mature © Crown copyright and database rights 2012. Ordnance Survey Licence Number LA100018360. You are not permitted to copy, sub-license, broadleaf trees along the field edge. distribute or sell any of this data to third parties in any form. Banded Demoiselle damselfly Start/Finish Mixed woodland areas provide an undefined field footpath in a southerly direction, The original West Coast Railway Line Northern Diver have also been seen here. From 1832 to 1850, Muspratt’s business was valuable feeding and nesting for aiming to the left of a powerline pole positioned opened on 25th July 1831 and ran Insect life is abundant, and both the Brown subject to costly, continuous litigation that Welcome to Red Brow Wood car park. i many types of birds. Migrant species ahead. Shortly after passing under the powerline, betweeni Earlestown and Warrington Bank Hawker and Migrant Hawker dragonflies finally compelled him to close and abandon Nearest postcode WA12 8RA. such as Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs can you will see another finger post clearly marking the Quay. Through trains had to negotiate slow can be seen skimming the water’s surface his works. He built 400 feet (121 metres) high be heard in the summer months, while continuation of this footpath. Continue along the rail curves at Earlestown and Parkside in summer. chimneys to reduce public health risks by Bradlegh Loop Map Ref: SJ 576 945 Swallows and Swifts swoop overhead, and field edge following the side of Phipp’s Brook and a Junction to the east of Newton-le-Willows. diffusing the noxious fumes into the higher 17 (6.9km or 2.9km for the shorter route) Sheet 108 1:50000 OS map the colourful meadows are filled with hedgerow before reaching Old Alder Lane. A more direct route between Winwick and atmosphere, however to no avail as the gases diverse flora and a wealth of butterflies, Golborne Junctions was opened on 1st The site of the old Hey is positioned to the blew downwind polluting Newton-le-Willows Trail & Map Sheet 276 1:25000 OS map 12 including the colourful Peacock variety. (4.5km) At Old Alder Lane, turn right and August 1864 to facilitate quicker passenger right of the towpath. instead. head east along the tarmac road, looking out for Longer Route – 8km (approx. 5 miles) Early morning visitors have the chance of journey times and increased freight traffic Nearby is Vulcan Village, where Eventually galligu weathers down to form Estimated time – 2.5 hours (Blue route) spotting Foxes and Brown Hares. passing vehicles. You will firstly cross Sankey Brook and is the main line used today. thousands of railway locomotives and then Causey Bridge. As the road turns again, Calcium Carbonate and creates a lime-rich Going – Medium Having passed the small wooded area, the route i were built in the former engine habitat. The ‘Mucky Mountains’ is now a you arrive at a narrow linear wooded area. 15 (6.3km) Continue over Newton Brook via a works established in the 1830s. The Shorter Route – 4km (approx. 2.5 miles) weaves through temporary mounds of grey paper footbridge, passing from Warrington back into the nature reserve, whose self-seeded flora 13 adjoining streets of workers' cottages have Estimated time – 1.25 hours (Red route) mill waste. Being alkali, this is used as an economic (5.0km) In the wooded area, take a narrow St.Helens area. Newton Brook was previously once included the locally rare Pyramidal Going – Easy lime substitute for fertilizing the land. Follow the tarmac track off to your left and proceed northwest since been preserved and now form a Orchid. culverted below the open water canal, but now distinctive conservation area. footpath east along this vehicle access track, along the Sankey Valley, following the former canal cuts through the in-filled canal by way of a Finally, cross the old swing bridge to finish your Further Information Continue heading north along the canal towpath. observing for heavy machinery that may be towpath. Immediately to the left is the now filled in concrete and steel-piled channel. walk at Red Brow Wood car park. Total After a kilometre, you will finally reach the old To find out more about walks in your local operating. Do not take the first footpath off to St.Helens Canal which can be identified by uneven distance covered is approximately swing bridge over the canal. area, please contact St.Helens Ranger Service your right but instead continue until the next raised and unmanaged rough ground. The Sankey Canal Restoration Society 8km (or 4km for the (SCARS) was formed in 1985, with the on 01744 677772, or T-junction of footpaths where you will see a The “Mucky Mountains” are visible to shorter route). The former cargo along this canal help and encouragement of the [email protected] waymarked finger post. the west of the swing bridge. These section was raw sugar for the Sankey St.Helensi Groundwork Trust. The principal 11 arei made of solidified chemical waste www.sthelens.gov.uk/rangers (3.9km) At this T-junction, leave the vehicle Sugari Works at Earlestown, shipped from aim of the Society is to achieve the full known as ‘galligu’, produced as a by- access track by turning right over Liverpool to where coal was transported the restoration of the canal. To bring this about, product of the ‘Leblanc’ process for other way. The ending of sugar traffic in the Society actively publicises and promotes bleaching textiles using alkali (soda) instead 1959 led to the closure of the canal in 1963, the cause of the canal, particularly in the of the much slower previous method of although the canal north of the Sugar three administrative Boroughs through using sunlight. Works had already closed in 1931. which it runs – Halton, St.Helens and Contact Centre As you head northwest, fields appear on your right Warrington. In 1830 an Irishman named James Muspratt , Wesley House, Corporation Street used mainly for horse grazing. (1793-1886) pioneered the alkali trade in 16 (6.7km or 2.6km for the shorter route) St.Helens WA10 1HF this country when he established the first 14 (5.7km) Continue beneath Alder Lane Bridge, Continue following the canal north to Hey Lock. large-scale soda-producing Vitriol works on 01744 676789 Tel: constructed in 1954. Here the tarmac track This canal section is well-used by the Newton-le- the opposite side of the valley. However, for 01744 671671 Minicom: switches to the left side of the former canal. As Willows Angling Association. one ton of soda, two tons of galligu waste 01744 676895 you continue northwards, you will see Alder Root Fax: The canal contains a healthy population of was produced, which was deposited nearby. [email protected] Farm on the right operating an equestrian business Email: coarse fish, making it popular with As the dust from the drying waste  www.sthelens.gov.uk and a golf course, between which is the prominent waterbirds such as Kingfisher and dispersed, it killed crops, trees and tarnished Please contact us to request translation of Winwick Junction on the West Coast Railway Line. i Grey Heron, while other locally rare metals in the immediate locality. Council information into Braille, audio tape species such as Goosander and Great or a foreign language. Peacock butterfly Mucky Mountains