Cuerden Valley to Circular – Document 2 of 2

(A Ramblers Miles without Stiles walk)

2 hours 3.7 miles Leisurely

Route developer: Marian Owen

Route Summary: This scenic Miles without Stiles walk takes us to the northern end of Cuerden Valley Park via the ornamental lake, circling Cuerden Hall, walking the walled cinder path and visiting the Cuerden Valley Park Visitor Centre and Cafe.

(This is one of two Miles without Stiles walks in Cuerden Valley Park which could be combined to make one longer walk. Visit the Ramblers "Ramblers Routes" for walk details of the Cuerden Valley and Lisieux Hall walk as well as other "Miles without Stiles" routes in Chorley. )

Start location: Cuerden Valley Car Park (Pay and Display), Back Lane, directly opposite Clayton-le-Woods Primary School, PR6 7ED, Back Lane is opposite the other Cuerden Valley Trust car park called Town Brow in the dip of the B5256. Grid Ref SD 569 228

Getting there: By car, take the A6 north of Chorley through Whittle-le-Woods for 4 miles, turn left at the Lidl roundabout on to the B5256 for Leyland. Follow the B5256, straight over the Asda mini roundabout, down the hill and when you reach the dip in the B5256 turn left on to Back Lane and the Back Lane Cuerden Valley Trust P&D car park is on your right opposite Clayton-le-Woods Primary School.

Description:

(1) START From the Cuerden Valley Trust (CVT) P&D car park (A), turn right on to Back Lane and after 0.2 miles turn left into a lesser known part of Cuerden Valley Park and immediately turn left again to follow the narrow surfaced track which soon winds up hill through the centre of a meadow to reach a strip of woodland. Follow the fenced path through the strip of woodland with a deep ravine to your right to its end to reach a housing estate road, Glenmore. Turn right on to Glenmore and follow it until the road turns left at which point cross the road and turn right into a short side road with houses to your left and a shrubbery to your right to reach a fenced walkway which takes us to the old road, Sheep Hill Lane, now a dead end. Turn left to reach the road end and immediately on to the pavement of the B5256. Cross this busy B5256 with care and follow the Bridleway, a private road known as Cam Lane, which is almost opposite. Follow Cam Lane for 0.2 mile and as you reach a cross road of paths, turn left to walk through the strip of woodland to reach a kissing gate. Enjoy the fantastic view which opens up over Cuerden Valley Park and to the half right views of Preston and the hills to the north.

(2) Descend the grassy field, used for grazing sheep and cattle, n.b dogs should be kept on leads across this field, to another kissing gate (B), to reach a woodland. Page 1 of 4 After a few yards leave the main track downhill and turn right to walk through the woodland. This delightful path meanders up and down through the top of the woods, with the names on old maps such as Gravel Pit Wood and Dog Kennel Wood, for 0.3 miles to reach a hard track. Turn left and then immediately take the right fork to reach the reservoir, a haven for water birds and anglers. (C) Turn left and briefly follow the lake side for a few yards, enjoying the antics of the swans, ducks and great crested grebes. Turn left to descend the steps to regain the hard track left a few moments before. Turn right and take the right fork to cross the picnic field to reach the attractive stone bridge over the . Take a few minutes to enjoy the scene: dogs and children playing and may be the Cuerden Valley land rover will brave the ford. Cross the bridge and take the multi-purpose track to the right signed for Road Car Park. Watch out for bikes as we have joined the Cuerden Valley cycle route on its way to . The track climbs through woodland for a couple of hundred yards and as the terrain levels out the views open out to the left with a panorama over grazing land to Cuerden Hall. (D) Follow the multi-purpose track for 0.4 miles to just 10 yards before the motorway bridge

(3) Turn left down steps to take a narrow unmarked path through woodland which curves left to exit the wood through a kissing gate to cross a sometimes muddy field gateway to another kissing gate which leads into the cinder track with high stone walls. (E) The cinder track ends abruptly to climb some steps on to the access road to Cuerden Hall. Access to the grounds of Cuerden Hall have been barricaded off, so we must turn right on the access road to reach Shady Lane. (Alternative route back to the car is available from this point, see ALTERNATIVE ROUTE below)

(4) Turn left on to Shady Lane, a public road with no footpath, so beware of the traffic. Follow Shady Lane for 0.2 miles and turn left into Berkeley Drive and follow the very clearly signed access road to Cuerden Valley Park's Car Park, Visitor Centre and Cafe.

(5) With the Visitor Centre on your right hand side follow the main track through a gate and down to the stone bridge over the River Lostock, visited earlier.

(6) Cross the bridge and turn right to follow the multi-purpose track (watch out for bikes) along the valley floor all the way back to the B5256. Take care to cross this busy B5246 and Back Lane and your car park are opposite. Before you leave, imagine this scene in the 18th and 19th centuries, as you are standing in what was "Clayton Bottoms", the centre of the village of Clayton-le-Woods. (F)

Alternative Route Continue along the pretty Shady Lane for half a mile and watch out carefully for the Footpath sign to the left. Enter the stock field, using the kissing gate sponsored by Chorley Ramblers, and descend the path which slopes to the half right to go through a line of trees and then on down the field which leads you to a kissing gate in the corner of the field and out on to Town Brow. Turn left along the road and when it is safe, cross the busy B5256. Continue along the pavement for 0.1 mile to reach and turn right into Back Lane and the car park. Page 2 of 4 POI information:

A) Cuerden Valley Park - is a working estate with parkland and farmland. It was formerly the grounds of Cuerden Hall, now privately owned and not part of the park. Cuerden Valley Park covers 650 acres of green oasis with the River Lostock running through it. The park is managed by Cuerden Valley Trust and receives no Local Authority funding relying on income from car parking and numerous events in the park. The Visitor Centre and Cuerden View Cafe are on Berkely Drive, Bamber Bridge.

B) Miles without Stiles - This kissing gate is one of four kissing gates in Cuerden Valley Park which have been sponsored by Chorley Ramblers using the Terry Lewis Legacy Fund.

C) Cuerden Hall Reservoir - The Victorian Reservoir was constructed by Thomas Townley-Parker in the 1880s and provided water for Cuerden Hall and the estate buildings. The remains of a boat house can be seen.

D) Cuerden Hall Cuerden Hall is a Grade II* listed building. The Hall was formerly a family home between 1717 and 1906, and used by the Army until the 1960s. In 1985 it became a Sue Ryder neurological care centre. The Hall was sold to Manchester business man Colin Shenton in 2020 who is restoring it to its original purpose as a family home.

E) Cinder Path - The cinder path is part of a walled path constructed in the 19th century by the landowner Robert Townley Parker. Apparently this was so visitors to Cuerden Hall would not see the hoi polloi using this ancient right of way crossing his estate. Much of the route can still be followed, although it is now cut in two by the . As we climb the steps to leave the cinder path to join the Cuerden Hall access road, the path would have continued in a tunnel southwards. Today, the tunnel is home to a colony of bats.

F) Clayton Bottoms Clayton Bottoms was the centre of the village of Clayton-le-Woods in the 18th century. Bottoms refers to the lowest point in a landscape and Clayton Bottoms was in the dip between Town Brow and Sheep Hill Brow where Clayton-le-Woods Primary School is located. In the mid 1800s this area contained a pub, the George and Dragon, a smithy was situated in what is now the car park to Cuerden Valley and a chapel in what are now the school grounds. The old school was located on the wide grassy verge that juts out into Sheep Hill Brow.

Miles without Stiles - there are no stiles on this walk.

Copyright: The attached map is subject to copyright. The map and description may be used for personal use or for leading a walk but may not be used for commercial purposes. Page 3 of 4 Page 4 of 4 Look out for these on your walk

Cam Lane at the point where the walk turns left Kissing Gate sponsored by Chorley Ramblers through the trees using the Terry Lewis Legacy

Ornamental fishing lake, once the reservoir The ford across and the for Cuerden Hall bridge over the River Lostock

A view of Cuerden Hall The Cinder Path, an ancient and historic route