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No.33 WINTER 2011 WIN! A HOLIDAY FOR TWO TO FRANCE WORTH OVER £2,000!

MAGAZINE OF THE RAMBLERS – BRITAIN’S WALKING CHARITY EXTREME BRITAIN 999 CAMPAIGN DAYPACKS SCOTTISH LOCHS GOLDSWORTHY TRAIL Extreme Britain Walks that take you to the country’s limits

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magazine winter 2011 magazine winter 2011 Northern Forest of Bowland,l ancashire Northern England 04 l type Moorland ale, l time 5-6hrs St John’s in thev l Distance21km/12 miles 03 ess l Hill oN FitN l time 7½hrs type Navigati 4 level 4 l Distance18km/11 miles 4 level 4 N FitNess Navigatio 3/4 level 3/4 3 level 3 plan your walk A H HIS Ol T ID e A K with Y A ! CLIVE ANDERSON plan your walk M Ramblers continued...

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m i WL aND s: map Survey Ordnance b w Bo The Ayrshire CUMBR ia lerscountry & Arran Coastal Paths by Keith Fergus (£12.95, Cicerone, ISBN st JoHN’s iN continued...

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s Group: map Survey Ordnance P tro Kilmarnock and Loudoun FINISH Dales 4 Stirling TIC, Dumbarmation:ton Ramblers (✆ 01563 821331, Street (✆ 01786 475019, l www.freewebs.com/ Lancaster www.visitstirling.org). kilmarnockand 3 Where: Circular walk from Guidebook loudounramblers). s: Walks Stirling

Dunsop Bridge in the Forest by Alistair Lawson RICHARD PARKS

y M a L a hy: P Where: Circular walk of Bowland. Photogra 5 (£2.95, Hallewell, vale, Dunsop Bridge 4 from st John’s in the Start/end: a sizeable chunk. This mixed ISBN 9781872405520).

(sD660501). Hang your hat amid the history made Bowland a cause

L bar a fion hy: P over and Photogra sheer, isolated desolation of LocaL turn terrain: Boggy célèbre among campaicampaignersgners bridge over the rambLer the Dodds, with a re 1. START set off along the River Irvine, tu Stirling, Falkirk & Districts area: ong The lovely valley of St John’s in moorland, with some Whitendale Hanging Stones demanding the right to roam and continu over (or al er broad, stony track signed and – says the e alongside the ri rn L Ramblers (✆ 01786 841178, the vale is one of the quiet steady ascents, stiles and a e of and, perhaps in recognition the path passi the valley). ‘Matterdale – Unsuitable – you’re at the very centr ver, Wanthwaite areas of the , the small stretch of paved road. of this, Bowland was the first ng underneath t www.ramblers.co.uk/ Start/end: for Motors’. this is the old A737 to reach a he either side of it far less frequented MapS: os explorer oL41; Great Britain and its outlying area to be opened upup under the fork at a Rober groups). (NY316231). the Coach Road, which crosses the islands. But there is more to Burns statue. Be stony track and than many elsewhere. To Landranger 103. Countryside and RRiightsghts of Way ar L and followt terrain: d of the flanks of Clough Head and the the path to a 2 p east lies the northern en Gettin G there: Bowland than merely massaging Act 2000. waymarked sign grassy , with a stee eat ridge Matterdale Common at the a minor road. range, a gr Bowland transit Bus B10/ your inner pedant. A remote at wonderful vie but straightforward t point, northern end of the Helvellyn Cross the road, ws of the Walla and of fells whose highes B11 serves Dunsop Bridge Area of Outstanding Natural 1. START the tiny villagevillage of take the R-hand Monument. On ascent and descent t climbed range. as you climb steadily path and ce igh, Helvellyn, is the mos from Clitheroe, which Beauty, it hosts the UK’s largest Dunsop is owned by the Duchy continue thro ce over the 5 easy walking over h up, there are excellent views of ugh mixed footbridge, follow mountain in lakeland. It can get is served by regular breeding site for hen harriers, of Lancaster and everyoneeveryone still woodland to S the path to 3 grassy tops. t just a few both and . and is also home to merlins, the andy Road. Turn cross a stile. Fo S: os explorer oL5; very busy up here, bu trains from Manchester pays rent to the QuQueeeen.n. the and walk along llow the field ed Map of Sticks Pass Follow the track for about an short-eared owls and ring L over another st miles away – north (✆ 0871 200 2233, idyllic village green hohostssts a the pavement, ile, then turn L ge 2 Landranger 90. the hour, looking out for a second ouzel. The 17th-century Pendle passing Garno on to a singl G there: – the broad, grassy tops of www.traveline-northwest. colony of well-fed ducks and ck Wildlife Reser e-track road. Wa Gettin ad afford stile on your R (a wooden shelter witches, outrageously accused to a bridge cros Dodds and Clough He co.uk). Bt’s 100,000th telephone box sing the River ve, along here thr lk Nearest mainline trains without with a rusty corrugated metal G: Garnock (NS3074 ough open equally fine views, but eatinG & drinkin of murder by witchcraft, hailed – handy, as there is no mobile countryside wit START stop at Windermere, st of the roof lies just beyond, on the L 18). h great views of 1 5 bus the crowds. To the we Puddleducks, in Dunsop from here too. What’s more, phone reception in the valley. Stirling Castle. A FINISH where the regular 55 wer fell of the track). at stanah valley is a small, much lo Bridge, is a truly excellent Bowland isn’t really a forest take the bridleway just before 3. Once across road swings L t t a cottage, the to Keswick stops igg (also the bridge, tur close referred to as High R country café which (much of the area is moorland) the bridge and follofolloww the pavedand cross Sandy o reach Ladysne (Legburthwaite), Fell), 2. Cross the stile and follow n R Road. Turn R a uk e known locally as Naddle serves great cakes but retains the name as a former way to a block of cottagcottages,es, thengood track, contiRoad on to a nd continue along to the last leg of th n the clear path that climbs royal hunting forest, as the a pavement over ✆ which stands on its ow (✆ 01200 448241). on to the path running by the nuing through walk ( 0871 200 2233, loftier steeply up to Clough Head mixed woodland level crossing to rthe railway by a surrounded by its much Sleepin G: New Forest does. But it proved River Dunsop. CrossCross a wooden and under the www.traveline.info). ffords via White Pike (just to the L A78. A lovely r each the A907 G: neighbours. This, too, a Wood end Farmhouse too arduous a journey for the footbridge (sD6585D658508)08) and turn iverbank path le (NS808954). Tur eatinG & drinkin – but of the path, marked by a large to a junction. n L and head B&B, Dunsop Bridge gentlemen of london, and ads straight to a the Lodge in the solitude and super views cairn). a trig point marks the R up the snug, fernfern-fr-fringedinged Turn L, walk 100 roundabout. Turn and is a ✆ 01200 448223, www. ownership deteriorated into and turn R at a m Map not to scale. ale, Legburthwaite with much less effort – ( Dunsop valley, with coniferconifer into Logie Roa R

v 726m/2,381ft summit of Clough ▲ signpost for ▼ t day’s something of a free-for-all. The Kilwinning/Ard▼ Representation of d and climb ste ✆ 0500 600 725, www. good option for a shor visitwoodendfarm.co.uk). plantations on either side. START into Hillfoots R ( along the Head, a splendid viewpoint. Duke of Westminster now owns rossan. Continue OS Explorer MAP 326 1 eply k); walk (with a return above the Riv Wallace Monumoad to reach the lakedistrictinns.co.u r isn’t assuming clear conditions, the er Garnock to r 1:25,000 ▲ valley) if the weathe ▼ a flight of step ent car park. Go the King’s Head Hotel ongoing route is relatively each www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk around the ti fells. s at Kilwinning. cket office (pur suitable for the higher Climb the steps tickets if you , turn R, head want to climb thchase along Dovecot L monument) o ane, turn L into to reach the end of Dubbs Road e Map not to scale. Kilwinning Ma n to a path that in Street and th at the B752 (NS276420). Cross climbs through at Representation of L into the imp en 5. Turn R and woodland to jo tractive OS Landranger MAP 57 ressive Kilwinni the road on to a lovely follow the soft san Abbey (NS3064 ng with further stun A signposted pin a narrow roa 1:50,000 33). woodland path, which leads on d d. www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk Arran to a sea ning views of steeply to the bath on the R climb to parkland to Stevenston at wall at Saltcoa s Scottish Inde 4. Return to the Kilwinning/ Climb up from Monument (NSase of the Wal Moorpark Road East. Turn L on the beach on ts. lace pendence. Once Ardrossan signpost. Turn R pavement an 809957) and some across, turn L on to Station Road and follow the to a extraordinary vie to a cycle path, descend to a minor road for Ardrossan and follow the d walk above the ws. go through two u pavement over the level shore throug and descend towards th. Turn L path to a road. Cross here and h Saltcoats. Go turn R on to W nderpasses, then crossing at Stevenston train straight on at a wa 4. Retrace you allace Street. bearing L to follow a paveme A811, continue on the path through a ymarked sign, r steps back to Follow this aro NATURE GLOBAL then turn R at a HIKING Logie Road. Cro underneath the castl station. Once past Ardeer second sign on continue alongund to the L and ent section of woodland to reach the promenad and continue stss the A907 e. Just before Church, cross Caledonian Road e at the southern to Union Street on t King’s Knot Roundab a Core Path signpost for Dubbs end of Ardrossa raight down Lower Bridge Str on to Shore Road and take the Causewayhead R eet. Turn first R o through a gate (NS78out, turn L Road (NS301421). A single-track n. Walk along t oad past some and climb Up R fork. Follow Shore Road to its promenade arou he attractive ston per Bridge Stre and follow the grassy7937), bear R road then runs through nd Ardrossan e villas. Once (NS795942), m et end, turn R and go through a South Bay to underneath erging into St King’s Knot through apath g over attractive countryside, passing reach Ardrossan a railway bridge, Mary’s Wynd, car park to a bridge that crosses Town train sta cross Cornton to reach Broad raised, three-tiered, octate. The Todhill Community Woodland, tion (NS231421 Road and pick u Street. Turn R and Route devise ). path, which le Royal Gardens are still agonalvi a river on to Stevenston beach d by Keith Fergu ads to Bridgeh p a reach Stirling C follow this to s Road. Turn L a augh 400 years after they wersible today, (NS266411). nd walk over the astle (NS794942). wonderful cob Walk along Albert Placee created. ble-stoned Stirli 5. Retrace your steps to T Bridge (NS797 Dumbarton Road, cro on to 945) – site of theng Portcullis and immedi he famous Battle Exchange Road to re ssing Corn of Stirling Bridge on to a path, which paately turn R in 1297, during Street. Continue on achto U Port the First War of Town Cemetery to a forsses Old WATCH TRAILS CHOICEand follow this down topper Craigs then R on to a woodlandk. Turn L Turn L and walk back to the B8052. path and Route devised b the start. INSIDE: Lochy Keith Fergus Ness’ The incredible Goldsworthy ROUTECARDS new secluded wildlife of sculptures in + FREE MAPS WALK IT WALK southern trail Scotland’s lochs rural France

COVER WALK33_new.indd 1 10/11/2011 12:41