North West 02 The Pike Stones, Ramblers Rivington, Lancashire Routes DISTANCE 10KM/6¼ MILES ASCENT 251M/824FT TIME 3¼ HOURS TYPE RESERVOIR, MOOR AND WOOD To download this route NAVIGATION FITNESS PERFECT NUMBER and hundreds of others, visit LEVEL LEVEL FOR OF STILES ramblers.org.uk/routes EASY LEISURELY VIEWS 3 Designated a Site of Special Scientifi c Interest in 2017, the vast West Pennine 4 Moors above Horwich loom over huge, RIVINGTON Chorley wood-fringed, time-mellowed reservoirs 5 that o er easy waterside walking. This route Liverpool also diverges along former lead-miners’ tracks via deep cloughs to a Neolithic tomb 3 high in these rippling moorlands, where Plan your walk some of Lancashire’s oldest woodland is WHERE Lollipop walk from a colourwashed autumnal dream 2 Rivington, near Chorley. ROUTE BY NEIL COATES the fenced, derelict 6 START/END Rivington Foundation Primary School plantation. START Return to the road. (SD625143). 1 Descend L to Upper Rivington At the end, turn L on a TERRAIN Lanes, byways, 4 Dam and here turn R along the ‘No moorland path outside moorland paths and tracks; Through Road’ beside the Rivington the skeletal woods. This potentially marshy in places. club entrance. In 550m, fork L tussocky, marshy path MAPS OS Explorer 287; (gates) along a walled track. Advance reaches (650m) a corner stile Landranger 109. below the grassy dam, then ahead (L) into the large fenced GETTING THERE Frequent alongside Yarrow Reservoir to a lane. enclosure containing the Pike Stagecoach Gold 125 bus from Turn R to Alance Bridge. Stones long cairn. Views can Bolton and Chorley to Horwich be magnifi cent. Leave via Crown Inn, 2 miles from start Use the bridlegate L into the the lower-L stile beside the 2 (tfgm.com). Free parking at track up Lead Mines Clough neglected interpretation public car park behind school. beside the lively Limestone Brook. board and turn R on a faint 1 EATING & DRINKING The The clough’s name recalls the once grassy path that drifts L START Rivington (01204 691509, thriving industry here, abandoned towards the distant farm & FINISH rivingtonbowlingclub.co.uk). in 1837. Many remains dapple the complex soon seen below (not SLEEPING Wendover Guest woodlands hereabouts. The track reached). At the o -corner House, Horwich (01204 468400, shortly changes bank; in a further gates, stile and rough parking, turn R wendoverguesthouse.co.uk). 200m, fork L to recross on another along the initially level tarred lane to Bay Horse, Heath Charnock bridge. Use the handgate (R); then reach Manor House Farm. At the car park barrier and 6 (01257 480309, immediately L up the steep, stepped hairpin bend (875m), keep R thebayhorse.co.uk). path to the memorial recalling the Around the sharp-R bend, use twice to join the pavement beside the 5 VISITOR INFORMATION Bolton 1943 crash of a Wellington bomber the kissing gate (L) and drop to reservoir. At the near dam end, turn Central Library, Le Mans hereabouts. It’s a tranquil site with another into woods. Descend steeply L up the signed bridleway (wall gap) Crescent (01204 334321, sublime views to Winter Hill. to cross a fl at bridge; turn L above to meet the outward route below the visitbolton.com). the beck then bear R to pass below grassy dam of Yarrow Reservoir. GUIDEBOOK Walking on the Beyond the memorial, follow the grassy dam. At the crosstrack, Turn R to retrace the rough lane 3 West Pennine Moors by Terry the continuing narrow path join the stepped path opposite back to Rivington. Marsh (£12.95, Cicerone, within the top of the woods (not into (‘Woodland Trail’) and loop L with ISBN 978 1852845803). pasture). At the kissing gate (500m), this in woods above Anglezarke LOCAL RAMBLERS GROUP bear R down the track. At the fork, Reservoir. At the old tarred road, Create your own route Chorley Ramblers keep L (ignore fl at bridge). Before below High Bullough Dam, drop R Register an account at (07854 367305, a culvert in 150m, fork L above a to continue above the reservoir on ramblers.org.uk/createroutes PHOTO: NEIL COATES. MAP: © CROWN COPYRIGHT 2019 ORDNANCE SURVEY. MEDIA LICENCE 032/19. CREATED WITH MEMORY-MAP WITH MEMORY-MAP CREATED MEDIA LICENCE 032/19. MAP: © ORDNANCE SURVEY. 2019 NEIL COATES. COPYRIGHT CROWN PHOTO: ramblers.org.uk/chorley). tributary beck on a path skirting this tra¡ c-free lane. WALK READERS’ OFFER USE CODE RAMBLE15 IN STORE & ONLINE *T&Cs apply, see online or ask in store for full details. Walk64_47_RR02_NORTH WEST_FINAL.indd 47 02/08/2019 09:56.