START 3 (1.7km) As you approach the Waterside Inn, turn 11 Starting point: right onto the paved path, and before the waters 1 From the Sankey Valley Heritage Visitor Centre, edge turn left onto a soiled path that follows the Sankey Valley Heritage walk in a northwest direction for 1 mile following the old St.Helens Canal and the Black Brook that edge of Carr Mill Dam. Follow this path north, flows from Carr Mill Dam. This public footpath eventually passing the Nineteen Arches bridge on 10 Visitor Centre 9 12 eventually becomes a bridleway at a junction your right. This leaflet is one of a series describing local with a metal bridge over Black Brook, before 4 (2.5km) At the wide vehicle access track, turn walks recommended and used by the going under the East Lancashire Road (A580) and right and walk between the north end of the Dam 13 St.Helens Ranger Service. Others in the a railway bridge on the line between St.Helens on your right and an area of water on the left called 8 series include Bold Loop, Garswood Loop, and Wigan. the “digpits’. Go straight on through the gap next 7 Bradlegh Loop and Rainford Loop. to the metal gate, past Otter’s Swift Farm. 2 (1.6km) After walking under the railway bridge, Regrettably, this walk is not suitable for bear left up the slope, then left onto Garswood 5 (3.0km) After a short distance, turn left onto a 14 wheelchairs, however the Rangers can Old Road and past the bungalow on the left. public footpath, called Lime Vale Road. Follow this 15 Painted Lady butterfly recommend suitable alternatives (see Continue along the road and tarmac pavement at track down into a dip and over a stream, passing a contact details on the back of this leaflet). 8 (4.8km) the south end of Carr Mill Dam towards the sewage works on your left. The track continues to 6 At this point, take Enjoy your walk! Waterside Inn. This section of the walk provides Birchley Road where there is a large stone great care and cross over the one of the best views of the Dam looking north. farmhouse. road and follow Red Barn Road. This is 6 (3.6km) Turn right on the pavement and, after a a frequently used access for vehicles, so take care. Carr Mill Dam was formed by damming short distance, carefully cross this busy road and 9 (5.3km) Take the first signposted public Black Brook valley and was used to power take the track signposted as a public footpath on 5 16 footpath on the right which heads uphill, the industrial mills of the Gerard Estate. the opposite side of the road. This footpath begins eventually arriving at the grass verge of the It was later enlarged and used as a as a vehicle access track alongside properties before old Billinge Quarry access road. iheadwater for the St.Helens Canal, England’s crossing a stream in a dip and continuing on 4 10 (5.7km) Turn left and follow the grass verge of first completely ‘dug-out’ canal of the industrial through fields, passing a group of ponds on the the road uphill. Just before the road bends to the age, dating from the mid 1700s. right before eventually joining Rainford Road. right, leave the grass verge and take the footpath It was not until the early 1960s that the site 7 (4.4km) Turn right onto the pavement and walk 17 to the left of the small group of trees and follow became the Carr Mill Entertainment Park, uphill until you reach a sharp right bend in the road, the field edge. attracting thousands of visitors for a fun day next to the Eddleston playing fields. out on and around the water. Lancashire Go through the gap between the fence and a 18 Powerboat Racing Club has been based at the large sandstone block, keeping the trees on your In the 17th Century, John Eddleston left. After a short distance, turn right at the next Dam since 1932 and shares the sporting rights 3 2 with the St.Helens Angling Association. Both owned property around Billinge T-junction of the paths. hold regular competitions throughout the year. covering 14 acres. His will dated 16th When you arrive at a metal stile and a tarmac June 1672 bequethed his house and lands The Dam is a good place to spot a variety of footpath, turn left and follow this route uphill. ito charitable purposes for the local community interesting species of birds, including Great When the tarmac track ends, continue on taking including schools, churches and recreational Crested Grebe, Mute Swan, Grey Heron, the safest route up the steep ascent to the play areas. and Kingfisher. START/ Beacon building at the summit of Billinge Hill. © Crown copyright and database rights 2012. Ordnance Survey Licence FINISH The migrant Painted Lady butterfly may be Number LA100018360. You are not permitted to copy, sub-license, 1 Kingfisher distribute or sell any of this data to third parties in any form. seen around Billinge Hill during late summer. Standing at 587 feet (179m), Billinge Hill, Where the tarmac access road finishes, at the 14 (9.4km) Just before the entrance to Blackley At the end of the field on the left, the route Start/Finish or ‘Billinge Lump’ as it is also known, is the final sharp bend, turn right off the road and head Hurst Hall, bear right and head towards the veers right then almost immediately left. Follow Welcome to highest point in Merseyside, and weather down a small slope and along the narrow tarmac housing estate. Just before you reach a tree- this wider footpath down the gentle slope The walk starts and finishes at permitting, provides panoramic views across and concrete footpath, still with the quarry fence lined ditch on your right, turn left on to a track through the Hollins Hey woodland, keeping Sankey Valley Heritage Visitor Centre on isouthwest Lancashire, North Wales, the Derbyshire on the left. This footpath soon opens out into a and head south. On reaching the top of a small parallel with the railway and its metal fence Billinge Loop Blackbrook Road (A58), WA11 0AB. Peak District, plus Winter Hill to the northeast. wide vehicle access track. Continue past ‘The Old rise, you may see St.Helens in the distance and over to the left. Map grid ref: SJ535 966 The Beacon building was built in 1788 as Vicarage’ on your right. When you reach the possibly North Wales on the horizon, weather 17 (12.1km) After a railway bridge on your left, a landmark for ships, but was also used as a houses at the end of Beacon Road, continue along permitting. Trail & Map Route Distance – 14.3km (approx 9 miles) continue to follow the fence along a wide track summerhouse by Winstanley Hall. the left-hand pavement until you reach Main 15 (10.0km) When you reach an old cobbled track, that is Garswood Old Road. Estimated time – 5 hours Street opposite Saint Aidan’s Parish Church. The hill was used to monitor aircraft during turn left, then right past an old colliery spoil Upon reaching the cottage, the footpath veers Going – Moderate to Hard World War II, and then by the Royal Observer In the southern section of the church heap, known as the ‘Blue Hills’. Follow this wide to the right to a metal gate next to the graveyard, the somewhat macabre “coffin Corps based at the former bunker just below the track south towards Chadwick Green. When you Boathouse wall. Go through this gate and shaped’ grave of George and Kitty Smith summit. This bunker post was opened in January reach a T-junction, turn left and then bear left carefully follow the tarmac vehicle access road can be seen. This dates back to 1720 and Further Information 1960 and would have been used to monitor the again down a narrower path, on the left-hand along the south-east corner of Carr Mill Dam. location of blasts and the resulting fallout over ithe “coffin” lid shows a skull with a winged side of a hedgerow. This road eventually reaches the point that you To find out more about walks in your local Lancashire in the event of a nuclear war. The serpent. It is rumoured that the couple died 16 (11.3km) Once at the Goyt woodland at the passed earlier. area, please contact St.Helens Ranger Service post closed in October 1968. having been bitten by snakes on Billinge Hill! bottom of the gentle slope, cross the stream via on 01744 677772, or 18 (12.7km) From here, retrace your route back to 11 (6.7km) From the summit, take care and use 12 [email protected] (8.3km) Carefully cross over Main Street and the footbridge and turn right. Follow this scenic the start point. Turn left down the public the safest route down the hill, keeping parallel turn right, then at the traffic lights turn left footpath south through the woodland, passing bridleway, beneath the railway bridge and East www.sthelens.gov.uk/rangers with the old quarry fence and dry stone wall on down the pavement of Newton Road. Continue over the stream and its tributaries by means of Lancashire Road, along the Sankey Valley the left. along, heading in an easterly direction, passing a series of boardwalks. After the last boardwalk, Country Park to the finish at the Heritage Once at the bottom of the steep slope, turn left Windsor Road on the opposite side.