Route 55
22ndAugust
Journey Length 16.9ml
Click here for route
The previous weeks adventure had to be postponed due to bad weather, so this week I planned to go to Walkden to find the cycle route along the old railway line. Riding to Graham’s the weather was fine and as I arrived Graham was doing the washing up with Val, this soon done we discussed what we were going to do, Graham had an idea of somewhere to go but we decided that the best option with the weather being fine was to go to Walkden.
We set off passed the locks at Nobb End and over the pack horse bridge over the river and on to Seddon Lane coming out onto Market St here we turned right up the hill under the railway bridge before turning left up the very steep hill up Green Lane before emerging onto Manchester Rd Kearsley. Up then along Springfield Rd towards the industrial estate at the top of the road. we the turned left down Lyon road and after lifting our bikes over the barrier continued across the bridge over the M61 motorway and into Blackleach country park. Exiting the park on to Moss lane we followed this until its junction with Manchester Rd here after what seemed an eternity waiting for the traffic we got an opening and turned right and proceeded towards Walkden centre through heavy traffic something as extreme off road bikers we were not accustomed to. When we had got through the traffic lights at the junction with Bolton Rd we pulled over near to Tescos to consult our map. After some serious consultation we took the next turning on the left down Tynesbank which we could see should lead us to an entrance to the cycle route, this we came across after about 400m. The route ran left and right but we wanted to go right along the route because we knew it passed by a friends house.
The route indeed led us down passed his house but being in a dip couldn’t see if he was in or not, so we continued on our way. The route is a tarmac path which is very easy to ride on and only had a couple of hills where obviously there were tunnels which had now been filled in. We traveled along for approximately 1 mile before we took the path to the left which brought us to an exit into a housing estate, thinking this was the end of the route we once again consulted our map and noticed that there was a park not too far away and we decided to proceed to find it. (I have since found out that it was not the end of the route which actually continues little further )
We turned around and back down the path until we came across the exit onto Cleggs Ln, here we turned right down to Manchester Rd and then right again headding towards whree we thought the park was. Shortly we came across Peel park. Approaching the park it looked quite nice but as we entered we noticed that the grass hadn’t been cut for some time and as we cycled around the park even though there were children playing on the swings etc and some people sat on forms, the park itself had been neglected for some time. there was an area in the park set up as an outdoor gym and as we travelled further up came across what looked like was a bowling green but was hard to distinguish because it was so overgrown, a real shame , it looked like previously it had been a nice park.
Exiting the park we turned left along Manchester Rd up the hill towards Four Lane Ends passing the farm land. At the junction at the Red Lion pub we turned right along St Helens Rd, here we stopped on the bridge over the M61 motorway. Whilst we were stopped on the bridge we commented on how the vehicles were travelling quite close to each other and that the perspective of speed stood there was a lot different than when you’re in your car travelling along. Graham commented that I could easily be mistaken for a traffic cop stood there in my hi-vis top and with camera in hand, so we stood there for a little longer to see if anybody actually slowed down, hence to say we didn’t observe this. Now with the sound of thunder echoing behind us we decided it would be best to head for home. Plodder lane was our chosen route as it is mainly all down hill and quite straight. Due to our decision on the route home we soon found ourselves at the bottom of Plodder Ln with its junction with Egerton St at the Shakespeare pub, this is where we turned left towards Moses Gate before we had to part company. As we discussed our adventure a car stopped and a bloke shouted out ” Which way to Preston lads ?”. after giving him quick directions we took our different routes home Graham to Little Lever and myself down to Darcy Lever and home for my tea.
