For newcomers

At the bottom of each post there is the word "comments". If you click on it you will see comments made by followers, and if you follow the instructions you may also comment and I always welcome that. I have found many people overlook this part of the blog which is often more interesting than the original post!

My blog nick-name is SIR HUGH. I'm not from the aristocracy - my middle name is Hugh which relates to the list of 282 hills in Scotland compiled by Sir Hugh Munro in 1891. I climbed my last one (Sgurr Mor) on 28th June 2009

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Saturday 9 February 2013

Barton Grange to Barton (Lancaster Canal)

Devising the route for our canal walks can be tricky.

Returning by the same route has always been a disappointing compromise on any walk for me.

We do have a time constraint in that Pete needs to be back in Arnside by 3:45 pm to rendezvous with his wife Liz at her painting class.

Preferring a circular route I try to finish walking the canal part at a road accessible by car so we can continue next week from the same place. This week I plotted two possibilities, the shorter via Cross House (see map) which didn't leave the canal at a road, but was a bit shorter than our normal distance, and the longer finishing at a road, and more than our normal distance. We opted for the latter and also added a longer finish. That resulted in us walking 9 miles compared with our usual 6.5 or so, and we both felt the difference. Having done walks on consecutive days (see my previous post) my knee was protesting, and ominously, so was the one that was not replaced. On top of that we didn't have time to go to the café for our customary brew afterwards. The café of choice at the moment is "No. 17" in Milnthorpe: superior coffee, waitress service, comfortable leather armchairs, and no riff-raff.

The forecast was for rain "later in the afternoon". The first specks appeared on the windscreen as we got back into the car.  Forecasts are getting better these days.


This and below: the marina at Barton. This is part of a huge, recently, purpose built garden centre called Barton Grange - an old Preston family business originating further down the road where they also own a posh hotel


Aqueduct over River Brock.
 The source is in the Bowland Hills.
 The only remote interest gleaned from Wikipedia, is that in its brief 15 km  length before joining the River Wyre, it has 22 tributaries



Guys Court Thatched Hamlet. An unusual, pub/eating place/shopping experience not far from Preston where my daughter arranged a surprise 60th birthday party for me (now many years ago). I thought we were just going for a meal and when we arrived there were about thirty of my friends there - 'twas a right good do.

The canal borders onto land owned by Myerscough College (Agriculture and Sport).
This is their golf course

More residential scenery. The photo reminds me of France, but that ambience didn't prevail on the spot
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KATIE UPDATE


I just received this little video from daughter Jill. She called it:

Teacher Training

 CLICK HERE    Katie

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I'm not sure who all my readers are, but for those that this may be relevant to I have  sad news of the recent death of Pauline Broadley. Funeral is on Monday at Nab Wood Cemetery, West Yorks - 10:50am.

4 comments:

  1. Such a sweet video of Katie, as was the other one in the snow.

    I don't know of any area in the US that compares as favorably to the areas of your walks. I'm sure there must be, but I don't know of them. So much of our land development has been haphazard. Only recently (last 20-25 years) has attention been paid to planning for wilderness and walking trails or bicycling trails when an area is developed. In our area, several old, no longer used railways are being turned into nature trails with crushed stone paths suitable for foot and bicycle traffic. I think I'll investigate some of those closer to home when the weather settles down a bit.

    Although I don't always leave a comment, Conrad, I do read, and enjoy, your posts.

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  2. Hope the Knee is better for Martin's Silverdale walk.

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  3. You're steadily chipping away at the canal. Have your knees recovered well?
    Mark

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  4. The Crow - Hi Martha. Thanks for your kind words. I visited brother RR in Pittsburgh in the autumn (fall). I think it was 1969, and that was impressive - the colours and light were stunning. I had a trip out to Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater. I recently had the 35mm slides converted to digital and saw the photos again after many a long year.

    Alan R. - The knees have recovered back to their normal niggly selves. I am looking forward to Martin's walk, although I might introduce a shortcut somewhere.

    Beating the bounds - I will be looking for a new, on the flat project to keep my pal Pete happy - he insists that I remain patient and don't overdo things, and then I get the disapproval when I sneak off and clamber up and down more hilly things in the Lakes.

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