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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Friday 5 April 2013

Lancaster Canal finale


How does it feel to be on the last leg of a lengthy project, and then completing?

Well I have never seen my Lancaster Canal trip as a demanding goal like the LEJOG and others where ability, or intervention of circumstances may put the outcome in doubt, thereby heightening anticipation. To have walked the whole length in one go would have been more notable, but then it is only 57 miles (as the walk was in sections, returning each time by minor roads and footpaths the total distance covered will be more than twice 57 miles). It wouldn’t have been a huge disappointment if we had not been able to finish, but it is good to be able to add it to the list of achievements - I think we all like to boast a little.

The Lancaster Canal has been a pleasant diversion to give focus to a regular arrangement to walk on Thursdays with my friend Pete with a structure kind to my recovering knee surgery. It is satisfying to have finished now rather than leaving the last leg in abeyance because of planned holidays in the coming weeks. What I can say is that the walks have been full of interest, and beyond expectation, but part of that arises from taking notice of features along the way and having the pleasure of researching further on the Internet.

What are we going to do on Thursdays now? I do have some ideas and these will unfold in future posts, but I am off with the caravan next week heading south for a change to do some Marilyns.

Today we had Pete H. along who also lives in Arnside - another member of our group from West Yorkshire who climbed, walked and drank together back in the fifties and sixties.



A very posh garden hut - looks a bit like an old railway station we thought

I couldn't find any history about this prominent house on the Internet

Tulketh Mill - a splendid bit of industrial architecture left over from Preston's cotton producing era. It has been used more recently as a Vodafone call centre


Make of this what you will. I had visions of late night parties and loud music long into the morning hours

Church of St Walburge - tallest spire in England. Interesting history and stuff about threatened closure by Catholic churchCLICK HERE

The two Petes - the end of the canal just north of Aqueduct Street.
 The canal originally continued over a now demolished aqueduct to link with a tramway crossing the River Ribble and running to somewhere near Chorley to link up with the Leeds Liverpool Canal. Boats were unloaded at Preston onto that tramway, and then goods reloaded at the other end to continue on the canal - all sounds a bit  laborious, and the cost of construction eventually exceeded what it  would have cost just to extend the canal to Chorley.
Pete and yours-truly celebrating with an uncharacteristic high five

7 comments:

  1. Well done to you both - don't know where you get the Canal Completion Badge from. have enjoyed your interesting posts. Which Marilyns are you off to visit? Do they know you are calling in!
    Got the test picture also.
    Called to see you last Saturday whilst you were probably cycling. That's a noisy dog next door! Was on my way up to the lakes, Bouth, where my son and family were camping. Beautiful weather and views of Coniston Old Man and Dow Crag. Catch up later.

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  2. Posted by me on behalf of Gimmer.

    You may not have put your canal efforts very high on your wall of fame, but we 'followers' have very much enjoyed reading about them.
    Unless one is expert in some relevant discipline, often the most interesting part of a walk can be inspection of and speculation about human activities encountered, fresh or ancient: I sense that this was one of the main pleasures and rewards of these walks.
    It has certainly given many new ideas of what can be won from superficially unpromising soil!
    Perseverance and persistence pays again: well done!

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  3. bowlandcllimber - Hi John - here is a copy of a recent reply to a comment I made about my Marilyns destination:

    I plan to head for Cheltenham and Cleve Hill on the first day and then to Cornwall. I will be setting off next Tuesday or Wednesday, but you are asking someone who once towed his trailer tent to Ardnamurchan, and due to bad weather after several days drove non stop to Slapton Sands on the south coast of Devon.

    Last Saturday was when I cycled between Hest Bank and Carnforth on the canal to take pictures because I had not done so months ago when I walked that section.

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    gimmer - Thanks for your comment, and I agree. MAKING THINGS HAPPEN brings the rewards.

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  4. Well done, Conrad. Keep it up , old bean!

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  5. Well done Conrad. I've found your posts so interesting - and well written too.

    Enjoy your Marilyns. I've weakened and bought the book!

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  6. Phreerunner - Thanks Martin.

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    Afoot - Hi Gibson. Good to hear you bought the book - I presume you mean Alan Dawson's Relative Hills... You will find that you have already done a lot of them - many Munros qualify.

    In case you haven't found it yet there is a good website with a tick list divided into areas etc. Just be careful that you have got Marilyns selected when you are looking at each area because the site includes other hill lists - a bit confusing. Sorry, Blogger Comments wont let me put a working link in but here is the web address.

    http://www.haroldstreet.org.uk/waypoints/download/?list=marilyns

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  7. Thanks for the link Conrad. I note that you are unable to post photos to Blogger with the ipad mini. As I'm about to given one as a birthday present(I think), this news is a bit disconcerting.

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