Saturday, 5 January 2019

Lancaster Cycleway - west from Halton

Thursday 3rd January 2019 - walk with Pete

On my recent walk with Bowland Climber we finished on the next to last day at Halton on he River Lune just east of Lancaster. I had noticed the cycleway continuing west into Lancaster and reckoned that would be a good flat walk for my next outing with Pete.


Denny Beck, tributary of the Lune

Cold weather but good for reflections

This and the bridge beyond carrying the M6, a recent massive engineering project - I tried to capture passing traffic and just managed a bit of the Ssinsbury's lorry, top right

A contrast from the traffic roaring above on the M6

I don't mind this stuff occasionally when it is done well - this example hasn't quite reached my required standard

Aqueduct carrying the Lancaster Canal. I was stunned to learn that this magnificent structure was built in 1797!


Our two miles were up here - turn round and plod back. We are conservative regarding our cafés so back to the tried and tested Café Ambio for us, but this was a new discovery for me and may be opportune at some other time


Note the pink line - a section of our recent straight line guide for our walk from Longridge to Arnside. The thick blue line shows my very approximate line of new M6 link road construction

Note the inexplicable pussy cat. The road indicated is only about twenty yards away and this monolith seems a bit over the top in these surroundings but I'm not complaining
----------------------------------------------

On a recent post Beating the Bounds included the ponies resident near the Silverdale Haweswater. I was reminded of my Geocaching encounter a few years ago with my daughter and I posted a link to the video on his blog post, but I thought it was worth another airing here:

CLICK HERE


7 comments:

  1. Surprised you didn't try an e-bike for the return trip.
    I had not seen that video before, almost Freddie Frintonesque and
    that horse at the end looked a little ominous for your survival.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I tried to find any comment on the aqueduct in your post on this section of your Lancaster Canal project but either it was a 'gap' or you didn't post about that section - I doubt if you had crossed this aqueduct you would have failed to note its magnificence - as you did with signifiantly 'lesser' Rennie oeuvres - maybe it was the case of the railway and motorway viaduct phenomenon - one never appreciates them when crossing (either eyes tight shut - eg Beulah viaduct of yore) or one simply cannot see over the parapet.

    ReplyDelete
  3. BC - I'm not sure if my knees will still allow me to cycle but in the past I have dropped a bike off at one end by car so I could cycle back after a decent length of walk.
    -----------------------------------------
    gimmer - It seems that I didn't post about crossing the aqueduct but I distinctly remember walking cross it with Pete and I am sure I have a photo but despite my own photo filing system, which usually lets me find what I am looking for, I cannot find a trace.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Although I'm well aware of the reasons I'm saddened to note your shrinking world. To be reduced to two miles of cycleway followed by a reverse "plod" (your word not mine) back to where you started seems almost ironic when compared to marching "from sea to shining sea" (quote).

    I suppose walking backwards every alternate hundred yards and/or closing your eyes for ten-second passages wouldn't constitute worthwhile digressions. You could try I-spy. Well over half a century ago we took a walk from Ellerby by an inland road in the direction of Sandsend and passed the time spying out various items. Following a tendency you have no doubt come to expect of me, I cheated. I offered "Something beginning with A." which was never guessed and brought the sport to end. Mother finally asked me and I said "Albino" referring to a whitish horse we'd passed. Justifiably she told me I'd no way of knowing. Should you decide on I-spy it's as well to lay down a few ground-rules beforehand, just to keep moroseness at bay.

    Yes I well remember the other walk to Sandsend in detail. This was not it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. RR - 4 miles is not an insignificant distance in my book and admirable for Pete at the age of 84 and suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. So far we have not done I-spy; in fact it may not be so easy for me. I've just had an eye test which resulted in referral for cataract removal from my right eye. A three month wait for the initial consultation was forecast.

    I seem to remember collecting discarded cigarette packets on those walks and I had quite a big collection at one time.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The Red Door cafe at Halton is worth a look if you ever feel like a change from Cafe Ambio. The horse video is priceless.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Mark- thanks for that. Will bear it in mind.

    ReplyDelete