{"id":1008054,"date":"2023-11-09T20:26:53","date_gmt":"2023-11-09T20:26:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.half-daywalker.com\/?p=1008054"},"modified":"2023-11-09T20:26:57","modified_gmt":"2023-11-09T20:26:57","slug":"rufford-burscough-and-martin-mere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.half-daywalker.com\/?p=1008054","title":{"rendered":"Rufford, Burscough And Martin Mere"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The highly changeable weather continues. Today, I took a walk on a flat, lowland area, with plenty of bailout options should the weather really close in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, it was just the last 40 minutes when the showers reached me, so I enjoyed almost 3 hours of dry walking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The walk is 10.25 miles, but with only 80 feet of total ascent it’s very easy walking. It took 3 hours 45 minutes, including a 15 minute lunch break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a good walk for dog walking. The first section is on a little used canal towpath, and then it’s a mix of arable farmland and protected country paths, before the last half hour on the roads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s an hour’s drive from Cheadle Hulme to Rufford .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I walked in a clockwise direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The walk is on OS Explorer Map 285.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I parked on the road, near the church and marina, postcode L40 1BJ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Leeds And Liverpool (L&L)Canal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I set off in glorious sunshine along the canal towpath, heading south on the Rufford branch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The branch, completed in 1781, links the main L&L canal to the sea via the Ribble estuary a short distance to the north.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The towpath was muddy and little used. So, although there were no climbs on this walk, this part was quite hard going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it was beautiful in the sunshine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A hawthorn tree brought a clear sighting of my first three fieldfares of the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As I neared Burscough, it was good to see the Canal and Riverside Trust team cutting back vegetation, part of the unending maintenance work needed on this 242 year-old waterway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Burscough<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Shortly, I neared the attractive canalside town of Burscough, and the attractive Ship Inn, to which I paid a visit, via a short drive, after completing the walk! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After the lock, the meeting of the canals appeared at a small canal basin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The town’s mill has been nicely converted to canalside flats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I passed a couple more good-looking pubs, and a single pleasure craft before leaving the canal behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Martin Mere And Rufford<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After a short road stretch, I was somewhat nervous about underfoot conditions on the farmland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However the ditches saw that it was well drained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The railway line from Wigan to Southport is quite busy, but I crossed safely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Across the tracks, the landscape was a little more scrubby. The path then skirts the edge of the renowned Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust reserve. My path soon fell victim to the “wetland” element. I managed to get round this and keep my feet dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There were a couple of places to view the reserve, though nothing much to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The last stretch involved road walking with vast open fields either side, and rain sweeping across. Not too pleasant, just the price to pay for a lovely walk!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The walk ends back in Rufford, which has the feel of a Liverpool commuter village.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An enjoyable day out by the canal, topped off with a beer in The Ship Inn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Finally….<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Mountain Goats have been around since 1991. They’ve just released their 22nd studio album, so I don’t know why I haven’t come across them before as this is a really enjoyable listen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The album is “Jenny From Thebes”, and this track is “Only One Way”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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