Before I tell you about todays walk you may have noticed, on the right, that I have added AnswerTips to our Blog! Basically it means that you can double-click on any word in our blogs and a 'Pop-up' will appear providing concise information about the word. If that isn't enough, the full collection of sources on the topic is just a click away in the 'more' button. If you want to AnswerTips your website or blog, go to http://www.answers.com/main/answertips.jsp to get the HTML code.
Now todays walk...
For a change, we only drove to Beacon Park (Upholland/Skelmersdale) and, as the journey was so long, Chris volunteered to drive. Her 'speed awareness course' has, for most of the time, kicked in with a vengeance. 28ish up to the M58 and 65ish on the motorway. How time passes when travelling at such speeds!
Eventually arriving at Beacon Park Golfclub car park, we set off past a quite impressive dry stone wall...
embedded with 'flora & fauna' plaques...
We made our way up to the 'top car park' where the is a trig-point and apparently lots of kite flying; there were notices everywhere telling them to 'go fly their kites at the top end of the fields (Health & Safety). I wondered if there was a "Federal Law" about kite flying! :-)
Leaving the Park via a style, we headed down an old road and past a farm, which has recently been converted into apartments, emerging onto a road near what was once a Roman Catholic College. We past the main entrance to the former college (fenced off as if building/conversions were imminent) and headed down some fields following a line of telegraph poles.
To say it was wet was an understatement. My legs were getting soaked when Chris let out a yell. Turning quickly to rush to her aid, I found her pointing down into the long grass...
...she had been frightened by a vicious chick who was now playing dead, hoping we would leave a.s.a.p. We did.
Along a lane and enclosed footpath, to the right of Dean House Farm, we briefly entered a golf course (we haven't played here! One for the future perhaps) before heading down into Dean Wood.
Oyster Mushrooms were identified by Chris...
... which, according to her, would cost a fortune in the shops. She wasn't confident enough to take them home for tea!
Erosion along the banks of Dean Wood was apparent; many trees had exposed...
Quite impressive arn't they?
We had had quite alot of rain over the last few days so the noise from the stream was very intrusive but, in a nice way...
One particular place, where we have walked many times, we saw a waterfall...
...where normally we just commented on the liverworts, ferns etc., and told Ben to get out of the small caves (just to the right of the photograph, out of shot).
Two bridges were 'beyond crossing' and as a result we ended up having to climb away from the stream. I'm sure Ben, Mandy and Mel will remember the quagmire created by the equines near the canal end of Dean Wood. Well it is worse than ever. What a shame that Lancashire CC have allowed such a beautiful Wood to become so messed up by a minority of people and their animals. This part of the walk was, as you can emagine, hard work and I managed to slip onto all fours; muddy paws again!
We didn't manage to follow the instructions for our walk, emerging from Dean Woods earlier than we should, but managed to get back on track before the road that leads to the Fox Inn (Mandy: - 18th Birthday meal to remember!)
Turning right, no we didn't stop (too early they were not open) we made our way across an abandoned golf course and onto a road at Dalton. After a short walk along the road we turned left through what was the ruins of a farm and associated buildings; it looks as if someone was going to rebuild it! A very formidable task as there wasn't much left.
Beyond the farm we made our way across fields to join the road just before the turn to the car park. We decided to cross the stile and cross Beacon Park than to follow the road as the instructions suggested.
A lovely walk spoiled only by the churned up paths mentioned earlier; we had one brief shower but as I type this, it is positively precipitating it down outside. (See I've added lots of big words for you to try out AnswerTips!
Where is the map I hear some of you say? Well I've found a new mapping tool and I'll add the map later! Watch this space!
technorati tags:Upholland, Beacon, Park, Dean, Wood
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