Lancashire Walks - Longton and the Ribble Way

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The first challenge for readers who want to complete this month’s walk is to successfully find the starting point at the Brickcroft Nature Reserve in Longton. Although it is just off Liverpool Road, the reserve is not particularly well sign-posted, the first indication is a road sign with a duck on it followed after a hundred yards or so by an inconspicuous sign to the left to the Nature Reserve.

This used to be the site of Bentleys Brickworks, the workings now flooded to provide three lakes and some ponds for dipping. We can park here for free. The Visitor Centre is not manned during the week apart from at peak season.

As I was studying the map a dog-walking couple stopped and in a friendly way asked if I was lost, a common response I find whenever I’m caught looking at a map. Not wishing to appear stand-offish I asked if they could tell me the way to the Dolphin Pub. The elderly man considered this. ‘Now then, if you go in there you might not want to come out.’

There followed one of those conversations loaded with misunderstanding, leading nowhere and leaving both parties confused. It ended with us both bewildered so I thanked him and trusted my own sense of direction.

On leaving the car park, we cross the road and take the lane nearly opposite, Hall Lane. On the corner, Croft Bakery entices with tempting offers of all day breakfasts, sandwiches and cakes. Now I like all-day breakfasts. I could in fact eat them all day but I put the idea out of my mind and got on with the walk.

Passing along Hall Lane we come to a large area of greenhouses and turn right immediately after on an unmade road, Meadowhall Lane, that runs out at the end where a footpath sign points to the left. This is our route via a series of fields and stiles to meet a lane. Turn right then left and we arrive at the famed Dolphin Inn which is the starting, or finishing point of the Ribble Way. This 70-mile trail follows the course of the Ribble from its source on the soggy moors near the Ribblehead Viaduct to the Longton Marshes. You could say the Ribble Way has wet feet at both ends and for much of the bit in between too by all accounts.

Once past the Dolphin, the lane ends and we go up onto an embankment which, by turning right along it would lead to Penwortham Bridge if we followed it all the way to Preston. The river is out of sight, separated from us by the wide expanse of salt marshes but to the west can be seen, and heard, British Aerospace’s Warton facility.

The path runs along the top of the embankment in a dead straight line then turns right to cross Longton Brook, the footpath continuing along the field edge with a dike and hedge to our right. At length we meet a muddy farm track where we leave the Ribble Way and turn right towards the extensive buildings of Westlands and Old Grange Farms.

There is no right of way through the farmyard so be warned. I assumed there was and was indeed duly warned by the farmer fed up with ramblers ignoring his careful diversion. This departs by a stile on the left before the farm entrance and follows an obvious route round three sides of the farm, emerging on the lane the far side of the farm and coming back towards the buildings. A stile on the left then takes us away past a Leylandii hedge and a chicken run.

As I was mounting this stile a Land Rover pulled up and once again I was asked if I was lost. I replied that a chap had put me right when he found me blundering through his yard. ‘I’ll tell you what it is,’ he laughed. ‘I find it’s the colour of the hair!’ Cruel but true.

The route back to Longton is across a series of filed paths that need care to follow. After leaving the chicken run and barking dogs behind, follow a stunted hawthorn hedge to a stile into the next field where by bearing half left we come to a footbridge across a drainage ditch. Once across it keep right to an embankment along Longton brook, the line of which we follow leftwards passing under high tension wires.

We cross a second footbridge and remain beside the brook to a further stile. Ahead we can see the houses of Longton and as we get nearer a path can be discerned running behind the houses and parallel to them. This enters a narrow, enclosed lane which can be wet and muddy in places leading to a residential area, the path emerging onto a road.

Turn right then left on a bridleway that leads to the centre of the village directly across from Blundells Hardware store. With the Golden Ball pub on your right follow the pavement away from the village for about 750 yards and arrive at the Croft Bakery where that all-day breakfast awaits.

At the car I was just folding up the map when a dog-walker paused. ‘No,’ I said. ‘I’m not lost, but thanks anyway.