Lancashire Way Day 1

Preston to Mellor
Distance 21.5 miles
Ascent 800m
Weather: cloudy, rain in afternoon
Things on hands: creosote, dog snot, mud
State of feet: mild decay
Dog bench, runners, oystercatchers, grey wagtails, deer, kingfisher

We had got the train from Manchester to Preston yesterday evening and set off after breakfast this morning, after calling in at sainsburys for supplies, including lunch and more cold and flu tablets.

We set off through the park, narrowly avoiding getting trampled by hordes of runners.

We followed the River Ribble which was considerably higher than when we were here at Easter. There has been quite a lot of rain. At that point there was just high cloud some patches of blue sky.

The route was on pavements for about 3 miles, then the pavement went away and we were on verges, then walking along the edge of the road until we'd crossed the bridge over the M6, just south of j21. Almost straight after, we turned off up a track by fields of sheep and oystercatchers. Once we'd got through the gate anyway.

We followed the banks of the River Darwen for a while, then reached Cardwell farm, where the path abruptly became a stinky cow swamp. After some thought we decided to turn back and make a detour around. There was a footpath not far away through a grassy field so we went that way. Rob nearly stood on a squirrel. Then we had to battle with a barbed wired up gate but we made it to the lane with relatively clean shoes.

The path went around a walled wood around Houghton Hall with gates (possibly door) and deer. The Hall (and tearoom) is closed on Saturdays so we didn't go up the drive, instead we stood under some trees and put our waterproofs on as the heavens opened.

It eased off after a while and we had a sit by river for lunch, along with some midges and friendly cows.

Riverside path became grassy fields through farmlands. We stopped for tea and cake at the visitor centre at Witton Country Park then walked up Billinge Hill to the misty viewpoint, through woodland with slightly bedraggled rhododendrons. The clouds began to clear and there was some sunshine. Also some mud.

We left the woodland, crossing a very muddy bridge then down a slippy stone path, crossed a few wet grassy fields before emerging out on the road just outside of Mellor. We walked up into the village to the Millstone Hotel, where our room is up three flights of stairs.