Stage 16 Wigan to Leigh
Distance 10 miles
Mute swans, cetti's warbler, big fish, tiny toad, kestrels, great crested grebes, little grebes, cormorants, common terns, grey heron, roe deer, eqyptian geese, kingfisher
We bought joint tram/train/bus tickets today and took the tram and then train to Wigan, with some busy road crossings before joining the Leeds and Liverpool Canal almost at Wigan pier, which we missed. There was a lot of boat movement on the water today. At Wigan Flashes nature reserve, the canal goes straight between Pearson's Flash and Scotsman Flash, the lakes having been created from old collapsed mines. According to Wikipedia the mines collapsed in about 1902 and the name flash comes from the flash floods that resulted. There are some big lakes but mostly the paths were lined with trees and shrubs with just the occasional clearing giving some views of water. Leaving the nature reserve we followed a path through farmland into woodland near Bryn Hall where there is an enchanted tree trail (although it seems some fairies prefer fence posts) and the Three Sisters race circuit.
We had lunch in Viridian Woods, which has the look of a rewilded landfill site and was surrounded by industrial activity. There were some swallows and housemartens but mostly pigeons. The path leds through grassy meadows dotted with young trees, with duckboards through the wet reedy areas. There was yellow birdsfoot trefoil, queen anne's lace and thistles with many butterflies and moths but mostly flies.
At Pennington Flash we spent a while watching a kingfisher at one of the pools, and then walked through the woodland and meadows to the visitor centre. We walked into Leigh to the bus station and caught the V1 bus into Manchester. The route goes along the guided busway which is interesting, there are about 8 buses an hour and it took about 40 minutes to get to St Peters Square.