A group of three or four of us try to meet once a month for a walk. It’s a bit weather dependent but usually takes place on the first Wednesday of the month. Our walk for October found us in Witton Park in Blackburn, repeating a walk that Heather and I had done in May. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t quite as good, but The Beamers’ Trail is a good one in most weather conditions.
Witton Park is a huge green space on the edge of Blackburn. There are paths, playgrounds, sports pitches and woods and, also a café. This was supposed to be open according to the park’s website. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. Anyway, forgoing the bacon sandwich and cup of tea that we were hoping for, off we went.
The trail heads up from the park through woods. First through Big Cover Wood and then on to Billinge Hill and Billinge Wood. As at Hardcastle crags a couple of days earlier, the leaves were just beginning to turn. Everywhere was wet, but the rain that had threatened held off all day.
Leaving Billinge Wood, the path crosses open fields to the Wainwright Memorial, where we paused for a chat with a local bloke who was sitting watching the world go by. Moving on we wound through bits of woodland and across fields and then down into the valley of the River Darwen. It was in one of the wooded areas that we came across the fungi pictured here. They are apparently Amanita muscaria or Fly Agaric. They are considered poisonous and are not to be eaten!
We saw very few people on the walk, but this is one of the joys of mid-week walking, particularly out of school holidays.
The path follows the river for a while before climbing past Pleasington Golf Club to Throstle Nest Brow and then dropping down into Pleasington Village and The Butlers Arms. Please note that, according to the gentleman we met by the Wainwright memorial, Pleasington isn’t pronounced Pleasington but Plesington. The beer in the Butlers Arms is highly commended, and my walking comrades tell me that the cake is good too.
From here, it’s all downhill to the western end of Witton Park and the River Darwen and then a gentle stroll by the river back to the cars. It is just over 6 miles depending on how lost you get in the woods at the beginning of the trail. Ideally, it would have a café that was open as advertised but The Butler’s Arms made up for it and we all had food with us.
Thanks to John, Neil and David for being such good company. I’m reasonably happy to walk alone but our impression of Compo, Clegg and Foggy is much more enjoyable. Does this make me Eli or Barry?
Thanks to Mr. J. Cairns for 2 of these photos.