Day 2. Chorley to Haslingden

Hello. Well we were picked up this morning, me and the other walker, and were taken back to the B & B for our breakfast, and I was on my way just after 9am. No mizzle today, didn't need to wear my jacket, it was quite warm. Flowers outside the Magistrates Court.

On the spur of the moment I decided to go into Astley Park and go and have a look at the Hall before I left. The grand entrance.

There is a Sensory Garden with perfumed plants, and things for visually impaired people to touch. I thought this wooden carved bench was particularly interesting.

The Hall itself doesn't look particularly attractive, rather boxy, with no nice carvings or ornate stone features. I couldn't get excited about it.

The lake in front of it is nice. 

There was a lot of people strolling about. Plenty of dog walkers, and mothers with buggies and small children. I stopped to chat to a man walking his dog, and during the course of the conversation he was asking about my walking. I told him about the walks I had done, and was gobsmacked when he told me he was born in Burton on Trent in the same hospital as I was. How very weird is that. I spoke to a random stranger in a place I have never been before and I find we have this connection. He lived in the same village as I lived when I was a toddler, and his mother used to give singing lessons to my cousin. What an amazing coincidence.

Looking at it close up it is in desperate need of a face lift. It all looks tired and tatty.

The better side of it is round the back. 

As I was heading out of Chorley just over the railway bridge was this pub. Next I walked over the M61 motorway and picked up the A674. 

A mile later I was striking off right on a minor road which took me through Brinscall, Withnell, and Abbey Village, towards Darwen. Then I joined a path to take me past Roddlesworth Reservoir, There are such a lot of paths in the area I got a bit confused, and asked for directions from a couple walking their two dogs. It was easier just to follow them as they were going in the same direction. Maxine and Chris were great, I was very slow at climbing a steep bank through a wood with lots of huffing and puffing, and Chris took my backpack off me. They invited me to join them for a drink when we reached the pub on the roadside. I do meets some nice people on my travels. 

Over there in the distance is The Tower on Darwen Hill. I didn't go over there, I had already dawdled enough so I thought it best to get on. 

Sunnyhurst Hey Reservoir came into view 

Here we are in Darwin. I came down a steep road, blimey how do people cpoe going up and down this street. 

This is the college. The way out of the town went up a very long and steep hill. Boy was I sweating, I must have lost a couple of pounds today.

It was a long hard crawl up that hill, I had to stop halfway up and change the trousers to shorts and take off a layer. I was glad when I reached the summit.

This is a public footpath which goes down someone's driveway to their house.

Looking down on Ogden Reservoir. I could see it in the distance but the footpaths were not very clear, It was a case of walking towards it and hoping for the best. Most of the stone walls were crumbling so it didn't matter if I lost the path, I could just walk through the gaps.

Aha, at last a sign. 

There used to be houses up here a long time ago. Maybe these are ripe for renovation, ha ha.

Oh dear, a bit too far gone I would say.

 Yay, I found the water. Not long now, keep going. I rolled into Haslingden at 6.30pm and started searching for a bed.

The first man I asked sent me further up the road to a couple of pubs which did rooms. He very kindly offered me use of his caravan and said I should come back if I was unlucky. I did find a room and didn't need to take him up on his offer. So tonight I am in a 'No Frills', room, meaning no towel, and no breakfast. I'm at the front of the building next to a busy road, and the plumbing keeps making horrible loud trumpet noises when someone turns the tap on or flushes the toilet in another room. Definitely no frill here, but what can you expect for £15, ha ha. Not quite as many miles as yesterday. only 18.5, but a heck of a lot of hills up and down.

It's looking like there will be some road walking tomorrow as that seems to be the easiest route. I'll get off now, and hopefully catch you tomorrow.