Ashwig one

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Ashwig here.

As with the previous reviewer, I had some issues with this route. Most of it is perfectly fine, and works well, and it's always nice to walk along the Leigh branch of the Leeds And Liverpool Canal and the flashes.

The section through the new housing estate in Bryn is better than it was a year ago; the line of the footpath has been kept as it was, but at time of survey, a section was still fenced off, but a diversion is in place.

The path still does not pass through Park House Farm, despite still being marked as such on OS maps; it's understandably fenced off as the derelict farm is falling apart. The farm track just goes around it, though.

But the worst bit is where we leave the main footpath not long after; the marked footpath is completely overgrown and invisible, and one would wonder if theresa path there at all! And because of that, I wasn't able to check the unmarked path through the woods and flashes towards the canal.

Almost a great route, but I've amended it slightly to correct these errors.

This route consists of a mixture of canal towpaths, gravel, unmade footpaths and private lanes, with major roads at either end of the route.

As portions of the routes are low-lying and within wetlands, mud can become an issue following rain. The width of paths are also likely to cause problems for those with mobility issues.

When walked in September 2023, housing development meant that there was a temporary footpath diversion between Bryn and Landgate, but this caused no issues.

There are however three other locations where I had to deviate from the mapped route. The first is at Park House Farm (SD578022) where the Right of Way has been unofficially diverted around the farmhouse buildings. The second was on the Northern branch at a junction of Right of Ways (SD580024), which dispute Wigan Councils proactive maintainance often becomes overgrown and very muddy. And finally within Wigan Flashes Nature Reserve (SD581030) the marked paths on OS maps do not represent what is on the ground. In all of these instances, minor diversions were all that was required - these will be submitted as an alternative route (Ashwig Two?).

All in all, this is a pleasant walk, with wildlife and tranquility between two sizable urban locations.

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