Bamwhe two

Verified Slow Way

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The previous two reviews for this Slowway are excellent and capture the character of the walk. A large proportion of the walk is along tarmac paths. It's only the 500m section between North Bank Farm and Denham Springs Farm that is wet and muddy (most of the year I guess!). This walk crosses three motorways, firstly under the M65, then over the M6 and finally towards the end of the walk, under the M61 through an intimidating tunnel (need a torch).
I did the walk from Bamber Bridge and after some pavement walking (don't miss the information board at The Hob Inn - fascinating local WW2 story) you enter Cuerden Valley Park with easy walking alongside the River Lostock. At the end of the park there's some more pavement walking before the views open out to the south-east towards Winter Hill. Pleasant rural footpaths take you to Hill Foot Farm before reaching North Bank Farm where the footpath quality declines rapidly. From here it's wet and muddy until Denham Springs when you're back onto a road. Lower Copthurst Road has no verge and the blind corner could be dangerous - take care! The Top Lock pub is available for refreshment before heading down Kenyon Lane into Wheelton. Didn't try the Tea Room but I've heard it's really friendly.
A really pleasant and easy walk spoilt a little by the M65 tunnel.

We walked this route on a (unseasonably!) warm day in October. There were four of us and a dog. Most of the walk was really nice through what felt like a big park with clear, tarmacked paths. It would be accessible for buggies and wheelchairs. The further we got in to the park the quieter it became and we sat by a big lake for lunch.

The final third of the walk became a bit tricky starting from when the route went under the M6. The tunnel is long and dark. Both my friend and I agreed there's no way we would walk that as women if we were walking alone. We finally came out the other end and followed a path through fields with some nice views. It became increasingly muddy and overgrown. There were whole stretches of ankle deep water we had to wade through and we all got stung by nettles.

The tea room in Wheelton at the end was lovely, we had tea and scones and it was really dog friendly.

I would recommend this walk to seasoned walkers but with the warning about the mud/water/overgrown stretch. I wouldn't recommend it to women walking alone which is a shame because it's only a tiny bit of the overall walk!.

From Bamber Bridge I soon reached Cuerden Park, along roads with safe crossings. Once in the park, most of the paths were tarmacked although a few were compacted gravel. The route was generally very easy to follow, and the sound of the motorway gradually faded. It was lovely and leafy with lots of birdsong. There was a small detour possible, to the Visitor Centre, but there were also benches and tables dotted about. The route followed the River Lostock, and I was 65% through the route by the time I left the park altogether.
At Whittle I headed up some steep streets with pavement parking, then through what looked like a private driveway, but there was a stile at the end. From here there was a lovely path with a good view to the south.
If you are interested in the history of canals, the section at Whittle Quarries and Hills is fascinating. There were canal tunnels here, and little patches of water are just visible below you through the leaves into the gardens. A small detour west would take you to more evidence. This was once a short section of the Lancaster Canal which joined the Leeds & Liverpool Canal at Johnson’s Hillock. Most of this section of canal was obliterated by the building of the M61.
I have explored around here previously so at least I was forewarned about the next bit. The path went through the edge of a horse field, via stiles, and along the back of gardens to descend a slippery, steep, muddy path (a bit overgrown with Himalayan Balsam at the time) to go under the motorway. Bring a torch! Actually my phone’s torch was sufficient.
The path the other side, continuing along the River Lostock, was muddy and a bit overgrown too, but all these paths appear to be in use. The road at the end was a great relief, but maybe it's easier in a different season.
Generally, this walk was very pleasant indeed. Animals I spotted included a tiny harvest mouse, pheasants, a horse and a peacock! Just the motorway crossing before Wheelton was difficult. There was a lovely café at Wheelton as a reward.

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