Garbar one

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 100.00% of reviewers

This route is poorly plotted but can be followed. It used definitive paths where there really is no need, making it a bit of a tour. There are cattle, steps and stiles plus rough ground and mud.

I walked from Barton taking the main road for a short distance from the meeting point at the church close to bus stops and seats. The turn is signed a footpath but no assistance is offered at the cul-de-sac end where the path appears to go up a house drive. It’s then a stepped bridge over the railway and into countryside with cattle.

The electric fence remains in place across the track with a sort of stile alongside. OS show the unused path here on the opposite side of the hedge so it’s unlikely the Highway Authority will take action on this permissive alternative. At the bend in the definitive path by the farm buildings another wire trails on the ground, a trip hazard. Only a walker’s injury claim will improve their duty of care, it appears.

The track surface improves to that of a country lane but has no traffic. Crossing the road by the canal bridge we enter a grass field so more cattle here and of interest is the canal boundary post. Nice bit of walking although the ground is cattle trod but then at the disused quarry we are fenced in alongside the canal. I was lucky because the surface had recently been mown.

Finally onto the canal towpath and again some mowing was evident. For how much longer Canal and River Trust will have funds for this is an issue at present, they may look for volunteers. We now stay on the canal bypassing multi-services in Bilsborrow so there is only the rather run down Guy’s. The aqueduct is currently accessible to view over a trampled fence while services at the Garden Centre are off route.

A there and back, not clear in the plot, takes us onto our next tour footpath which I enjoyed for it’s discovery experience but was otherwise unnecessary. We leave the canal for good after crossing another aqueduct and initially it’s a farm track. When we meet the avoidable road walk there is no pavement or verge so care is needed.

We cross the canal again at Bonds and continue along the road in Garstang crossing the River Wye and the Wye Way.

An interesting tour but a poor Slow Way. The route has no serious issues that would fail it but I mark it down for poor plotting and the unnecessary tours.

This is a great pub walk! A really lovely picturesque route along a canal with lots of choices for pubs including one with an ice cream parlour.

Leaving Barton, the route crosses a railway footbridge, via a private driveway. It crosses a farm (beware the almost invisible electric fences almost crossing the route) then proceeds along a pleasant straight country road to the canal. Rather than follow the towpath, some fields need to be crossed, before accessing the towpath from the next bridge, via a flight of steps. The route stays on the towpath passing Guy’s Thatched Hamlet (with pubs and shops), and Barton Grange Garden Centre and Marina. After this the route leaves the towpath again for a pointless and tricky diversion through fields, alongside the railway, and back to the towpath, via a slightly tricky descent. After a mile or so of canal, the route follows relatively quiet roads into Garstang.
This route is reasonably pleasant (apart from the inevitable drone of the M6) but I’m not sure why it needs to keep leaving the canal.

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