The footpath is level throughout (discounting the bridge over the Pinfold marina), which are mostly earthern, grass or stony, cobbled in places under bridges, with only a few road crossings at road bridges....

Hiking Historian

From Formby station to the Formby bypass the route is on urban pavements followed by a footpath (Mittens Lane)....

spurgeon

From here, the often busy rural road is now unpaved, but we leave it at the next farmtrack: a long straight, often muddy, path through the massivw, flat fields. A short unpaved road, then a path alongside the old railway, and soon we're in the small village of Haskayne, where, once we're through, we take a small path by a playing field to the towpath of the Leeds And Liverpool Canal and so eventually come to the Scarisbrick Arms, and the end of the route, with its nearby bus stops....

Hiking Historian

First, the footpath to Plex Moss Lane suggests you go straight across to the road, but there's no way across the deep ditch, so you need to follow the track to join the road....

Hiking Historian

The towpath is a mixture of earthern track and metalled path of stone and earth, it's an easy wander along the Leeds And Liverpool Canal with the only road crossing at the Running Horses, until we come near the end of the route, where we go over a footbridge and follow the pavements up past the Morrisons and to The Square, the end of the route. A good walk along the paths of my childhood!...

Hiking Historian

At the time I walked it, there was a short towpath closure at Crabtree Bridge Farm, near Burscough, but the diversion was easy, across a level bridge, along the path the other side, next to moored boats for 200 metres, and back over another level swing bridge....

Mary Oz

There are some rather lovely suburban gardens backing onto the canal along the first section, but as the canal becomes more rural, the wide gravel towpath becomes a narrow, occasionally cobbled or muddy, track between the vegetation, making it a challenge for most wheels, although there were one or two careful cyclists....

Mary Oz

Unpaved, it is a quiet rural road, although not totally free from traffic. A long and straight path, passing under a few bridges along the way, once we're past the sewage works, we turn left onto a short dirt track that brings us to an unpaved rural road....

Hiking Historian

The route of the path was not really clear but I got directions across a field with horses to a stile and one of the many interesting little foot bridges on this route (pics) which seem to be a feature of this area. Popped out onto Green Lane and although I could see where the footpath continued (between some houses), it was completely impassable (pics). Once I got through that bit it opened out again with a path between the fields but very close to the end at Downholland Cross it closed up again with summer foliage and it proved impassable so I retraced my steps back to Green Lane. I thought this was a lovely route with LOADS of interest and fantastic views but the latter part (basically Formby Lane to the finish at Downholland Cross) though does not seem to be walked much and, it being summer, was very overgrown and in the end impassable. There were some access issues though with overgrown foliage and some of the paths little used and not always being able to be seen clearly on the ground and the foliage rendering the path impassable in two places when I walked it....

Dinah Kelly

I've not walked this route, but I've walked the two separate routes that forms this. They're both very good walks, but I don't see the point in combining two Slow Ways to make one. Personally I would avoid Ormskirk altogether and use the canal to bypass it to Burscough, a route I'll try in the near future....

Hiking Historian

Unfortunately, however, it was marred for me by the link between the Cheshire Lines railway walk and Owens Lane: the first section isn't too bad, albeit through a ploughed, muddy field, but at the brook, which heads into a strawberry field, I couldn't locate any way across the water course as it was so overgrown. Couldn't even be sure there was a footbridge!...

Hiking Historian

The section between the brook and Owen's Lane is a little frustrating, with some poorly maintained footpaths leading straight through planted potato fields and overgrown hedgerows (see photos), but that was the only dampener on an otherwise enjoyable hike....

Sam Walton

This is a wonderful walk, but be warned that the signposting at the Downholland end is non existent, and the wiggle through various buildings is also not signposted. If I go back I will try and put up some photos to help....

Nicola van Rijsbergen

Lack of ramps or road crossings; narrow pavements and a short unpaved section of road; footpaths across grassy or sandy ground; the odd step; and a lengthy canal walk....

Hiking Historian

Two short sections of busy road without pavement requiring care and one on a quiet country road....

Barrie Woodcock