Sunday 1st March 2009 - Chipping

On Sunday 1 March, our walks and Supper are based on Chipping in the Bowland area. 

The coach will leave school as usual at 8.00 am prompt and travel directly to Chipping. There are toilets at Chipping where all walks begin and end. In view of the short journey, there will no toilet stop on the way.   We plan to leave, after the meal, at 6.30pm and should be back in Formby around 8.00pm.  

The ‘Hot Pot’ meal will be at the Derby Arms, just a few minutes drive from Chipping where we are expected around 4.30 to eat at 5pm. The Menu is 2 courses, by individual choice, from:

Main Course     Beef Hot Pot with pastry crust, mushy peas & red cabbage
                 or   Fish Pie and garden peas
                 or   Vegetarian Cannelloni and tossed salad

Dessert            Sticky toffee pudding
                 or   Fresh fruit meringue

Price:  £9.50 per person (this includes a small tip).   Coffee is extra at £1 payable on the day.

‘A’ Walk Distance: 11 miles Ascent: 1950 ft Leaders: Ken Bryning Bob Scurr	Amazingly, this is one of the cleanest walks we have ever done in the Bowland area, though probably helped by a layer of ice and some firm ‘squelch’ on the summit plateau! We leave Chipping via the furniture factory and head over fields to Saddle End Farm: this leads to open access land and a green path leads up over Saddle Fell and Wolf Fell to the summit of Fair Snape Fell (520m).   It is then a short walk west to the windbreak and trig point on Fair Snape where needless to say, on a good day, views to the west look over the Lancashire plains as far as the coast. The summit is an excellent viewpoint.   The descent is to Hazlehurst and then using tracks and fields via Bleasdale, Blindhurst and Woodgates to Chipping.
‘B+’ Walk Distance: 10.75miles Ascent:1750 ft Leaders: Dave Purdy David Wake	From Chipping we use minor roads and field paths to head generally north-west into Bleasdale, passing on the way Blindhurst Farm, Bleasdale school, an old packhorse bridge, Brooks Barn and Hazlehurst Farm before climbing to the summit of Fair Snape Fell. Having taken in (hopefully!) the extensive views, we return to Chipping via Blindhurst Fell and Parlick.
‘B’ Walk Distance: 8.5 miles Ascent: 900 ft Leaders: Carol Bryning Ray Webb	Leaving Chipping, we head east to the River Hodder at Doeford Bridge from where we swing south towards Longridge Fell and climb Spine Hill (657411).  Dropping down to Jeffrey Hill, our route back to Chipping takes us past Leach House, Radcliffe Hall and Black Hall.  By necessity, the route includes a couple of stretches of road walking.
‘C’ Walk Distance: 7 miles Ascent: 750 ft Leaders: Barry Whitby Peter Houghton	This circular walk explores the farmlands and limestone knolls to the north and west of Chipping. Leaving Chipping along the road we head for Leagram Hall Farm before crossing some fields to Knot Barn and Lower Greystoneley.   We now continue through a ford and via the farms of Higher Greystoneley , Fair Oak to the small knolls around New Laund and Tunstall Ing.  On reaching the small hamlet of Dinkling Green the main climbing is complete and all that remains is some gentle undulations as we make our way via Lickhurst Farm, Park Gate and Chipping Lawn back to the coach.