Sunday 17th November 2019 - Darwen, Lancashire

This month our walks are based on Darwen in Lancashire. The landscape in the area is varied and comprises remote moorland and extensive deciduous wooded valley   The coach will leave school as usual at 8.00am prompt and travel to the services at Junction 4 of the M65 for a short booting up and toilet stop. The coach will then continue to the visitor centre at Tockholes no 3 plantation arriving about 9.30am. Boots are essential on all walks. There is a cafe at Tockholes Information Centre and an adjacent pub for refreshments after the walk. The coach will depart at 4.30pm and should be back in Formby at 5.30pm

The cost of travel will be £16.00 for members, £18.00 for non-members, £7.00 for Leaders, £7.00 for children and students in full time education. Please make your cheque payable to Range Walking Club and ensure it is signed as it is inconvenient for the Treasurer to chase up such omissions.

Please book by email and pay online or send in your return to the Treasurer Monica Sealey before 10th October; places will be booked on the coach by the treasurer on a first come first served basis.

Cancellations: if you need to cancel or make a late booking, please contact the Treasurer on 01704 809287 or by email monicatuk@yahoo.co.uk who will endeavour to substitute your booking from the waiting list.  If you cancel after 10th October and it is not possible to fill your place on the coach, regrettably, we will not be able to give you a refund as coaches will have been booked on initial returns.

Club Weekend 28th - 31st May 2020 is based on Criccieth North Wales. There will be walks on Thursday afternoon, Friday, Saturday and if there is sufficient support Sunday morning. Attached to this letter is a list of accommodation in Criccieth. Please book your own accomodation and notify me when you have booked so we know how many people will be on the weekend.

‘A’ Distance: 11 miles Ascent: 1,670 ft Leaders: John Roberts Edwina Roberts	From Roddleswortth Visitor Centre at Ryal Fold we head north to Tockholes joining the Witton Weavers Way, which will be our companion for most of the day. We then drop down to the west passing Crow Tree Farms to re-join the Way to Abbey Village and then follow it as it turns south-east passing reservoirs. Leaving the reservoirs behind we climb through the Tockholes plantations. After a short distance on a road we follow the WAY up onto Darwen Moor before heading to the Jubilee Tower (which may be open for those interested in the climb up, 76 steps to the top). A short descent takes us back to the coach and a reward in the Royal Arms or cafe.
‘B’ Walk Distance: 9 miles Ascent: 1000 ft Leaders: David Willis Trevor Ludlow	The prominent landmark of the Pennine Moors to the west of Darwen is the Jubilee Tower constructed to celebrate Queen Victorias Diamond Jubilee in 1897. We are aiming for this for our coffee break, after a gently-paced steady climb, it is the highest point of the day. Leaving the Tower, which may be open to ascend, we follow the contours (and the Witton Weavers Way), dropping down slightly to Duckshaw Brook where we leave the WWW. Swinging round White Hill to traverse the level and in parts boggy Darwen Moor we meet the WWW again to head west passing Higher Pasture Farm Barn. We now have some very pleasant woodland walking, descending through Tockholes Plantations following the River Roddlesworth to the upper and lower reservoirs of that name. Circumnavigating these reservoirs we eventually arrive at the coach, pub and cafe.
‘C’ Walk Distance: 6 miles Ascent: 800 ft Leaders: Denise Nunn Barry Whitby	Our walk is through woodland, moorland and fields also passing close to reservoirs. Starting from the visitor centre we cross the road to descend through woodland to Roddlesworth reservoir. Climbing to re-cross the road again we make our way down to Earrsdale reservoir, then enter Sunnyhurst Woods. We climb to exit the woods to then skirt the Jubilee Tower onto Darwen Moor. After traversing farmland we descend into woodland to make our way to the visitor centre for refreshments.