Guild Wheel and Ribble Way.

I was back in Preston bus station, and a short walk, including Winkley Square, had me in Avenham Park. It wasn’t supposed to rain, but I was donning waterproofs under the old railway bridge before setting off along what was mainly the Preston Guild Wheel shared with The Ribble Way. The weather remained dull and damp all day.

The 21-mile Guild Wheel cycle and walking path  [National Cycle Route 622] was opened in 2012 as one of the projects of that year’s Preston Guild. Established by royal charter in 1179, the Preston Guild of Traders was initially held every few years on an irregular basis but has taken place every 20 years since 1542, except 1942 when it was cancelled due to World War II, resuming in 1952. It circles the city of Preston, mainly on off-road trails, and is very popular with cyclists.

In the park, a group of Cromwell’s soldiers were preparing to re-enact the Battle of Preston.

I normally cycle this route, so it was a different experience on foot, but I was able to make fast progress. I was soon on the banks of the river opposite Cuerdale Hall, the site of the Cuerdale Hoard discovery in 1840. The hoard was a vast collection of Viking silver coins and jewellery now displayed in the British Museum.

Cuerdale Hall

The trail became busier once it entered the Brockholes Nature Reserve, a large wetland area. I didn’t have binoculars with me, so there was no lingering. The steep track up into Red Scar Woods was easier without having to push a bike. Leaving the Ribble Way, the Guild Wheel goes through the grounds of Preston Crematorium.  The diversion to Ladyewell Shrine involved roads and tracks very close to the motorway, so the traffic noise was ever-present. The lane leading up to the shrine is thought to have been a pilgrim route for centuries and continues to be so. The present Ladyewell House incorporates a chapel from 1685, which was used until St. Mary’s Church was built up the road in 1793. [I have photos of my children in a nativity play in the present-day church when they attended the neighbouring Fernyhalgh infant school, now closed.] Our Lady’s Well remains the object of pilgrimages to this day, pressing a button serves you with water from the well. There is also an ancient cross base here amongst the modern Catholic shrines and religious tat. I’m not sure why the Ladyewell Shrine has become so popular as a pilgrimage destination.

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