Wednesday 30th December. 6.5miles. Chipping.
The days over Xmas have been all of a sameness, and now we are heading into a new year. Getting out in the good weather has helped the old year drift away. Mike is back from his family Christmas in Leeds, so we meet up in Chipping. I park next to the Village Memorial Hall which Mike designed way back in 1999, it is still looking good. We set off along past the Congregational Chapel and Club Row cottages. If you have a spare hour or so for a walk around Chipping Village and need some history have a look at http://www.chippinghistory.co.uk/page4.html
The lanes are virtually traffic free, and we have views across the misty valley to a wintry Pendle and Longridge Fell [header photo]. Passing a few scattered farms we start climbing towards the hills.
All of a sudden a silent glider flashes above us coming in low to land in the field alongside. This is Chipping Gliding Club. Their gliders are often seen above the Bleasdale ridges. Around the corner the lanes were clogged with the parked cars of the masses climbing Parlick perhaps for some sledging for the children.
We carried on uphill before plunging down an icy stretch to the buildings of Wolfen Mill, a former water powered mill making spindles and bobbins for local mills. Up again, and we are on the remote road to Saddle Fell and beyond, classical Bowland scenery. Our roller coaster continued by Birchen Lee and Chipping Lawn sheep farm into the parkland of Leagram before the narrow streets of Chipping.
What a splendid little walk ending with another of those late December skies.
*****
That walk looks so beautiful and great shot of the glider too. 🙂
The first glider was past us before we knew it, and surprisingly low above our heads.
Was ready for the next one. They must have had fantastic views as the air was clear but couldn’t stay up long with poor thermals.
Looks like we will be walking uber-local for some weeks now.