Longridge to Bolton. One. To the Ribble at Alston.
I’m at it again, joining places with a straight line. In the past, I have walked from my house to Sir Hugh’s in Arnside, from my house to the Pieman’s house in Skipton and a grander straight line from Blackpool to Aldborough on the east coast. I’ve written about these walks on here; if you care to search, I’ll add the links at the end of this post.
The idea came from Nicholas Crane’s Two Degrees West, in which he describes his walk in a straight line from Berwick-upon-Tweed to the Dorset coast, staying as close as physically possible to the 2 degrees west line of longitude. A book worth seeking out.
The challenge on the walks we completed was to stay within a kilometre either side of the drawn straight line. We accomplished this with very few transgressions.
I travelled with the Rockman, an old climbing friend in both senses of the word, to the funeral of a walking pal in Derbyshire the other week. On the way back, in a reflective mood, no doubt, we discussed the need to meet up more regularly for social walks. He lives in Bolton, so why not link our homes with one of those straight lines and try and walk it as closely as possible.
Today we make a start. To avoid backtracking, we need to employ the ‘two-car method’: one car driven to either end, which can involve some complicated logistics. Finding parking places can be challenging. The first important principle is to make sure each driver has their car keys on hand for when they reach the farthest car. A simple mistake is to leave your keys safely back in the other person’s car; think about it.
We rendezvous and drive to the bottom of Alston Lane, where I leave my car. We drive back to the start, my house, in the Rockman’s car and after some faffing with waterproofs, rain is in the air, set off to walk as close as possible to that straight line plotted on the map. We have an advantage today, as the footpaths are all well known to me. I try to avoid busy roads whenever possible, even if that takes us a little away from the line. 
There is a way through the new housing development; Oyster Catcher Drive leads us on a rather convoluted but virtually traffic-free route. Fauna Drive – they have killed all the fauna! We come out at our local Aldi.
After crossing the main road, we head down the pleasant Green Nook Lane, header photo, and are surrounded by fields. Crossing the Mardale football pitches, a gate leads into fields and a dodgy bridge onto a concrete track. We have almost escaped from Longridge. 
Housing estates are creeping into the countryside, but Alston Grange estate has left aside some land for recreation; possibly it wasn’t suitable for development, but that is the cynic in me talking. But it means we can walk along footpaths to cross the busy Preston Road and into Pinfold Lane. Yes, there had been a Pinfold here in the past. But of more interest now is the ancient cross base in the adjoining field. The Rockman points out a small stone with a benchmark which I’d not spotted before.
We don’t waste much time in the bird hides overlooking the redundant reservoir. We pass a few renovated farms, one of them belonging to a friend, but there is no sign of life, so we pass on a possible coffee stop. We need to get a move on anyhow- it’s going to rain by one. Open fields give murky views across to Pendle and ahead over the Ribble Valley to the West Lancs moors. 
Some farm lanes are used to progress until I locate the gate that takes us through what is a private garden to an empty farmhouse. I’m telling the Rockman of the farmers who use the adjacent land when the Wellington-clad woman wanders off into a field to tend her sheep. A scene from the past. 
It’s muddy going through the next few fields; it always is, and I have difficulty finding some of the stiles for onward progress. We find them awkward to cross; our limbs are not as flexible as before, but it gives me some photo opportunities.
The lower end of Alston Lane drops towards the river past some sympathetically restored stone properties, and then there is this – how did they get planning permission? And I’m not jealous.
There is a sign of autumn in the trees. 
We walk the final few yards towards the River Ribble, where there is an old ford crossing to Balderstone Hall. Friends have crossed here before, but perhaps when the water was lower.
We are content to look across to where we will continue our adventure next time.
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Today’s map. 
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Due to some technical problems and my ineptitude, I may have lost some comments from a previous version of this post. Sorry in advance.
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Links to previous straight line walks are here.
These straight line jobs seem to be very rewarding I think. From your text I guess you have arrived at Alston Old Hall. You say you will start from Balderstone Hall next time across the river which would mean your route has not been continuous because of the avoidance of crossing the river? Not that it matters.
I know. There is too much water at present; we should have done it a month ago. We intend to return when the water is lower – whenever that maybe.
We were always lucky with bridges on our walks.
Aha tech problems. My comment was about the Been To app, which unfogs the paths you walk on. I love it but I feel I should have started using it a lifetime ago.