ROSSENDALE RAMBLERS
BECAUSE coronavirus has stopped our group walks, we will look back at some of the walks we did in the same week last year.
This will – usually - bring back nice memories for our group, and hopefully it will also be interesting for our Free Press readers.
On Sunday, March 24, 2019, we had a six mile walk from Huncoat, near Accrington.
According to Wikipedia, the name is of Anglo-Saxon origin - Hun, or Hunna being a family name and Cotte being an Old English word for an animal shelter.
It is an ancient settlement, being mentioned in the1086 Domesday Book.
The walk attracted 22 walkers, a number with us for the first time, but who have since become regulars.
This relatively easy walk had views of distant hills, but the terrain was gentle, as we walked across fields, along the 200 year old Leeds and Liverpool Canal, and finally through woodland.
Then on Wednesday, March 27 we had a great turnout of 30 for a 10 mile walk taking in (not quite all of) the 85 acre Sunnyhurst Wood, Darwen.
The wood was bought in 1902 by Darwen Corporation to commemorate the coronation of Edward VII, and opened as a public park a year later.
The old woodman’s cottage is now a visitor centre.
The walk was very varied, the highlight being a climb to Darwen’s iconic Jubilee Tower, built in 1898 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.
The previous wooden dome was blown off in 2010, but was replaced in 2011 by a stainless steel structure made by apprentices of local engineering company WEC.
Further information about Rossendale Ramblers can be found on our Facebook page and on our website (www.rossendale-ramblers.co.uk), or you can contact us via secretary Glyn on 01706 561 042, or by email to glynbr45@gmail.com.