It is not often I am taken aback by a supermarket but Booths in Hesketh Bank is up there with the greats. This is not my photo as I am hurrying in to buy a couple of sandwiches and the sky is grey, promising rain – not ideal for photos. The building is well designed and apart from the cleanliness and abundance of products, I am most impressed by the staff who actually look they enjoy working there.

From the cheery fresh meat counter to the lush delicatessen the shop breathes quality and there is table service in the cafe (well, you have to order at the counter but they bring the food to you). So there you have it…….

After this heady experience we leave the car next to an abandoned building and walk down the main road in the rain through Becconsall and Tarleton to turn left in front of St Mary’s Church which is closed. Apparently it costs £2,500 a year to keep our churches maintained in a reasonable state of repair and this one did not reach its target. The church was built in the early 18th century but the pretty domed structure on the tower is a later addition – it’s called a bellcote.

Trying to ignore the noise of the traffic we walk down besides the A565 crossing a bridge which spans a canal and immediately after the River Asland or Douglas (whichever you prefer).

Leaving this vision of tranquility we now have a mile of walking beside heavy morning traffic all hurtling towards Liverpool. Eventually we reach Carr House Bridge where a footpath leads off to the left to follow the east bank of the river. We stop to talk to a rather dishevelled dog walker who turns out to be a very enthusiastic rambler and has completed most of the major walking trails in Britain. Appearances certainly do deceive sometimes………….

We are now on a narrow path along the east bank of the river WHATEVER and progress is slow, not only because waterproof trousers restrict movement, but also because Damian keeps stopping every 10 minutes to use his new bird identification app. I have also downloaded a plant identification app so between the two of us it’s not so much a walk as a shuffle. Still, it’s exciting and with any luck we may be able to remember at least 10% of what we learn.

We follow the muddy river until the landscape opens up to marshland – it is still raining.

Great weather for ducks …..and geese…………..

The path leads us on through Hoole Marsh – there are cows on the path but they don’t seem very interested.

…………….until we spy civilisation in the form of the Dolphin Inn which is where we had planned to stop for the day. However, to get to the inn the path is marked as going through a field with two young jittery horses and although I had a horse when I was a child I do not like to come too close to those I do not know. Fortunately there is a gate in the next field which is easy to climb over and takes us up a minor road and to the pub.

As we are pretty wet by now we decide to skip the pub and walk a mile or so up to the nearest village called Longton where we can get a bus back to Preston. On the way we pass this sorry sight.

Damian wonders whether there would be any spare parts worth having but it seems all too big a task.

Distance: 7 miles