It used to be the case when I went out on my bike that I was a cyclist, then I became a Mamil – a middle-aged man in Lycra – and now I’m told I’m an Oboe: an old bloke on an e-bike. But whatever name I go by, this is a great ride.
The West Pennine Moors between Brinscall and Belmont offer some beautiful cycling routes with quiet country lanes, scenic views and large reservoirs that are as pretty as any natural lake.
The starting point of this ride is the small village of Brinscall, now a quiet place that belies the fact that in the early 1900s there was a huge textile print works that employed hundreds of people, a huge quarry that still exists, a busy railway line and a station.
The ride then takes us to Top Lock on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal at Wheelton, so named as it is the top canal lock of a staircase of seven consecutive locks that raise the canal up Johnsons Hillock. Next the ride reaches the picturesque hamlet of White Coppice before climbing steeply up to the moors.
These moors have been used for centuries and bronze age burial sites are visible. From the high moors the route takes us down to the huge reservoirs of Anglezarke then up a steep climb out of Rivington to Hordern Stoops and a plunge down to Belmont and the road back to Brinscall.
1. Leave the car park, turn right then left up School Lane and turn left onto Harbour Lane then follow this as it turns right to become Briers Brow. Reach and cross the main A674 and go down Victoria Street into Wheelton and keep straight on at the road junction and follow Kenyon Lane.
2. Reach the Top Lock, so called because it is the top lock of a consecutive flight of seven locks that allows the Leeds-Liverpool Canal to ascend or descend Johnsons Hillock. It is also worth noting that next to the Bottom Lock is a canal junction and the spur canal that is about half a mile long was originally intended to go all the way to Preston and join the Preston-Kendal Canal. It reached Walton Summit before costs dictated that an alternative Tram Road was built to carry goods from here to Preston and terminate at Wharfe Street to join the Preston-Kendal Canal.
Turn left at the Top Lock pub and follow Copthurst Lane then, at the next road junction, turn left into Town Lane and keep on to reach Blackburn Road. Turn right, then cross the A674 and follow Chapel Lane and then turn left into Coppice Lane. At the bottom of the hill the road turns sharp right into Hollin Lane and at this point follow the track leading straight on and keep on this until it ends at White Coppice cricket field and pavilion.
Note: This must be one of the most picturesque cricket grounds in Lancashire and if there’s a game on as you pass, it’s well worth stopping to watch while enjoying a beer from the pavilion.
3. Retrace the track back to the road and turn left to follow Hollin Lane and at the road junction turn left and join Higher House Lane. Keep on downhill to reach the reservoir and the road changes name to Moor Road. Follow this as it climbs very steeply up to the moors and then descends very steeply back down towards the reservoir and turns very sharp left to a road junction.
Turn right and, with the reservoir on your right, follow the road as it crosses the dam on Knowsley Lane. Anglezarke Reservoir is the largest of a chain of three reservoirs designed by Thomas Hawksley and constructed between 1850 and 1857 for Liverpool Corporation.
At the road junction, turn left into Nick Hiltons Lane and follow this as it becomes Nickleton Brow then at the next road junction keep straight on and follow New Road then turn left into Horrobin Lane. Follow this into the hamlet of Rivington then turn right and follow Rivington Lane.
Note: Rivington is famous for being the home of Lord Leverhulme, William Lever who built a magnificent home on the hillside leading up to Rivington Pike with ornamental gardens and waterfalls and, the much-photographed Pigeon Tower, the only complete building remaining on the site. The site fell into disrepair after his death but in recent years, miles of path have been cleared, and caves, structures and buildings revealed.
4. Reach Great House Barn and enjoy a brew and cake in the excellent café. Retrace the route back into Rivington and turn right into Sheep House Lane. Follow this to the next road junction and keep right, following the sign for Belmont, then climb the long steep hill to the road summit at Hordern Stoops and descend the very steep hill to reach Belmont.
5. Turn left onto the A675 and follow this major road, passing Belmont Reservoir on the right and, further on, Rake Brook Reservoir also on the right.
6. Turn left onto Dole Lane, opposite the Hare and Hounds pub, and follow this until the road forks. Take the left fork onto Twist Moor Lane and follow this as it becomes Butterworth Brow and descend the steep hill back into Brinscall. At the road junction, keep straight on up School Lane and turn left into Lodge Bank and the car park.
COMPASS POINTS
START/FINISH: Car park near School Lane, Brinscall, PR6 8PT.
DISTANCE: 21 miles
TERRAIN: Good roads though a narrow track near White Coppice and some steep hills.
TIME: 2.5 hours
FACILITIES: The Cottage Tea Room in Brinscall and the café at Great House Barn Rivington with public toilets.
MAP: OS Explorer 287 West Pennine Moors.
