A landscape full of variety

Summary

White Coppice is a hamlet in the heart of Lancashire, near Chorley. It is close to the reservoir of Anglezarke, which is the largest reservoir in Rivington! Whilst exploring the area on foot, experience a journey through a landscape full of variety, from wild and exposed moorlands, deep valleys and quiet woodland trails.

The Hike

We began from the quaint hamlet of White Coppice, parking alongside the cricket ground. From here we ventured onto an open woodland path, following the lazy river that flowed besides us. The air was filled with an aroma of deep earthy smells, spring was upon us. Whilst we made our way along the trail, it was a nice feeling to have to not worry too much about what clothing to wear, especially being caught out in the cold, wind and rain.

It made a huge difference to weight in our packs!

As we bumbled alongside the riverbank, we crossed a narrow bridge from where our first ascent began. The path rose steeply, slowly narrowing and winding itself in-between the trees, leading us up alongside the edge of the moorland from where we would join an exposed path. Whilst we emerged onto the new terrain, there was a sense of calm in the air as we meandered our way through the exposed valley. There was no wind, it was pleasantly warm, and all we could hear was the soothing crunch of the gravel beneath us, taking us to the summit of Great Hill. Whilst we made our way to the summit, we stumbled across a stone bench that was a memorial for a fell runner in the area that went by the name of ‘Joe’ I am assuming.

“Aw that’s nice” Charlotte said “I think the bloke was called Joe” I said…in a joking manner.

On the summit of Great Hill there were great views of the surrounding area, with Jubilee Tower sat in the far distance. The summit was busy with people as they congregated in the cross-stone seating area. We decided to move on from here quickly. The terrain changed to a path that was guided by large slabs of rocks planted into the ground. As we continued along the trail, we couldn’t help but stop for a moment to take in our surroundings, gazing into the desolate valley, and also deciding which way we had to go. We could see other figures in the distance, who, like us, decided to venture off the beaten track. It was hard to navigate along the trail as the path wasn’t quite as visible as we had expected. Whilst trying to navigate through the bleak landscape, we came to a cairn that went by the name of ‘Round Loaf’, this overlooked the town of Rivington.

Onwards, we followed the trail as it snaked its way through the moorlands. “Oh, we have gone way off track” Charlotte said. She showed me the map, and it turned out we really had gone way off track! We made a U turn and began to wade our way through thick heather, until we eventually arrived back onto the correct path. Slightly frustrated at our mistake, and slightly knackered walking through the thick heather, we proceeded through a swooping u-shaped valley, following an idyllic slow flowing stream, that brought us to an expansive woodland opening. It wasn’t until here, that the hike started to become a lot more enjoyable and exciting, especially after our navigational error.

The trail itself was meant to take us besides the woods, however, we couldn’t resist exploring and finding our own path. “Surely there will be a path through the woods?” I said. Meanwhile, we crossed the stile and began our woodland exploration. We followed a narrow path besides a large gorge, that had a large waterfall of pouring water flowing down a slime-like green mossy slope. As the path fell away steeply, taking us deeper into the woods, we continued through, finding ourselves being immediately warmed with every step we took.

A welcoming change to the landscape we had before, and a great spot for lunch!

After lunch, we continued through the woods, exploring new trails that continued upwards through the jungle of trees. Meanwhile, the woods were filled with splashes of sunlight beaming through openings between the trees, whilst cobwebs glistened amongst the branches.

It almost felt like Narnia!

Eventually, we emerged, descending steeply out of the woods towards Anglezarke reservoir. The trail continued on a long gentle path that brought us along the parameter of the reservoir. We had to follow the road for a bit, however, this didn’t last long, and before we knew it, we were back onto safer narrow woodland trails. Guiding us towards the last leg of the hike, through another swooping u- shaped valley full of sheep and baby lambs. This brought us back to the cricket ground.

It was a lovely end to the hike, however, because we didn’t have any money, we missed out on an ice cream! Maybe next time…

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