Hindburn Circuit 27 April – Mike Codd

Lovely morning, a bitcolder than planned but OK.

Set out about 8:15 from Scotforth and rode via Postern Gate to Wray. Very little traffic.

I won’t bore you with the details to Wray, but I decided to attack the hill opposite Bridge House Farm again and go up to Fourstones for my morning coffee and jam sandwich (Cooking my own scones would result in my putting back my hard won weight loss; at least, in a cafe I’d only eat one.. (Who bought all the flour in Booth’s?).

The hill out of Wray is a stinker for the first hundred feet, evens out a bit and then steepens again before coming past Above Beck farm. On this ride, instead of taking the right fork half a kilometer past the farm, I took the left, interestingly signposted to The Cragg.

The road crosses a couple of tributaries of the Hindburn, with the associated dip and climb, before passing through the farmyards of Highr Broadwood, Cragg Hall and Birks farm (after which is a road gate to be opened (and shut)). Each time I came to a farm, it looked like I might have ended up at a dead end and each time, the road snook through the yard and out the other side. No complaints, the road was still tarmac and reasonably clean, though a bit rough in places.

Eventually arriving at Park House Lane (I know it now.) I decided to go right past COD Gill farm  (I don’t think it was referring to fishy breathing equipment). Just round the corner I met a nice lady who said,

“This is a dead end. To go to Bentham (my original plan) you have to go back and stay right”.

This took me on a long descent on Park House Lane., to Furnessford Bridge over the Hindburn where it became a steep climb up Furnessford Road, where I then turned right towards Lowgill. At the next road junction, a bit like Neptune’s trident, I took the middle prong, signed Slaidburn 18 miles. I rode on this, gradually climbing until over a cattle grid, I came to the junction with White Pits Lane.

I was now out on the moor and stopped for my cold coffee and raspberry jam sandwich. Views were marvellous. I could just see the top of the stationary turbine blades on Claughton Moor. A few cars passed by then I set out down White Pits Lane, which I recognised from the Bowland Audax. Returning down it was a real pleasure –no pedal strokes for about a mile!

Turning right at Spen Brow, I passes the end of Furnessford Road on my left and the end of Mewith Lane on my right, finally turning right onto the Low Bentham-Wray road. The route back was beautiful but I won’t bore you by describing it!

36 miles and 2772 feet from Scotforth and back though Lancaster.

I think this would be a nice, challenging but beautiful and interesting part of a day ride. It could start with Coffee at Wray and Lunch could be at Bentham,…………………… one day...........................

Mike Codd