picThe Langdales from Moss Eccles Tarn


A Day in the Douglas Valley



A Strenuous Walk from Ashurst Beacon to Worthington


Upholland to High Moor

pic       This is a strenuous walk of some ten to twelve miles from Ashurst Beacon to Worthington via the Douglas Valley, Parbold and Harrock Hills, Mossy Lea Wrightinton, Coppull Moor and the historic Hic Bibi Well and Nature Reserve.

ORDNANCE SURVEY EXPLORER MAP 285 Southport and Chorley refers.

       The walk begins at Wigan bus Station by taking the Skelmersdale, Ormskirk, Southport bus to Hall Green Upholland then walking along Mill Lane to Ashurst Beacon via the visitor centre and car park (SD509064).
- After this waypoint look for the footpath on the right hand side of the road leading up to the Beacon and continue to the monument (SD501077).
- From here take the path ahead and continue towards Ashleigh Farm to join a country lane and turn left (SD506081).
- A short way down the lane, look for and take the footpath on the left (SD508083).
- Turn right at a juction of two paths (SD505087) and continue along to the end where it meets Lees Lane (SD507092).
- Turn left along Lees Lane and look for a footpath a short way along on the right (SD506092) which will lead to the canal (SD508099) and railway crossing (SD508100).
- Cross these two features and continue ahead, climbing the path to reach Sparrow Hill Parbold and the Miller and Carter restaurant (SD509107).
- Turn right along the road and take the footpath a short distance ahead on the left (SD510107).
- Continue the climb from here following the path ahead to join High Moor Lane just to the right of the Rygbe Arms (SD509118) and turn right.

High Moor, Parbold to Mossy Lea Wrightington

pic - On reaching the old High Moor Restaurant take the footpath along the driveway immediately on the left after the building (SD511118), then the second footpath on the right (SD511124) and follow this to its juction with a path running west-east close to the Windmill (SD511132).
- Turn right here and follow the path to Sanderson Lane and Coopers Lane, turning right, left, left, right (SD517133) before continuing along to the path's juction with Toogood Lane (SD525131) and turning right.
- At or near waypoint (SD527126) turn left and take the footpath leading to Mossy Lea Road (SD534130).
- Turn right along Mossy Lea Road and then turn left a short way down (SD537124) into Chisnall Lane.

Chisnall Lane to Worthington

picFollow Chisnall Lane until it peters out into a footpath and continue to cross the M6 motorway at the footbridge (SD546126).
- On reaching the other side turn immediately right (SD546124) and follow the path to emerge onto the A49 near Langtree Old Hall farm (SD555120).
- Take the footpath almost directly opposite on the left and follow the footpath to the Hic Bibi Well (SD563121) and beyond to a juction of footpaths (SD568122).
- Turn right here and continue to a railway crossing (SD572116).
- At the other side of the bridge follow the path a little further then take the track ahead to emerge onto the road at the Crown Inn (SD575114).
Continue from here along the road to it's junction with Chorley Road (SD581113) to find the nearest bus stop back to Wigan.

(NOTE): A couple of the photographs below differ from the planned route, due to a map reading error by the author.

Click here to see the walk in pictures


Palfreyman October 2025

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