Along the River DARWEN to the Village Bottoms (Hoghton and Samlesbury)

Enjoy and relax as we travel between two historical Lancashire villages Hoghton Bottoms and Samlesbury Bottoms. We also, discover the story of beefy Sir Loin and admire the cotton mill weirs of the River Darwen.

Nestled within the valley of the River Darwen in the southern part of Lancashire, the water power of the river was previously harnessed to drive some of the very first cotton mills. Whilst these mills no longer exist they have left the legacy of changes to the water flows due to the impact of the substantial weirs that were built.

As we experience the mud and rain we also battle the winds on this historical journey. Starting at the Royal Oak pub in the small hamlet of Riley Green we wonder across a number of fields to arrive at the gates of Hoghton Tower.

The Hoghton family has owned this land since Norman times and have built a substantial tower as their home. King James did have merriment and feasting whilst visiting the tower for three days. One of the nights provided the beef legend of 'Sir Loin' which we discover in this video.

We then move onwards travelling along the substantial wall that has kept trespasses away from the Hoghton land before crossing the Preston to Blackburn railway line into Hoghton Village. Here we see one of the very first Westlyn methodist chapels that was built. We then travel past a second Wold War decoy building before reaching the now deserted Bolton Hall.

Eventually, we meet the River Darwen on the outskirts of the village of Samlesbury Bottoms. Following the river we arrive at the substantial weir that was built to drive a cotton mill. Having admire the resulting power of the water we travel through Salisbury Bottoms to wonder down Alum Scar Road. Eventually, we take the track to Hoghton Bottoms. We again meet the River Darwen, stopping for lunch we have some peaceful relax time and enjoy a spot of ginger cake. With a 'thumbs up for the ducks' we then cross the river and enter the village of Hoghton Bottoms. We eventually pass under the Hoghton Viaduct which carries passages a 116 feet above the river.

The muddy track is now surrounded by a deep stone valley which narrows the river into a deep gorge. This opportunity of the 'force of nature' which generates substantial power was harnessed in the past to industrialise the cotton industry in this area. The resultant weir is admired before we push on out of the valley. In the open fields we escape the valley to return to our point of departure.

This walk is about eight miles with a total ascent of about 600 feet. As can be witnessed in the video the conditions under foot can be quite muddy especially during winter months. In fact, the mud near the river tends to be clay like and therefore builds up on your boots and sticks like cement! But I believe it is worth the struggle in the winter as you will tend to have the footpaths to yourself.

If you enjoy the great outdoors (hiking, walking, running) and also, appreciate the views of the countryside with a curiosity as to the development and history of the structures within the landscape, this video is for you.

This video may help you discover a new route however, the route described above and the content of the video will only provide an insight but you should use the appropriate OS map for final detail. However, if you need further help please don't be afraid to use the comments section of this video and I will attempt to help where possible.

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