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ORDNANCE SURVEY MAPS

Explorer 286, Blackpool & Preston

Explorer 287, West Pennine Moors

Explorer OL41, Forest of Bowland and Ribblesdale

Explorer OL2, Yorkshire Dales (Southern & Western areas)

CHAPTER 1

Longton to Penwortham Bridge

Distance7.5 miles (12.1km) from the Golden Ball in Longton village, 6 miles (9.6km) from the Dolphin Inn at the official start of the Ribble WayHeight gain125 feet (38m)Route assessmentQuiet lanes, tracks and generally good field paths; no noticeable ascentTime3 hoursPublic transportRegular bus services between Longton and Penwortham BridgeParkingBy the Dolphin Inn at Longton, and at the entrance to Priory Park beside Penwortham Bridge; also pay-and-display parking in PrestonRefreshmentsThe Dolphin Inn at the start of the Ribble Way and a choice of pubs in Longton and near Penwortham BridgeToiletsBrickcroft Nature Reserve on Liverpool Road, LongtonMapOS Explorer 286, Blackpool & Preston

Beginning along the edge of the marsh overlooking the confluence of the River Ribble and the River Douglas, the walk later turns beside the Ribble to follow it in an almost dead-straight line towards Preston. Much of the surrounding land has been reclaimed from the estuary and is consequently rather flat and featureless, but as you progress upriver the buildings of Preston and its near neighbour, Penwortham, become more prominent, each occupying higher ground on opposite sides of the valley. Behind them, to the southeast, Winter Hill is conspicuous, the television and communication masts dotted around its summit an unmistakable landmark. Depending on the state of the tide and amount of recent rainfall, the river may present itself as anything from a disappointingly gentle flow between wide muddy banks, to a full-bodied surge lunging angrily at the flood defences. Yet whatever your first impression, you can be sure that the river will adopt many more moods during its journey. Here you see only its final stage, in which its very direct route to the sea follows a course that is at least partly the result of man’s intervention. But while only occasionally dramatic, this stretch of the Ribble is not without interest – there is birdlife aplenty, and many reminders of the time when Preston was as much a seaport as Liverpool.