Linking the Sankey - The Long Straight Line
by Dave Smallshaw

In CANAL CUTTINGS Volume 5.7, Dave Smallshaw, an IWA representative on SCARS' Executive, described his walk along one of the Eastern routes proposed for linking the restored Sankey to the main system. Here he describes another of the Eastern routes.

I kept putting off completing the final walk in a trio of the proposed links of the Sankey Canal to the national waterway system because, quite frankly, when looking at the route proposed on the map it looks a little uninspiring. The latter part of the route takes in a long straight stretch of disused railway and the thought of plodding in a long straight line through the foothills of Golborne did little to inspire me to don the boots and complete the third option.

Much of the early part of the route was covered in the exploration of the route to the Leeds and Liverpool canal at Bamfurlong, the line being exactly the same until the M6 crossing, but for those who did not see this article I include, briefly, these earlier comments here.

From St Helens town centre take the 31 bus service for Newton-le-Willows. Alight at the stop just after Penkford Bridge as the bus climbs up from the Sankey Valley and into Crow Lane East, on the St Helens borough boundary, denoted by the sign on the bridge. Cross the road, go downhill, turn into Wharf Road (which is also easily reached from Earlestown rail station), to arrive at the site of Newton Common Lock. Turn North (i.e. away from the viaduct), to follow the route of the old canal, past a picnic area, across an old sluice, and under a lowered road bridge which took the canal under the road the bus brought you along. Continue, where there is a stretch of the canal in water for some yards, maintained by the local Newton anglers who are often in evidence. The plans envisage that the link would leave the canal to the right after the housing development and climb up the slope in a series of locks. Carry on until you reach a brick and stone shelter and a Sankey Valley Park sign. Just before this a small stile in the right hand hedge leads us into a duck-boarded pathway and on into woodland.

The path goes through a short streamside valley until it meets a gravel road, where the way is right and up the slope until the wide expanse of Newton Common stretches out ahead. The road turns left and upwards until it meets with another path by a fine brick farmhouse. Turn right towards the housing community which boasts a few shops, a school and a local, the Swan Inn.

Until 1898 the area around here was the site of Newton Racecourse which even had its own railway terminus for the punters. Many of the cottages were painted in special colours and the area was a scene of much activity until the races moved to the present site at Haydock Park. The canal would skirt the housing here and cross the ridge of the high land between it and the old colliery site to its proposed northern bank. This is the site of the proposed "Kew Gardens of the North", about which we hope to hear more.

Continue now past the pub and up to the main road (Crow Lane East), turn left, then turn left to the school, and right just before the school buildings, bringing you into a fairly modern housing estate. Bear left and right through the housing until you will come to the open ground, where you go through the lower of two gaps in the railings, which leads to a path that runs parallel with the large slag heap, which you follow to Vista Road. Follow the pavement to the entrance to a scrap merchant's premises and cross the road and, via a gap in the hedge, head along a field path to cross a new access road. The path bends left, meets up with some housing, skirts a field, and comes out on the A49, Newton Road.

North of the commercial development here is an existing underpass to the M6, which could be used for to take the canal under the M6. This is the point where our fresh exploration begins.

This proposed line for the new navigation would turn right, alongside Ellam's Rough plantation and then follow the wooded course of a stream which runs between the M6 and a golf course to arrive at the northern head of the truncated Newton Lake. The stream then encounters both road and rail crossings at Golborne Dale Bridge and the neighbouring rail junction.

However, as there is no public way from the M6 underpass walkers will need to retrace their steps back along the main A49 trunk road for a mile or so and through Newton town centre, making for the railway station at the far end of the High Street, near picturesque Newton lake.

For the footslogger who has already completed the first part of the walk or for those who might feel a shorter walk may suit them, the walk can be joined here by catching the train to Newton- le-Willows station and frequent buses also pass this point from Leigh and St Helens.

The second part of the walk starts here then, by the imposing Leigh Arms, which hides Newton railway station from the pleasant surroundings of the lake. The way here is down Southworth Road which gives a glimpse of the open spaces on the left and possesses an information board informing of a Newton Heritage Trail which includes part of the Sankey Canal in its travels, a prospect for a walk on another day, perhaps?

[After having traversed the ups and downs of this proposed route I was given to wonder why the "people who know" never suggested that the link could utilise the Newton brook which flows under (or currently bisects) the existing canal south of Vulcan village and flows to this point. No doubt there is a perfectly good reason and someone will tell me in due course.]

Southworth Road winds its way uphill slightly and, noting an old milestone on our way, the route passes over the main west coast rail line and then under the noisy M6 before arriving at a cross roads by the Bulls Head Hotel (displaying tempting menus). To pick up the stream the link would follow we need to turn left here and walk for a quarter of a mile to where, just under the railway bridge and in a wooded dip, the waterway would negotiate the crossing of this A573 road and local rail lines. The stream has cut deep here and dives under the road carried by a solid brick structure, which marks the boundary between Warrington and Wigan Boroughs, and then goes under the railway. In both instances the waterway would need to be lowered somewhat to gain the requisite airspace and a sump lock structure might need consideration.

We cannot, obviously, follow the stream on its way underground, so we must retrace our steps to the Bulls Head, and there turn left along the Leigh-bound road and for a little while further we have to accompany the traffic. The road is fairly straight and lined with some delightful residences, the course of the link, clothed in a wooded depression, can be seen to the left. On the right we happen upon another 'eatery' in the guise of the 'Travellers Rest', just before the road to Lowton Heath turns off and under which the link will need to negotiate, as it will the busy road we are currently on.

This second crossing will need to be made about a quarter of a mile ahead but before that our own route is right, up a public footpath along the well-maintained road, to Highfield Moss Farm. The way here is just past the farm and along the route kindly made clear by the owners, (if only all farmers gave such thought for the walking public!), past a cell phone relay mast and onto a field path. We are now on higher ground and you can get a good idea of the lie of the land from here, the footpath bears gently down hill until it peters out and you need to make your way along the field's edge to a wooden bridge and stile. You are now practically at the proposed route of the link waterway as it would cross low lying ground and the course would follow the footpath until it crosses the busy A579 ahead at the point where we meet the road.

The way on foot is to the left and down a footpath a few yards on the right as marked on the ordnance map - but of which there is no trace! I decided to give up the search and continued up the side of the main road to the hamlet of Lane End where, bearing right by a church and some shops, down Winwick Lane - at least there's a pub here if you need one! - until the right turn, down Kenyon's Lane to retrieve the planned route. The road is pretty straight here for about half a mile gently running downwards towards the railway, which lies at the end of this road in a deep cutting. The waterway route can be picked up again on the right and would need to cross this road at a point near where the overhead electricity cables cross, to make its way to a spot to the rear of farm buildings over to the left. The walker also bears left at the end of this road, alongside the deep railway cutting until the road bends a little left by the farm and we encounter a bridge over the track bed of a disused line. The start of our trip along the long straight line!

Well, not quite. The route below the bridge shows a rough path but there is no access apparent unless you are an expert in contortions and a more prudent decision is to carry on a little further down the road until a footpath sign appears on your left. The pleasant tree-lined way forks after a short while and to the left a small footpath wends round the field edges with the odd tree as a way marker until the rumbling carriageway of the East Lancashire Road looms. You don't have to tackle this road however as there is an unofficial access to the railway track bed to the left where the major road crosses over. We are now finally on the line.

Now the boring bit. Well again, not quite! The pathway had been formalised at sometime with a firm foundation and distinct edging but had not seen maintenance for some time. Nature had reclaimed its territory to a certain extent and left the route in a pleasant 'quasi-natural' state.

Wildlife was flourishing in this thin corridor of green and the walker is pleasantly isolated from the urban world immediately around. Then, after half a mile, comes a brick wall.

The path finishes abruptly at the gable end of new property built on the line, the walker having to turn right and into a short street, which leads up to Pocket Nook Lane. The way is left until the lane rises slightly to meet the main road, which links Lowton with Leigh. The railway once went left of these new buildings and passed under the main road but traces of this crossing are barely visible and industrial and commercial premises now cover the land. The line can, however, be rejoined by crossing over the road at the end of Pocket Nook Lane and taking the gap in the fence opposite. The steps down lead to the open spaces of reclaimed land, Lowton Common, which houses recreational facilities and a civic centre to the left. The path we need is to the right hand wooded area and is more evident after crossing a stile.

Left: The view of Lowton Common from Newton Road. The proposed line for the canal is to the right of the centre - see red star.

The next stretch of the way is a joy to walk. There is an abundance of nature left to its own devices and on a warm late May afternoon the glorious display of hawthorn overpowered and the various wild flowers gave their own special show. The path is pretty overgrown but easily passable with but a few nettles, what it is like in, or after, heavy weather is maybe something else! The show continued to where the track bed used to pass under Byrom Lane but the way is now blocked and steps lead the walker to the road. There is no route on the other side, alas, but all is not lost as a short walk right along the lane leads to another footpath on the left.

The footpath is clearly signed and by a prominent gate and our way is along a well maintained path which also serves as the driveway to Mossley Hall, a fine farmhouse set in a grand setting with the waters of Pennington Flash to our right. The footpath veers to the right slightly just before the building and continues in its way by the waterside until a minor road is reached by the Flash's edge. The route we have taken has dropped us down quite considerably and a look to our left will show the track bed course is now high up on an embankment to our left.

At the minor road we turn left, past the waste disposal unit, and along the separated footpath until we reach the embankment high above both road and accompanying stream. This must have been the site of a bridge at one time and there would need to be a substantial aqueduct put in place here if this route is adopted as the canal link. The access to the track bed is possible across the road at this point and a path, much used by horse and rider, climbs upwards to rejoin the line for a short while before dropping down again to enter a cinder path, which bears right to a rudimentary crossing, Gerrards Bridge, over the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. The link would need to be locked down here to the canal level and an indication of the drop can be gauged from the remains of the track bed's bridge abutment on the canal's offside bank.

So there you are, the long straight line wasn't at all boring and in fact was the highlight of the walk, but there are some quite substantial questions that need asking on crossing various obstacles along the whole line. Of the three routes this was estimated to be the cheapest option but from what I have seen I am still to be convinced and maybe the presence of grant/aid has coloured someone's thinking or maybe I should bow to more qualified opinion. However, having now looked at all three proposed link routes, I still remain convinced that the route through Rainford and Melling would provide the greatest benefit to the Sankey and to St Helens and that the obstacles on this northern route don't appear as complex to circumvent as the other, easterly routes.

So, perhaps the long straight line should be left as the fine walk that it certainly is!

Above: "The long straight line", seen from Byrom Lane. The embankment was built up as the land subsided from the coal mining beneath. The junction with the Leeds & Liverpool Canal would be at a point quarter of a way in from the left (see red star).

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