Walk on Tuesday 7th November began with coffee and toast at St Andrew’s Church before 9 of us left for a 5 mile circuit around Monk Wood, Barlow Bridge and Cowley.
We looked at oak apples in Monk Wood and talked about their use over the many centuries in the manufacture of long lasting ink. A little further on, we also talked about the lead ore smelting that took place nearby , with the ore being brought down from the hills to be smelted in the nearest area where there was a reliable supply of timber to make ‘white coal’. Our return route took us up Red Lane where we had another reminder – of the coal mining heritage around Barlow
The weather was damp and dismal in the early stages , turning to quite heavy rain on the final stages of the walk
David Blackburn