Southport Fell Walking Club

                 Happy Christmas to you all and an enjoyable year's walking in 2020 The very small hamlet of Little Asby in the Orton Fells had in influx of visitors on Sunday. At least three groups of Fell Walkers trailed through the courtyard and used the recently installed memorial bench, much to the delight of the residents. From the stop at Newbiggin, Gerry’s group crossed Ewe and Crosby Garrett Fells, down to Potts Bridge and up to Little Asby. And from there they trailed over the vast Sunbiggin Common to Orton. Stuart’s group crossed the same fell and after passing through Little Asby they continued on to Asby Grange heading for a refreshment stop in Great Asby and a return over Great Asby Scar. Mike’s group continued along the Fell Road to Mazon Wath in order to follow the delightful  Potts Beck  down the valley to the bridge and Little Asby Farm. They lunched on the bench and ascended Little Asby Scar before crossing Sunbiggin Common.

The weather was every bit as bad as we were warned and there was a general groan about the depth of the mud. But there were seven groups out, many walking in a variety of seasonal regalia. The Leeds Liverpool Canal and the Pennine Way were the mainstays of five of the walks and the two others headed for the Flashby Fells. At Colne the Oldhams were first off the coach. The next groups were Geoff’s and Stuart’s who   joined the canal at Foulridge. This section of the canal includes several miles of the summit level before descending by many locks to the lower meanders towards Skipton. Along the way there are many interesting features: the Boundary Stone, the wooden roller used to assist the horse drawn barges as they went through the bridges, and of course the Anchor Inn with its historic cellar full of stalagmites and stalactites. At Thornton in Craven the next three groups left the coach. Marcia’s group,   Frances and Steff’s   group and Anne and Helen’s gro