Saturday 7th December

Start of walk at the Orwell, Wigan Pier

Trencherfield Mill at Wigan Pier

'The Way We Were' museum

Wigan Pier complex

Wigan Pier complex

Looking back to the Orwell where our walk began

This is Wigan Pier!

This is Wigan Pier!

The Seven Stars Hotel, Wallgate

Seven Stars Bridge (Bridge 50)

Railway bridge, just past the Seven Stars

The JJB Stadium, home to Wigan Athletic and the Wigan Warriors

Pagefield footbridge that is a nightmare on match days!

Pipe bridge at Pagefield Industrial Estate

Pagefield locks (No.88)

A barge at Pagefield locks

Footbridge and flowers at Pagefield locks

Lots of water at Springfield

Compass directions etched into towpath

Southport to Manchester railway bridge

Hell Meadow locks (No.89)

A barge enters Hell Meadow locks

Scot Lane bridge

Mayalls and Greens on Woodhouse Lane

Martland Mill Bridge (Bridge 49)

Houses at Standish Lower Ground

New flats at Standish Lower Ground

A curious foal

A blot on the landscape, the Heinz warehouse

Site of old locks approaching Crooke

Grimshaw's Bridge (Bridge 48)

Crooke Marina

Crooke Marina

Crooke Marina

Painting a barge at Crooke

Very scenic part of the walk, Crooke Village

Crooke Bridge (Bridge 47)

Crooke Village

The Crooke Hall Inn

A pipe bridge between Crooke and Gathurst

The Navigation Inn at Gathurst

Gathurst Bridge (Bridge 46)

Different centuries of transport

Dean locks (No.90) at Gathurst

Dean locks (No.90) at Gathurst

The lock keepers cottage at Gathurst

Pig on a barge

Site of old locks connecting canal to the River Douglas

Gathurst, where the canal joined the River Douglas

The Douglas Valley

Fisher's swing bridge (Bridge 45)

Fisher's swing bridge (Bridge 45)

Cows and Calves

Ranicar's swing bridge (Bridge 44)

Approaching Appley Bridge

Finch Mill swing bridge (Bridge 43)

Finch Mill swing bridge (Bridge 43)

New property at Appley Bridge

New property at Appley Bridge

The Waters Edge pub and restaurant at Appley Bridge

The Waters Edge pub and restaurant at Appley Bridge

Old houses at Appley Bridge

Old houses at Appley Bridge

A boat at the bottom of the garden

Appley bridge (Bridge 42)

Under Appley bridge (Bridge 42)

Looking back at Appley Bridge

Appley locks (No.91)

The deepest locks I've seen

Looking towards Parbold from Appley locks

Huge gates at Appley locks

A bench in memory of Frank Inwood

Time for a breather

Hand Lane bridge (Bridge 41)

Hand Lane bridge (Bridge 41)

Looking towards Parbold from Hand Land bridge

Gillibrand bridge (Bridge 40)

Gillibrand bridge (Bridge 40)

Another bench - in memory of Joe and his pal Dino

View of Parbold hill from the towpath

Old property and level crossing

Chapel House bridge (Bridge 39)

Chapel House bridge (Bridge 39)

Old stone house at Chapel House bridge

Chapel House bridge (Bridge 39)

The canal narrows because of the plant life

Houses close to Alder Lane bridge in Parbold

Sheltered parking

Alder Lane bridge (Bridge 38)

'The Duke' at Parbold

Wide part of canal at Parbold

Modern housing at Parbold

Almost there - Parbold bridge in background

Parbold bridge (Bridge 37)

Journey's end, we came off the canal at Parbold bridge

The Windmill Pub in Parbold

Looking back from Parbold bridge

A short walk down Station road to the station

The Railway Pub next to Parbold Station

Parbold Station

Time for home, a 10 minute train ride back to Wigan