How I earnt my cream tea

Mondays (very easy paced) run set off from the Black Dog, Belmont at 11.30am. Passing the church I noticed a sign saying ‘Cream Teas being served 2-4pm, Mon 25 Aug’. So that was just what I'd need when I got back, making sure though that I was back in time before they ran out of cakes.

So off I went to Horden’s Stoop, Spittlers (very boggy, but found a new stile we haven’t used), Great Hill. Into Tockholes Wood at Calf Hey Bridge and out to join path that heads due east to Earnsdale Res. Then up to Darwen Tower (now 1.30pm). At this point I’d estimated, at the most, 1hr back to Belmont. Took the path that heads SE and followed to Duckshaw Brook. There’s a good track that then heads onto Darwen Moor, and then divides, the right one’s not bad so tried the left. Think the right may be better.

At the gate (675191) on Witton Weavers Way is where it went horribly wrong. I could have carried on down the path and followed it back to Belmont, but decided to try a more direct route. On encountering the first tussocks, I should have turned back. But, thinking things would improve, soldiered on. They just got bigger and bigger. Eventually I managed to get down to the path (but not as far along as I’d hoped) and back to Belmont at 2:45pm.

Thankfully the parishioners had overwhelmed the church with supplies of scones, so I was able to have my cream tea after all. Checking the distances later, I found I’d saved myself about a third of a mile over going round the path. It’d probably cost me 20-30mins, lesson learnt!