Morthen RFM Blue Line

 

Morthen 

RFM Blue Line

30/01/26

This was a late choice walk. I found out at 1.45 that Babs was having a visit from Marge, Kayla and Michael so I got ready and took the opportunity to do the Morthen walk.



Setting off along Brampton Road the weather was foggy, moist and cool. The first obstacle was the closed road but luckily it was open for pedestrians. These urban walks can throw up all sorts of route obstacles. This walk is notable by the route crossing the M18 and M1 twice each.


The first motorway crossed was the M18. The busy B606 with its foggy pylons reminded me of a Giles cartoon... where is grandma?



Leaving the busy road I followed the lane to Morthen past the impressive Morthen Hall. Traffic was light but a constant feature of this foggy walk.

The cross at Morthen is terribly unimpressive and looks sadly neglected. Morthen looked like a refuge for the rich but the constant drum of the motorways made it unattractive for me.


The path was across this muddy planted field and there were only sparse signs of others crossing the land. My feet were double the weight in mud by the time I passed the pylons. The overfull pond had a healthy population of Mallards.



I couldn't find any footsteps over the next field so I followed the lane to the main road rather than collect more mud. I had to climb a gate to leave the lane.
The B6410 busy road to Whiston was the worst part of the walk. There were no pavements for pedestrians so I had to share the road with fast traffic. It was quite long and the traffic in the main was good in slowing down and protecting my safety but the occasional van and car seemed to try to get as close to me as they could. It was little frightening and typical of this type of road. I should try harder to avoid these roads on my routes in future.



Leaving the road onto the fields was great but the underfoot turned back to slippy mud.




Mud, mud, mud and even joining Doles Lane only provided a little easing of the mud.



I passed the first person on my walk a guy with a huge hairy Alsation on a lead. The dog was big and did make a move towards me but the guy had good control. We exchanged pleasantries and I walked on. I crossed the M1 on a lane bridge. The atmosphere was darkening as the afternoon wore on and the lights of the cars were brightening.




This wasn't a pond but probably one of the biggest puddles I have ever seen. Luckily the dog walkers had forged a path around a tree to avoid it. This atmospheric lane was Stoker Lane.



The lane headed to Penny Hill lane and was a joy to traverse. The contrast with the earlier trauma of the busy B road was a very quiet wonderful route through the countryside but with the ever present drone of motorway traffic.


Brampton Lane was thankfully quiet with only the occasional respectful car passing in either direction. The windmill in the mist reminded me of Don Quixote but even Rociante would have baulked at charging these giants. I loved the way the sails moved through the mist, joy in the most unlikely of places.



I crossed over the M1 and then very quickly under the M18.


Brampton en le Morthen close to the motorways was a rural oasis. This barn really impressed me.



There was a shorter route back to Thurcroft along the road but I decided to follow Toad Lane and cross the fields. Guess what more mud.


Its always nice when the car appears in the distance but today especially so as the light was fading and I was aware that Babs was now on her own as her vistors had gone home.

I was quick on this walk as it wasn't one to savour but in places I really enjoyed it. A lot of roads was a mistake but the overwhelming memory is that of mud.

OS Map

https://explore.osmaps.com/route/30475395/morthen-rfm-blue-line?lat=53.39&lon=-1.26624&zoom=14.7322&style=Leisure&type=2d



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