4:44pm Monday 4th January 2010
By Ron Freethy
If you have had enough of Christmas grub then this is an ideal stroll.
It starts at The Old Tythe Barn Pub, which dates to the 15th century and serves Lancashire hot pot and pickled cabbage among lots of other goodies.
How To Get There: From the M6 junction 32 join the A6 and follow the signs to Broughton and Catteral and turn right on the 6430. There is plenty of pay and display car parking in the town and a large car park for patrons at the Tythe Barn.
Start from the Tythe Barn, which is a cross between a pub and a agricultural museum.
On the walls are tools relating to the old crafts of cobbling, coopering, wheel weighting and blacksmithing.
From the Tythe Barn, turn left and then cross the road. Turn left and go over the canal bridge. Cross the Bridge Road with care and then descend a flight of stone steps onto the towpath of the Lancaster Canal. Turn right to view the canal and the large basin area full of colourful boats to the left.
Continue along the canal, which was opened in 1797. From the day it opened Garstang prospered. There was, however, something of a downturn from the 1840s when the Lancaster to Preston railway opened. The elders of the town were short-sighted and thought that there was no future in railways and preferred to rely on trade from Coach Road and canal traffic. Looked at today we can enjoy the time warp of a town with all its 18th century charm.
Approach the aqueduct over the River Wyre, for which structure John Rennie has rightly become famous. At the aqueduct turn right and descend a flight of steep steps leading down to the river and an important stopping point along the Wyre Way footpath. Turn right under the aqueduct where the skill of the late 18th century stonemasons can be appreciated. A footpath follows the bank of the Wyre, which is on the left. By the bank is an interesting series of reed-fringed ponds which are ideal for a winter birdwatch.
Follow the riverside path to the old corn mill, which is now the focus of an impressive residential complex. Cross the road and rejoin the footpath beside the Wyre, which leads away to the left. Continue along the wide track to reach the ruins of Greenhalgh Castle, seen on a prominent hillock to the right.
The castle was built on the orders of Lord Derby in 1490. This was late for a castle construction but it was deemed important to oversee the river crossing of the Wyre. In the Civil War of the 1640s the castle was in Royalist hands. they were forced to bow the will of Cromwell, who then had the castle demolished. Some remnants remain, while most of the masonry was used as a useful quarry when cottages and farm buildings were constructed.
Keeping the castle on the left and the farms on the right, continue until an obvious path veers left alongside a sports field to a track where there are seats. Look up to right to see that Garstang did eventually flirt with a railway. This provided a link between Garstang, Pilling and Knott End. It was called the Pilling Pig because of the squealing sound made by the engine. The line opened in 1908 (one of my father's uncles worked on its construction) and closed in 1950. This is a pity because it would have made a splendid tourist attraction if it was in use today.
Continue along this track, heading left to the extensive pay and display car park on the banks of the River Wyre, where there is a toilet block. Here is situated the discovery and information centre. On the the opposite side of the road, through Garstang, is the Arts Centre, which was once the Town's Grammar School. This was built in 1792 and continued to function until 1928.
Turn left along the main road to reach the Market Square and discover the old coaching town with its inns, alleys and shops.
The street market is still held on its original site. A charter was granted by Edward II in 1310 but it seems to have failed, perhaps because of the Black Death (bubonic plague) which hit the town about 1360. In 1679 the Thursday market was re-established and has continued ever since. It is a good idea to plan this winter walk on a Thursday and do a weekly shop at the same time.
The market cross is close to the town hall, which dates from 1756 and was substantially rebuilt in 1896. All around are little alleyways called weinds. These were built so that each could be sealed off to danger if threatened.
From the market cross continue along the main road before turning right pass the parish church of St Thomas on the way back to Th'owd Tythe Barn, indicted on the left.
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