St Paul's Rambling Group Heaton Moor

A ‘Flash’ is a lake formed by the land subsiding into old abandoned coal mines Pennington is the largest flash but there are numerous smaller lakes dotted around the region. 10 of our group assembled in the car park for a circular walk of 5.5 miles around the area which has now become a natural habitat for birds and other wild life as well as a playground for walkers, cyclists and yachtsmen. The first part of the walk took us along the banks of the flash, via a stop at a bird hide, to join the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. From here we followed the canal past the site of the former Bickershaw Colliery, now a marina, for about one mile before leaving the canal to join a path along a disused mineral railway. The next section of the walk crossed Lightshaw Meadows, a Nature Reserve, and then we detoured down to Lightshaw Flash to watch the birds and take a short break. From here we returned to Pennington Flash to walk along the banks of the lake and back to the car park. Afte...