Walk 2     Hall Barn to Lead Mine Valley

Leaving Hall Barn, cross the car park to the Tourist Information sign and take the path to its right. Follow the path through the avenue of trees to its end. Go through the gate and turn sharp left and through a kissing gate onto the path that runs adjacent to the road. Follow this until it rejoins the road. Turn left and continue along the lane for 70 yards till you see a kissing gate and footpath sign on the right (the village green, complete with stocks, is on the left).

Go through the gate and cross the field. As you do this a house known as The Street with its magnificent chimneys, is visible in the distance. At the far side of the field, go through another kissing gate and then descend the 39 (or is it 40) stone steps. Descend these and cross the brook using the stepping stones. After a few yards another brook runs alongside the path. Continue until you reach the another kissing gate, with a track beyond it.Turn right along the lane. Although a sign says "private road" it is a public right of way. Again there is a stream to the left and it is possible to cross it by using a tree that spans the stream, a nice spot for a coffee or picnic. Our route, however is straight ahead. The track begins to climb gently and you pass Dean Wood House on the right. To the left, through the trees is the stepped embankment of Yarrow Reservoir. Continue past the driveway of a second house and the track suddenly ends at a gate and stile. Go over the stile and follow the wall on the left. Excellent views across Yarrow reservoir appear to the left. The stone wall on the left suddenly stops. At this point continue walking ahead to another wall that appears in front. Keep this wall to your right. Eventually, a farm gate is reached (ignore the stile further down the fence on your left), cross the stile and continue to another farm gate.Go through it and stay on this until it joins the road. Turn left out of the field and stay on the road as it descends to a bridge called Alance Bridge.Cross Alance Bridge and take the track to the right. This takes you into Lead Mine Valley (Clough as some call it). Continue for half a mile and cross the bridge over the stream (Limestone Clough). Stay on the track until you reach a second bridge and go across that also. A kissing gate is immediately to the right. Go though this and prepare for the toughest section of the walk A steep path ascends diagonally through the trees to a monument. Looking to the right, there are the fenced off pits that housed the water wheel for the mines.

The monument was erected in 1955 in remembrance of the crew of an RAF Wellington bomber that crashed further up on the moor in 1943. There were no survivors.

Sit on the benches provided, and enjoy the panoramic views of Rivington Pike and Winter Hill, along with your coffee and sandwiches. When you are ready to set off, descend the path and take the same way back to Alance Bridge. Once there, continue straight on (do not cross the bridge) There are open views across the reservoir to your left. After 500 yards there is a gate on the left. Go through this onto the embankment. Yarrow Reservoir is to the left and Anglezarke Reservoir is down below you to your right.Continue along this track. You will pass what looks like a toll house but is in fact a pumping house. There are good views here of Alance Bridge, with Spitlers Edge on the distant skyline.Further along the track there is another bridge that crosses a watercourse from Yarrow to Anglezarke reservoirs. Across the water to the left are excellent views of Wilcock's Farm, Winter Hill with its masts, the Chinese gardens and Rivington Pike. To the right, Anglezarke Reservoir and a distant Chorley come into view. Crossing the bridge, the lane descends and another of Yarrow's embankments towers above you on the left. On the other side is a steep slope covered with Pine trees that partially hide Upper Rivington reservoir below.As the embankment ends, views to both sides reappear, and the track is still downwards. When you reach a metal gate, bear right onto a tarmaced lane. As the road levels off, continue over a small causeway and follow the lane until it reaches the main Rivington road. Turn left (past the Village Club), and continue to Rivington village green.

Here, continue straight on along Sheephouse Lane. Pass (or call in) the Tea Rooms, which used to be a chapel, then after the next house which is called 'Chapel House', take the footpath on the right. As you step onto the path two Kissing gates face you. Take the first (right) and two more paths become evident. Take the one to the left, which leads back to the car park at Hall Barn.