WALKS FROM A LANCASHIRE VILLAGE

Another book of walks? No, this is a book full of special places to discover all from a Lancashire village!

As newcomers to the area in 2014 Michael, my husband, and I would come from the M6 to Longridge passing through Grimsargh without much of a glance. Just a long linear village without much character, and a strange name we thought! But how wrong we were!

In time we were to discover a closeknit community of caring, considerate people with an eye open for each other as well as for the wider world.

We settled into the area and joined St. Michael’s church.

Then at the end of 2019, all changed. First, with the passing of Michael for me, and then in early 2020, Covid arrived and everything changed for everyone.

It was then, during Lockdown, I became very conscious of the loving community in Grimsargh, as I, like many other people, discovered the joys of walking and exploring in the local area, so I hope that through this book, you too will discover many new walks in this area and all the benefits from walking.

ST. MICHAEL’S GRIMARGH LOCKDOWN WALKS 2021

By Ruth Buckley

The story behind the book

The Covid years hit everyone in many different way, from isolation, separation from their friends & families to suffering bereavements alone during those hard years.

This little walking book was born out of those years. It is a celebration of good coming from something very sad. It started at a small caring church community, at St. Michael’s church Grimsargh, supporting each other by simply walking in pairs, socially distanced, for the permitted time. Then slowly the idea was hatched to write down the walks (all from their village) into book to allow more people from the village, for newcomers, as well as those who had been there all their lives, to safely access and enjoy the beautiful area on their doorstep in families or on their own!

As the book developed, more family members and friends from the next village were involved - walking, planning, proof reading, following the directions and adding their advice and comments to ensure the walks were logical and easy to follow.

Then the nature of the maps developed, originally it was just to be a simple sketch taken from the OS map, but after a kind offer to draw them

by the husband of one of the walking team the result was a piece of art, with many details and features from each walk being incorporated into them!

Then finally as the maps were nearly completed , a question was asked by my daughter... ‘Are you going to be drawn on the maps?’ The illustrator, after a big breath and turning pale, agreed to design little characters based on the people involved with the project from the vicar, the flower lady & cake lady at church to the walking buddies including the proof-walking team and a gang of grandchildren who tested the buggy walk and the Round the Village I.Spy walk.

The walks are all clearly signposted with bespoke black & yellow waymarkers, designed by a local firm and funded by the local village council. Then before releasing the book the job deciding where to put them was faced. Again this involved the families and grandchildren, re-walking the walks again, provoking much curiosity in the village, ’What are these black & yellow signs all about?’

Looking back on the Lockdown year, it has been a memorable time which has provided us all with a project and resulted with a useful book to help others enjoy this corner of Lancashire!

The books are available to buy in the local churches, shops, cafés and pubs in the immediate area - Longridge, Chipping and Ribchester. It has also featured on Radio Lancashire, the Lancashire Evening Post, Carrier Pigeon and the PR Pointer magazines.

All proceeds from the sales of the book are for St. Michael’s Church, Grimsargh.