Local Life - Wigan - May 2019

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Looping around the dam, you’ll eventually come
to the bridge known as Nineteen Arches. What
many people don’t know is that the bridge actually
serves as an aqueduct, used to shift water from the
Rivington reservoirs into Liverpool. Cross it, and
head straight up the public footpath on the other
side. You’ll emerge onto a farm track, surrounded
by greenery on either side, and go right towards a
picturesque farm house.
Take the footpath to the left of the house and follow
it to the end of the hedgerow, then go straight
on through the fields. Follow another farm track
through the next field, then turn right to go along
the back of the hedgerow.
You’ll be taken out into a wooded area with a
footbridge over the brook – take the path to the
right. Following it eventually brings you back out
onto Garswood Road; continue past the Carr Mill
Powerboat Racing Clubhouse before crossing the
dam past a steep grass verge. At this point you’ll
pick up the path you came along and head back into
Sankey Valley Country Park.
Back under the cooler shade of the trees, take the
footbridge on the left then head right, following the
narrow path back down through the park. As you
emerge back out onto the main path, make sure to
look out for the monument to the old water wheels
at Stanley Iron Slitting Mill before heading back to
the car. Built in 1773, the mill used a small canal
connected to Carr Forges, and was powered by the
water stored in the reservoir. It worked until 1830,
when it was replaced by a corn mill which lasted
until around 1900.
Please ensure you wear appropriate clothing and footwear
whilst walking. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure
that the walk is accurate, neither the publisher or its editorial
contributors can accept, and hereby disclaim, any liability to
any party to loss or damage caused by errors or omissions
resulting from negligence, accident or other cause.