So here it is, the first featured Southport (flat) walk and if you’re going to start something then you might as well fire a good first shot! This was one of my favourite walks last year when I did it on a frosty Sunday in December. Apologies for the fact that this is 100% on roads and pavements but at least you get a variety of those.

Our route starts at the corner of Roe Lane and Leyland Road,Latitude = 53.6507, Longitude = -2.9855 outisde Leyland Road Methodist Church and opposite Duerdens Vauxhall Centre. Head north east for just under a mile on the same road until you come to a roundabout where we shall (as carefully as possible) go straight over the roundabout and head onto Moss Lane. The “Spa” convenience store should now be on your right hand side.

Once on Moss Lane the traffic noise quietens down to 1/100th of what it was and for at least four miles it is only going to get quieter!

There are some stunning houses on both sides of this near rural route (pics to follow) and within a matter of ten minutes the houses no longer persist and we are into farming land. There is a massive set of greenhouses on the left hand side and a tiny footbridge/road bridge which you can either walk straight down the middle of – as if you were a car or take either side of – like a nice responsible pedestrian! I’ll leave that to you!

The next right hand turn off Wyke Lane; is where we are headed and onto “The Moss” proper here is the absolute end of housing for about four corners – on this walk that equates to about three miles! Observe if you will the four or five horses in the field on your left hand side and the delightful smell of what I assume is wild garlick all around you – although this is not grown as a main crop in this vicinity!

We are going to be on this road for a long time now so you can either pick a side (I tend to stay on the left for reasons unknown!) or wander between the two – you should hear traffic coming from either direction at least a couple of hundred yards behind or see it as this road is one of the straightest in the area!

[To be continued]

View The Moss (better) in a larger map