20 mile Walk - The Promised Land Revisited

**Start: Free Car Park Beacon Country Park Visitors Centre, Elmers Green Lane off Beacon Lane, Dalton, Upholland, Lancs WN8 7RU. W3W: ///tint.baseless.womb**
The Promise Land Challenge walk features a 19-mile route that was once organised by South Lancs LDWA. The walk begins at the Visitors Centre (with WC facilities, however, the cafe only opens at 10am), and proceeds along the abandoned Beacon Golf Course towards Ashurst Beacon. From that point, we descend to Roby Mill and enter Dean Wood, making our way down to the River Douglas. We will pass under the M6 viaduct and follow the Wigan/Southport railway line until we reach Gathurst. As we continue towards Orrell, we will pass by the Heinz factory and St Peters High School. We then cross the M58 and M6 motorways before arriving at Orrell Water Park, where we will take a lunch break. After lunch, the route leads us to Longshaw and then to Billinge Hill (which offers fantastic views), then around Houghwood Golf Course and towards 'The Promised Land'. We then head past the 'Pepper Pots', crossing the M58 again before returning to the Country Park.
While the paths are generally in good condition, they can get muddy for a short stretch in Dean Wood after prolonged rainfall.
Please give thought to the clothing and footwear necessary for adverse weather or ground conditions, and carry enough water and food for the day.
The leader will not see comments on Meetup, please contact Noreen and Steve Tel: 07741 410042
[steve4mart@gmail.com](mailto:steve4mart@gmail.com)

Further information about our full walk programme, past walks, trips away, challenge event, and more, is available at www.ldwa.org.uk/eastlancashire.
We very much welcome new walkers, but if you have already attended three walks you must have joined the LDWA and have a current membership. This is obtained via SiEntries.co.uk, £15 p.a. by direct debit or £18 by card. You will then be able to join free walks with any of our 40 national groups, receive our magazine Strider, have access to our enormous database of long distance path and social walk gpx tracks, and enjoy discount entry on our scores of challenge events.