Drive & Stroll, with RON FREETHY

LAST week I did a two Ws walk in the Lake District following the Wordsworths. This week I continued to walk with the Ws and a three-mile circular from Wiswell to Whalley.

Wiswell is a very pretty and unspoiled village once famous for its damson crop. It was also the birthplace of John Paslew who became the last abbot of Whalley. He was executed on the orders of Henry VIII for resisting the dissolution of the monasteries.

To my left I found an old cross which was a religious focus, but the parish church was at Whalley. This is now surrounded by modern roads but in the old days the two settlements were connected by field paths.

My first stop in Whalley was in the churchyard of the Norman church. Her are two ancient crosses which date to the 8th and 9th century. Inside the church are furnishings taken from Whalley Abbey after the dissolution.

Whalley Abbey was built by the Cistercians in the 14th century and the ruins are delightfully kept. Pass beneath the solid gatehouse and enjoy the cafe, bookshop and exhibition centre.

Nothing stands still and plans are afoot to provide en-suite accommodation for visitors. What a wonderful place to stay.

I explored the ruins and the gardens and within this is an inscription which reads:

"The kiss of the Sun for Pardon

The song of the birds for mirth

One is nearer God's heart in a garden

Than anywhere else on earth."

Beyond the garden is a wonderfully preserved building but which is not open to the public. This was occupied by the Lay Brothers who provided a back-up service for the Cistercian Monks.

I returned through the massive gatehouse and turned left along a road lined by attractive houses. This passes through another splendid and substantial gatehouse and then under the Victorian red brick railway viaduct. The narrow road leads to the main road linking to Whalley. Turn right and then left before returning to Wiswell.

In excellent early autumn weather I completed another wonderful 'W' walk. There are not many more historic sites than Wiswell and Whalley.