West Lancashire extends from the foot hills of the Pennines around Parbold to the coast at Southport.
It is a flat costal plain so offers a different photographic challenge being a area of flat land and big shies, with a scattering of towns and villages.
Large parts of the area used to be a mere, Martin Mere, but years ago was drained to make rich peaty soil agricultural and horticultural lands.
These are a selection of my pictures of the area in which I was born and initially lived in the village of Banks before moving onto a canal boat on the Leeds and Liverpool canal near Burscough.
There will be some cross over with photo’s in my Burscough gallery, the Leeds and Liverpool canal gallery and my railway pictures.
The Ellerbrook runs through Lathom in West Lancashire and carries water across the flat lands between Burscough and Rufford. Just before it gets to Rufford in an area of low lying land known as Low Meadow it joins the River Douglas which then flows on to join the river Ribble and out to the Irish sea.
This where the Ellerbrook joins the River Douglas.
20.11.2024
Photo image Cw 8915 Copyright Colin Wareing
This image is available to licence through Alamy here
Between the Ellerbrook and the Preston to Ormskirk railway line is an area of low lying land known as Low Meadow. As the autumn has progressed the area has become wetter, but the whooper swans seem to like it.
20.11.2024
Photo image Cw 8911 Copyright Colin Wareing
This image is available to licence through Alamy here
With the snow covered foot hills of the Pennines in the back ground a flock of sheep are framed by a old barn alongside the Ellerbrook between Low meadows and Blackamoor near Rufford in West Lancashire.
20.11.2024
Photo image Cw 8913 Copyright Colin Wareing
This image is available to licence through Alamy here
In the air above the Ellerbrook over Low meadows and Blackamoor near Rufford in West Lancashire the geese have taken to flight and are filling the sky.
20.11.2024
Photo image Cw 8912 Copyright Colin Wareing
This image is available to licence through Alamy here
Alongside the Ellerbrook between Low meadows and Blackamoor near Rufford in West Lancashire the geese have taken to flight above an old barn.
The old barn contrasts with the modern wind turbines and the pylons carrying the electricity on to where it is needed.
20.11.2024
Photo image Cw 8911 Copyright Colin Wareing
Available to licence through Alamy Here
A narrow boat passes under the stone-built bridge, Prescott’s Bridge on a sunny but cool autumn afternoon in November 2024.
This is bridge no 5 of the Rufford arm of the Leeds and Liverpool canal
The arm which starts at a junction near Burscough carries on through 7 locks in total past Rufford to Tarleton. Here there is one more lock, the River Lock where boats can join the tidal River Douglas.
20.11.2024
Photo image Cw 8909 Copyright Colin Wareing
This image is available to licence through Alamy here
Between the 31st of July 2024 and the 8th of November the Canal and River Trust have been rebuilding and resurfacing the canal towpath between Bridges 4, Baldwins Bridge and Bridge 5, Prescott Bridge along the Rufford Arm of the Leeds and Liverpool canal in West Lancashire.
This is the finished project, which is quite good as the surface is very walkable but not too flat and smooth that it can be used as a race track by cyclists.
This view is looking towards Prescott bridge.
The arm which starts at a junction near Burscough carries on through 7 locks in total past Rufford to Tarleton. Here there is one more lock, the River Lock where boats can join the tidal River Douglas.
20.11.2024
Photo image Cw 8910 Copyright Colin Wareing
Available to licence through Alamy here
Storm clouds are gathering over the road across Bescar moss while this year’s wheat crop awaits a dry spell to be harvested.
Available to licence through Alamy here
Big skies, wet fields bare trees Burscough moss 26.1.2024
A cold winter’s morning on the Mere near Burscough in West Lancashire wet fields and bare trees under a clear big blue sky.
Friday 26.1.2024
Photo image Cw 8573 Copyright Colin Wareing
Available to licence for your own use or commercial use through Alamy Ref 2XPT126
Sunset near Spencer’s Bridge 29.7.2024
After a warm day the sun is setting over the flat lands of the West Lancashire plain near Hoscar.
This picture was taken from the side hatches of the narrow boat “Emma Maye” moored on the Leeds and Liverpool canal.
Image Cw 8819 copyright Colin Wareing of Colin and Carole’s Creations
Available to licence for your own use or commercial use through Alamy ref Ref 2XPT11P
On a sunny first day of August 2024 potatoes are being harvested on a small holding in Rufford in West Lancashire.
The harvesting machine trailing the tractor is quite a old machine, with all the sorting and bagging up of the crop being done on the harvester, rather than lifting the potatoes into a bilk trailer and sorting them in a large shed somewhere.
It works well when the weather is good, but isn’t as quick as a more modern set up,
The date is the 1st August 2024.
Copyright Colin Wareing Cw 8824
A cow from a herd of young ones is curious in a field in the Douglas River valley to the east of the village of Parbold on a warm spring afternoon in 2023. Copyright Colin Wareing
Four cows from a herd of young cows, heifers? In a field in the Douglas River valley to the east of the village of Parbold on a warm spring afternoon in 2023. Copyright Colin Wareing Cw 8300
The sun has not long been up and burning the mist off the morning through the trees along Crabtree Lane on Martin Mere near Burscough. Photo taken 17.6.2020 from Crabtree Lane.
Image Cw 7225 copyright Colin Wareing of Colin and Carole’s Creations.
This image is available to licence or have reproduced as a print on Alamy and Picfair
A lone dog walker crosses a field of wheat not long after dawn on a hazy sunny morning. She is on a public footpath across part of Martin Mere from Crabtree Lane towards Burscough in West Lancashire. Photo taken 17.6.2020 from Crabtree Lane.
Image Cw 7224 copyright Colin Wareing of Colin and Carole’s Creations
This image is available to licence or have reproduced as a print on Alamy and Picfair
A lone dog walker crosses a field of wheat not long after dawn on a hazy sunny morning. She is on a public footpath across part of Martin Mere near Burscough in West Lancashire. Photo taken 17.6.2020 from Crabtree Lane.
Image Cw 7223 copyright Colin Wareing of Colin and Carole’s Creations
This image is available to licence or have reproduced as a print on Alamy and Picfair
A crop of potatoes are growing in the rich black soil of Martin Mere near Burscough in West Lancashire. The field is alongside Marsh Moss Lane which is on the tree line in the distance. Photo taken 17.6.2020 Image Cw 7222 copyright Colin Wareing of Colin and Carole’s Creations
This image is available to licence or have reproduced as a print on Alamy and Picfair
A crop of potatoes are growing in the rich black soil of Martin Mere near Burscough in West Lancashire. The field is alongside Crabtree Lane and the chimney is at the packaging factory of DS Smith on Red Cat Lane in Burscough. Photo taken 17.6.2020 Image Cw 7221 copyright Colin Wareing of Colin and Carole’s Creations This image is available to licence or have reproduced as a print on Alamy and Picfair
Under stormy skies stand two trees alongside a public footpath which runs in a northerly direction from the Leeds and Liverpool canal towpath between Crabtree Lane and New Lane to the west of Burscough in West Lancashire. The footpath goes through a farm yard, then out across the Southport to Wigan railway line on a pedestrian crossing. It then continues across the flat fertile moss lands, around another former farm house and on to join up again with Crabtree Lane. There is a over wintering barley crop in the field to the left of the trees and a cabbage crop to the right. Image Cw 8155 copyright Colin Wareing of Colin and Carole’s Creations Cw 8155
Under a stormy winters afternoon sky a crop of cabbage await harvesting in a field of the rich black soil of Martin Mere near Burscough The field is alongside Crabtree Lane, Burscough in West Lancashire. Photo taken 26.12.2022
Image Cw 8154 copyright Colin Wareing of Colin and Carole’s Creations
Alongside a ditch, which is called Mill Stream, runs a public footpath from Wood Moss Lane towards Snape Green. The stream or ditch runs from near Bescar Brow Lane in Scarisbrick and this view is looking towards Bescar Brow Lane. The trees are part of a small wood or copse. Wonder if there ever was a mill along the stream? Photo image Cw 8153 Copyright Colin Wareing
A planted crop of potatoes are just starting to push their first shoots out of the soil. They have been planted in a field next to the Leeds and Liverpool canal off Higgins Lane in Burscough. The soil has been formed into ridges or rudges to allow for drainage if the autumn proves to be a wet one. In the back ground is the edge of the Burscough Industrial estate that has developed on land that was a naval air base in World War 11. The date is 16.7.2022. Copyright Colin Wareing Cw 8128
After a wet day the sun came out just before dusk to be reflected in the puddles left in a field after the potatoes have been harvested near Crabtree Lane near Burscough. The date is Tuesday the 8th of November 2022. Copyright Colin Wareing Cw 8118
This footpath runs over a former land fill tip and along with the lake is a bit of a hidden gem in Burscough. May be that’s why it wasn’t too busy with people taking their daily exercise walks on this lovely sunny and warm spring afternoon. Image Cw 7105 copyright Colin Wareing
The mill used to be used for milling corn in to animal feeds and then flour for bread making, but this stopped in the 1970’s and eventually it was converted into flats and apartments. Image Cw 1504 Copyright Colin Wareing
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