November 2022.
It is several years since a footbridge over Clearbeck, on the path linking Ashleys and Greenside, was swept away by a flood, leaving a serious obstruction; the beck is wide and deep, and the banks are steep. In 2021, the parish council reported the matter to Lancashire County Council Public Rights of Way Team. A site meeting was held, attended by their officer Steve Williams, Cllrs. Osborne and Wilson, and the landowners, and a new footbridge was promised.
The bridge was made off-site, and was delivered and installed in mid-November by the LCC Highways Department Bridges Team. It’s a substantial structure, well bolted down to a deep concrete foundation, and will hopefully be used and appreciated by walkers for many years to come. The path from Ashleys continues from the new bridge past Greenside to Old Moor Road, and then to Low Bentham.
Our thanks to Lancashire County Council’s PRoW and Bridges Teams for this much-needed path upgrade.