1. Leave Garstang heading southwards beside the B6430 to cross the bridge over the River Wyre and pass St Mary & St Michael’s Church on the left. Cross the canal bridge and join the towpath. Turn right and walk alongside the canal for 1.3 miles. The ruins opposite are remains of Greenhalgh Castle, which was built in 1490.

After passing a brown barn (Dewhurst) on the opposite bank go under Bridge 54, leave the towpath and turn left and walk westwards along Ray Lane. At the ornate gate of Brooklands (dated 1895) turn left and keep right at the fork signed Private Road. At a slight bend turn right to go over a stile with a yellow waymarker onto a footpath with a sign telling people to keep their dog on a lead. Walk alongside the hedge on the right, cross a stile and turn left onto the B6430 to go over the River Calder and past Catterall Village Hall.

Turn right onto Catterall Gates Lane keeping ahead onto the No Vehicles lane. Pass Collinsons factory, a family business that manufactures silos, conveyors and weighers for farm feeds and wood pellets.

2. Cross the A6 via the central reservation then go left and right onto a walkway leading to Lancaster Old Road. Turn right and after 200 yards left through a metal gateway and over a cattle grid onto a stony track parallel to the river on the right. Cross a double stile and continue ahead towards Catterall Hall, a large white building.

Go through a metal gate and turn right over a cattle grid or adjacent stile and cross the suspension footbridge. Bear right and head directly towards St. Helen’s Church. Walk past the church (which has a café) and keep ahead at Churchtown market cross into Ainspool Lane. The “cross” (actually a column with a ball on top) is similar to that in Garstang where the walk began. Turn left beside the A6 for 50 yards, crossing Ainspool Bridge, then turn right beside a 50mph sign onto a farm track. Follow the track to the right going through a farmyard and heading towards a large wind turbine. The track bends right then left behind Kirkland Hall and continues to Cross House Farm.

The turbine and factory buildings passed on the right are Dewlay Cheesemakers, who produce crumbly, creamy, blue and chilli cheeses. On meeting the A6 it’s worth making a short detour to the right to visit their shop and viewing gallery overlooking the cheese dairy.

3. To continue, turn left then right after 60 yards onto the footpath signed Wyre Way Lancaster Canal. Cross a stile and follow a new path called Many Pads, going beside a modern housing estate. Follow the path signed to the canal. Turn right and cross the splendid historic 110-feet long aqueduct that was designed by John Rennie and completed in 1797. Turn right (signed Town Centre) to descend and go underneath the aqueduct. This path (part of the Wyre Way) meets the B6430 at the bridge crossed at the start of the walk. Turn left and head back into the town centre.