ON a clear day from Kearsley you can see for miles. The whole of the West Pennine Moors in fact, from Winter Hill across to the Rossendale moors.

This pleasant circuit from Moses Gate Country Park is a great winter walk. Moorland views, woodland, industrial history and the stretch of the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal featured in Bolton's famous film, Spring And Port Wine. Near the very spot where James Mason and Diana Coupland were reunited under the canal bridge in the movie written by Bill Naughton, the old Prestolee Locks have recently been cleared of undergrowth. This has revealed the stone staircases and railings where the canal was raised through six locks. It is worth seeing now in its semi-derelict state as restoration has already started in opening up the canal for navigation from central Manchester to Hall Lane at Little Lever. From here the walk climbs from the canal up Prestolee Road to Ringley where panoramic views of the Irwell Valley and the moors are revealed.

DISTANCE: Five miles (allow 2-2 hours)

START: Moses Gate country park car park (O.S. Grid Ref. 742 068), off Hall Lane, Farnworth,

PUBLIC TRANSPORT: 524 service from Bolton to Little Lever, alight on Hall Lane at Moses Gate Country Park. Alternatively start from Moses Gate or Farnworth train stations.

Start from the lower car park and walk towards the imposing Rock Hall visitor centre. Do not go through the gates leading up to the centre but turn left and follow the tarmac path past the toilets with the weir upon the River Croal to your left. The path leads to a large bridge over the river. Cross this and fork right following the path around the edge of the meadow. Climb steps and enter the woodland. Turn right at the top of the steps and follow the main woodland path with the river down the bank to the right. At the first junction of paths (two routes to the left of the main path) keep going straight ahead. When the main path bears slightly right towards a bench, leave it via a path branching to the left of the main path and running uphill through the trees. This path climbs quickly to the canal.

Turn right and follow the towpath which becomes cobbled. There are views of Kearsley and the Irwell Valley and back towards Winter Hill. This section of the canal was used in scenes in Spring and Port Wine. Go through the kissing gate on the towpath and pass the cottages and the old canal workshop on the right which is planned to be restored. The wall ends on the right as the cobbles join an old road coming uphill towards a bridge. Turn almost back on yourself here at the end of the wall to join the old road coming uphill from the canal's lower level. The derelict Prestolee Locks are hidden from view in bushes over to the left here but they are worth a look. Follow the cobbles downhill and through a gate to reach the canal's lower level on the left. Turn left before a fence to rejoin the cobbled towpath.

Follow the canal towpath, crossing an impressive high aqueduct over the River Irwell just before its meeting point with the River Croal. The towpath goes under a stone bridge which was also seen in Spring and Port Wine. Keep walking along the towpath beyond the bridge and leave it at the next bridge which carries a rough road from Prestolee up to higher Ringley. Cross this bridge over the canal to join this road. The farm road is now followed for about a mile and climbs uphill past farm buildings to reveal wide views of the West Pennines. It eventually passes fishing reservoirs and meets the main road (A667) running between Ringley and Outwood. Turn left and follow the main road uphill for a very short distance. Cross it with care and leave it by the first houses on the right hand side, turning right down the residential lane of Ringley Road.

This becomes a pleasant hedged country lane beyond the houses and is followed downhill to Ringley. When it bears left, continue straight ahead down the old brow and drop down to the village. At the bottom of the hill look out for a signed footpath almost facing you on the opposite side of the road. Join this path running above the river and it climbs a bank to rejoin the main road by a bridge over the Irwell. Cross the road again with care and join the signed footpath in bushes - there are two paths on this side of the road but join the one closest to the road bridge. The route begins as a muddy woodland path but soon becomes the towpath of the overgrown canal.

This is followed all the way back to Prestolee Locks. At the canal basin go left through the kissing gate and gate leading on to the scrubby expanse of Nob End reserve. The main path across the reserve leads to the iron structure of Wilson's Bridge over the Croal. Cross the bridge then bear right up the steps to follow a path which soon drops down again via a steep flight of steps. Turn left at the bottom of these steps to follow a riverside path. It starts to climb gradually uphill and at the top of the hill where the path forks, bear left and the track leads uphill to pass the wall of Farnworth Cemetery. The tarmac path drops downhill from here past Rock Hall to reach the car park.