AVOIDING SKEM

Our next stop is the new town of Skelmersdale, but we're avoiding most of it, just calling in to see Blaguegate Colliery (long gone) and a former Leicester Leyland bus found at the NWRCC depot.

We now head west, to the town of Ormskirk, with its impressive parish church, seen in 2004.

A horse bus is seen outside the church.

More modern road transport is provided by Arriva.

It's market day in Ormskirk.

Here's the railway station in L&YR times.

In 1979, one of the LMS designed EMUs is seen in Ormskirk station.

Now, it's 1982. An EMU for Liverpool shares the station with a DMU on the Preston shuttle.

A BRCW DMU awaits departure, northbound, 1984.

Merseyrail 507 027 is seen at Ormskirk in 2011.

Yet another EMU departs for Liverpool, wearing two different liveries.

A famous pub in the town is the Buck I'th Vine, seen here as a Walker's house in 2004. It's still worth a visit.

Don't miss the nearby Greyhound.... they serve a decent pint.

No cask beers in the Queen's Head these days.

 Apparently, the Yew Tree is "long term closed".

Just outside the town is the Hayfield, which has Holt's beers.

Close to the border between Lancashire and Merseyside is Aughton. See the map here. There's a former Burtonwood house, the Dog & Gun.

Way to the south and we're back in Merseyside, at Kirkby, where M28386M was photographed in 1987.

The Liverpool suburb of West Derby comes next, served by the city's trams.

Sadly, a former Higson's pub in West Derby, the Halton Castle, no longer serves real ale.

Leaving the city behind, we find Huyton station and its ex LMS signal box.

 St Helens and District Tramways No 34 at the Blue Bell pub in Huyton. THe pub shown has long vanished.

To the east is Rainhill, on the old Liverpool & Manchester Railway. 1980 saw the commemoration of 150 years of that railway with a parade of locomotives and rolling stock. Pride of place went to Stephenson's Rocket, followed by a grand selection of others.

Rainhill station is still open to passengers. 142 054 calls in 1994.

Outside the station is the Commercial, a former Higson's house.

And that's where we'll end this post. Next time, a look at St Helens.


 

THE HINTERLAND - WEST OF THE M6

 Time to leave Southport and turn towards Preston, until we reach a place called Banks. There was a pub here called the Royal Oak, but now I can find no trace of it, except my photo taken in 2000.

A bit further towards Preston (see the map here for our route) is Hesketh Bank, home to the narrow gauge West Lancashire Light Railway.

Just to the south is the Cock & Bottle at Tarleton.

Turning southeast, we come to the Black Horse at Croston.

Not far away, the Farmers Arms (now prefixed "Original") at Ecclestone, seen here in 1991 as a Whitbread house.

Turning west now, we come across the Leeds & Liverpool Canal at Rufford.

Rufford is well known for its Old Hall (Creative Commons License).

The Hesketh Arms at Rufford is worth a visit.

The New Fermor Arms at Rufford was a brew pub. Now it's an old folks' home.

Rufford railway station was controlled by this L&YR signal box seen in 1982.

By 2011, the passing loop remained, but the signal box had gone.

To the west is the Windmill Farm Railway (Creative Commons License).

Now we're back by the canal, at Heatons Bridge.

There's a nice pub here.

Burscough Bridge station is on the Southport to Wigan line. Here's a L&YR service arriving.

Burscough Bridge station in 1964 (Ben Brooksbank, Creative Commons License).

Into the centre of Burscough, marked by the clock tower (Creative Commons License).

The Hop Vine is not to be missed, as it has its own brewery.

Sadly the Railway, a pub by the station at Hoscar, is now deceased.

We follow the railway line to Parbold. Here's the old windmill beside the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. 

The barge Ambush takes passengers along the canal in 1991.

Christ Church at Parbold (grassrootsgroundswell - Creative Commons License).

Parbold station and its signal box in the early 1990s.

Mr Google reports that the Railway pub in Parbold is no longer in business.

Thank goodness that the Stocks Tavern is still open!

That's where we'll close this post. Next time, we'll visit Ormskirk and a few other places maybe.