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Rufford Old Hall Canal Walk

1.99 miles (3.2 km)

Ordnance Survey Map Open Streetmap This walk visits the National Trust's Rufford Old Hall in Lancashire. The timber framed, black and white house dates back to 1530 when it was built for Sir Robert Hesketh.
The historic hall has lovely gardens and trails along the Rufford Branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal which runs through the grounds.
In the parkland you'll find some attractive woodland with carpets of bluebells in the spring months and snowdrops in late winter.
The hall is located less than a mile east of Mere Sands Wood. You could combine your outing to the hall with a visit to this nature reserve where you can enjoy a series of lakes and lots of water loving wildlife.

Rufford Old Hall OS Map Ordnance survey map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Rufford Old Hall Open Street Map Open Streetmap - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Photos

Rufford Old Hall - geograph.org.uk - 2042985

Rufford Old Hall. There is some evidence to suggest that Shakespeare may have performed in the Great Hall. In about 1580 Shakespeare had been sent, by his Stratford schoolmaster, to be an assistant teacher in the household of Alexander Hoghton at Lea Hall near Preston, and the "wilim Shakeshaft nowe dwellynge with me", referred to by Hoghton in his will, is almost certainly Shakespeare.

A fisherman by the canal at Rufford Old Hall - geograph.org.uk - 2075475

A fisherman by the canal at Rufford Old Hall

Bluebells at Rufford Old Hall (NT) (7203136358)

Bluebells at Rufford Old Hall

Leeds-Liverpool Canal north of Rufford Old Hall - geograph.org.uk - 1331290

Leeds-Liverpool Canal north of Rufford Old Hall

Swing bridge near Rufford Old Hall - geograph.org.uk - 2417580

Swing bridge near Rufford Old Hall

Rufford Old Hall Gardens - geograph.org.uk - 2936233

Gardens.  A feature of the gardens is a pair of topiary squirrels.

Rufford Branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal - geograph.org.uk - 2937044

Rufford Branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal

The Canal at Rufford - geograph.org.uk - 1600305

The Canal at Rufford

Video

GPS Files

GPX File

Rufford Old Hall.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)