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Location notes
Heath Charnock is a rural area two miles south of Chorley on the Preston to Bolton and Manchester line.
Railway type and traffic
Most trains on this line are North West Trains/Trans Pennine classes 156/175 with 142 and 150s appearing usually at Peak times. There is a two hourly service provided by Voyagers. Currently there is a daily class 31 hauled train operating for North Western and the line is also used as a diversionary route when the WCML is closed south of Preston.
Environment
This is a rural location and the footpath can get very muddy and waterlogged when it has been wet.
Road directions
The footpath leads from the A6 just south of Chorley.
After leaving the built up area there is a long straight through some woods, with a pub on the left. Turn into the first residential road on the right, about 400 yards before a set of traffic lights and park on the left hand side.
Return on foot onto the A6 back towards Chorley for about 100 yards and there is a footpath signposted on the right leading sharply down into the woods. Take extra care here when slippery. The footpath has a small bridge over a stream then climbs again until parallel with a canal. Cross over the stone bridge and follow the path alongside the fields to the railway.
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Heath Charnock map co-ordinates
After leaving the built up area there is a long straight through some woods, with a pub on the left. Turn into the first residential road on the right, about 400 yards before a set of traffic lights and park on the left hand side.
Return on foot onto the A6 back towards Chorley for about 100 yards and there is a footpath signposted on the right leading sharply down into the woods. Take extra care here when slippery. The footpath has a small bridge over a stream then climbs again until parallel with a canal. Cross over the stone bridge and follow the path alongside the fields to the railway.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Heath Charnock map co-ordinates
Parking
See road directions.
Public transport
Stagecoach service 125/126 operates every 10 minutes between Preston, Chorley and Bolton and stops at the top of the path.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Amenities
The nearest pub is on the A6 about 400 yards from the path. There is also a popular ice-cream parlour at the traffic lights.
Sun Compass
Sun Compass using Suncalc by brought to you by Vladimir Agafonkin:
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Heath Charnock
Streetmap links
Heath Charnock general view map
Heath Charnock close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Heath Charnock
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Heath Charnock
Googly map
Heath Charnock general view map
Heath Charnock close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Heath Charnock
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Photographic notes
The light is best at this location in the afternoon for trains heading from Preston towards Manchester, taking photos from the foot crossing which gives good 'line side' shots. Late afternoon shots are also possible of trains from the other direction from the private field adjacent which only very rarely is used to graze cows.
General views - All photographs © Mark Bearton unless otherwise stated
Fig 1 - Looking north
From the crossing
Fig 2 - Looking north
From the footpath
Fig 3 - Looking north
From the field
Disclaimer
All information contained within this is site is © Trainspots. The images used on this site remain the property of the original photographer, as credited at the top of the page, and are used with their kind permission.
The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.
This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavour to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.
Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.
Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass on either railway or private land. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.
The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window. Trainspots has been running now for over 10 years and there are imitation sites and guides to railfotspots. But we are a free site and we continue on the path we started out on over a decade ago to provide a useful guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.
The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.
This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavour to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.
Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.
Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass on either railway or private land. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.
The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window. Trainspots has been running now for over 10 years and there are imitation sites and guides to railfotspots. But we are a free site and we continue on the path we started out on over a decade ago to provide a useful guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.
