Healey Nab
Encyclopedia
Healey Nab or "The Nab" is an area of countryside owned by Lancashire County Council
containing rolling hills, moorland, woodland, ponds and streams to the east of Chorley
, Lancashire
between the M61
and the West Pennine Moors
. To the south east is Anglezarke Reservoir
and to the north east White Coppice
.
The name "Healey Nab" is derived from heagh (high) and ley (woodland). "Nab" is believed to derive from the Middle-English word nabb meaning a promontory or headland.
The area is popular with walkers and a network of hiking trails criss-cross the area. The Healey Nab area has two small man-made lakes, "Bottom Lodge" and "Top Lodge", a private fishing lake. The summit is Grey Heights, and near to it is a disused quarry known as "Devil's Rock". Grey Heights and its cairn at 682 feet form the highest point and from there are views over Chorley and it is possible to see the skyline of Preston, Fiddlers Ferry power station
in Merseyside, the silhouette of Blackpool Tower
and the Irish Sea. From Chorley
, "The Nab" dominates the landscape and is the first significant height gain in the transition from a heavily populated area to the moorland
of the West Pennine Moors.
A mountain bike trail has been waymarked around Devil's Rock with trails winding through the woods from the summit to the lower slopes. There is also a bridleway.
Lancashire County Council
Lancashire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. It currently consists of 84 councillors, and is controlled by the Conservative Party, who won control of the council in the local council elections in June 2009, ending 28 years of...
containing rolling hills, moorland, woodland, ponds and streams to the east of Chorley
Chorley
Chorley is a market town in Lancashire, in North West England. It is the largest settlement in the Borough of Chorley. The town's wealth came principally from the cotton industry...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
between the M61
M61 motorway
The M61 motorway is a motorway in North West England. It runs from the M60 motorway northwest of Manchester and heads northwest past Bolton and Chorley to join the M6 just north of the junction between the M6 and M65 motorways to the south of Preston....
and the West Pennine Moors
West Pennine Moors
The West Pennine Moors cover an area of approximately of moorland and reservoirs in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.The West Pennine Moors are separated from the main Pennine range by the Irwell Valley. The moorland includes Withnell, Anglezarke and Rivington Moors in the extreme west,...
. To the south east is Anglezarke Reservoir
Anglezarke Reservoir
Anglezarke Reservoir is the largest reservoir in the Rivington chain to the west of Anglezarke in Lancashire, England. Anglezarke Reservoir has three embankments, the longest, the Charnock Embankment is 777 metres long and 9.45 metres high, the Knowsley Embankment is 219.5 metres long and 14...
and to the north east White Coppice
White Coppice
White Coppice is a hamlet near Chorley, Lancashire, England. It was the most populated part of the township of Anglezarke in the 19th century. Close to the settlement in the early 19th century were quarries and small coal mines. The hamlet lies to the north of Anglezarke Reservoir in the Rivington...
.
The name "Healey Nab" is derived from heagh (high) and ley (woodland). "Nab" is believed to derive from the Middle-English word nabb meaning a promontory or headland.
The area is popular with walkers and a network of hiking trails criss-cross the area. The Healey Nab area has two small man-made lakes, "Bottom Lodge" and "Top Lodge", a private fishing lake. The summit is Grey Heights, and near to it is a disused quarry known as "Devil's Rock". Grey Heights and its cairn at 682 feet form the highest point and from there are views over Chorley and it is possible to see the skyline of Preston, Fiddlers Ferry power station
Fiddlers Ferry Power Station
Fiddlers Ferry Power Station is a coal fired power station located in Cheshire in North West England, which is capable of co-firing biomass. It is situated on the north bank of the River Mersey between the towns of Widnes and Warrington. Opened in 1971, the station has a generating capacity of...
in Merseyside, the silhouette of Blackpool Tower
Blackpool Tower
Blackpool Tower Eye is a tourist attraction in Blackpool, Lancashire in England which was opened to the public on 14 May 1894. . Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, it rises to 518 feet & 9 inches . The tower is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers...
and the Irish Sea. From Chorley
Chorley
Chorley is a market town in Lancashire, in North West England. It is the largest settlement in the Borough of Chorley. The town's wealth came principally from the cotton industry...
, "The Nab" dominates the landscape and is the first significant height gain in the transition from a heavily populated area to the moorland
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
of the West Pennine Moors.
A mountain bike trail has been waymarked around Devil's Rock with trails winding through the woods from the summit to the lower slopes. There is also a bridleway.