Wild Bowland Walks

Pendle done Proper:
the classic summit route from Pendleton

Start/finish: Pendleton Village Hall Car Park
W3W: ///dispose.tricks.sometimes
Distance 15.5km (9.6 miles)
Total ascent 520 m
Time 4.5 hrS
Map OS Explorer OL41
Refreshments: The Swan with Two Necks, Pendleton.
Public transport: NA.

Pendle is an icon in the landscape – a totem of Lancastrian pride. Thousands of people will climb it over the festive season and this is my favourite route.

This challenging circuit starts in the pretty village of Pendleton and follows the main ridge to reach the summit trig on the ‘Big End’, exploring the lesser known crags, cloughs and fissures on the less visited slopes of the hill.

Make a donation in honesty box and from car park, head east up road, taking track on right before church. Go through squeeze stile to right of The Keep holiday cottage and continue southeast to cross footbridge in top right hand corner of field and continue climbing along lip of shallow valley to cross stile in corner of field.

Continue south for 100m then left uphill to farmhouse and through gate and over the stile, following white blobs on trees and crossing the furrows on a faint path up to the gate then left along the track over a stile and up to the Nick of Pendle.

Cross stile, then follow the road over the Nick and southeast downhill for 300m, taking bridleway off to left before cattle grid. Follow bridleway east for 500m to fingerpost then, when the reservoir comes into view continue east on path to Churn Clough through two gates.

Follow the path as it zig-zags through the secluded little dell and continue traversing above reservoir, follow path as it swings north. Ascend steeply up the eroded path to the rugged outcrop of the Deerstones.

At the lip of the Deerstones, head northwest to wall then through kissing gate and follow faint track north to join main track along shallow main ridge. Continue northeast, dropping down to the western lip of Ogden Clough. Follow path to the head of the clough then cross beck onto the summit plateau and follow line of ‘paving slabs’ across the peat to the summit. 

The steep escarpment and sudden opening up of the views northeast come as quite a surprise. It’s often a windswept and exposed place, but the views are worth the effort. 

The views extend over into Yorkshire and the Three Peaks and over the forest of Bowland and up towards the Lakeland fells on a really clear day.

From the trig point strike out north to the ladder stile then left heading west on the path to cross another ladder stile. Contour along the edge of the plateau past the shelter to the large memorial cairn, then contour southwest around the top of the clough, aiming for the dilapidated wall visible on the far side. Use this wall as a handrail to reach the top of Ashendean Clough and your route down.

At cairn by corner of wall, follow path west down nose of Ashendean Clough – ignoring the ‘tank tracks’ to the right. Cross stream and follow it downstream to join footpath down the valley to Howcroft Barn. 

At barn, cross foot bridge and follow path to next barn then downhill towards Mearley Hall. Cross beck then over stiles and left onto track. Continue to farm, then cross Pendle Road at staggered junction and follow quiet lane back into Pendleton. 

Explore a snowy sliver of Lapland in Lancashire on this must-do winter walk

Start/finish: Memorial opposite Rum Fox pub
W3W: https://w3w.co/nags.wiped.however
Distance 12.5km (7¾ miles)
Total ascent 398 m
Time 3 hr
Map OS Explorer OL41
Refreshments: The Rum Fox Inn, Grindleton
Public transport: Clitheroe Station then number 3 Clitheroe Sawley Circular (every two hours) bus from Interchange.

Starting out as a pleasant valley stroll, as this route climbs steadily up onto the open fells, the views that unfold are right up there with the captivating vistas of the Dales or the High Peak. The initial ascent offers splendid views back over the Ribble Valley to Pendle and on reaching the highpoint atop Easington Fell, additional vistas open up to the north over the Hodder Valley and into the Yorkshire Dales.

As this route climbs steadily up onto the open fells, the views that unfold are right up there with the best in the Dales or the High Peak. From the highpoint at the summit of Easington Fell, additional panoramas open up to the north over the Hodder Valley and into the Yorkshire Dales. A must-do route for a crisp, clear winter’s morning.

From the cross roads at centre of village, walk west to Weavers Cottages then right over stile into Greendale Wood. Follow footpath over footbridge then left to perimeter of wood.

At edge of wood, continue west along field boundary to farm then over stile and right onto Green Lane. Follow this track for almost two miles as it climbs steadily up onto the fell side.

In May, the beech woods to the left are a glorious riot of spring colour – shot through with bluebells and ramsons and echoing to a rousing chorus of birdsong.

Beyond farmhouse, ignore first farm track off to left, but take second left, climbing again towards Simpshey Hill.  Beyond Cob Manor, Simpshey appears ahead. Through gate at top of track, take stile left and follow path downhill, across footbridge, before climbing half left past ruined barn.

Join grassy track following bridleway as it the skirts the base of hill and continues climbing north to turn left onto gravel logging track. Track climbs past a conifer plantation up onto the open fellside to a cairn on the skyline.

In springtime, this is one of the best places in Lancashire to listen out for the increasingly elusive cuckoo calling from the surrounding hillsides. Also look out for spotted flycatchers and the mercurial merlin.

From cairn, head half left to corner of plantation, following faint path northeast along edge. Climb over rusty gate with care and head over the tumbledown wall then follow it northeast for 400m. To the north, the Bowland Fells loom large and once over the brow, the Yorkshire Three Peaks suddenly appear.

Follow wall around plantation as it winds back southeast then, where gradient eases, head half left to gate then left on permissive path alongside wall heading southeast. After walk ends, continue to corner of field and right over the stile to continue east on permissive path then half right following firebreak into plantation.

At far edge of plantation, join the wonderfully named Shivering Ginnel, heading southeast. Continue straight over the stile, heading for the trig point on Beacon Hill. Footpath passes to left of trig and continues to lane. Turn right taking stile on left after 300m and across field to stile then onto track briefly before taking footpath through first gate on right after cattle grid.

Shivering Ginnel is so named owing to its alignment which allowed cold north-easterly winds to whistle through this wide gap in the trees and chill unfortunate local shepherds and other travelers along this ancient track.

Follow faint path well to right of barn to ladder stile in corner of field then along footpath past farmhouse, then left into the drive and across the lawn of the second property and over the stile in the corner.

Continue over stile downhill into corner of field, then over stiles and footbridge, continuing south over the fields to grassy track heading right above Far Lathe. Follow this southwest to edge of village then at back yard of the first house, turn left and follow footpath downhill. Continue down back streets then right to centre of village.