Lancashire Way Day 2

Mellor to Barley
Distance 16.5 miles
Ascent 700m
Weather: mostly warm and sunny
Kestrel, serendipitous pack of tissues, nervy cows, frog in a bog

We took at early detour up on to Mellor Moor to see the remnants of a nuclear observation bunker from the 1960. The tiny space was completely cut off from the outside world, occupied by 3 men on 2 week shifts and it must have been pretty miserable.

Returning to the road we followed that for a while before turning off into a cow field, the cows not paying us much attention but very agitated by a dog walker going the other way.

Leaving the field we went up hill though a housing estate on a narrow path between fences which allowed occasional sneaky peeks into people's back gardens.

A pretty track led across Wilpshire Moor above Dean Clough reservoir then through sheep fields with patches of gorse.

There was some unnecessary stile crossing and then some wobbly stile crossings.  A steep lane dropped down into Whalley and we called in at the co-op for supplies but didn't go to look at hats in the outdoor shop, which was regretted later.

We stopped for lunch at the picnic spot at Spring Wood with the squirrels. There were squirrels enjoying some yoghurt, squirrels having a play on the fence and squirrels snoozing on the picnic tables. It was warm and sunny but dark clouds were gathering behind. A rocky path next to a drystone led up on to moorland becoming more grassy as we went higher. It rained for a short time then the sun came out again.

Crossing the Nick of Pendle we went up over Pendleton Moor, stopping to take waterproofs off when they'd dried. I was just putting mine into my rucksack when a long haired retriever emerged from a boggy puddle and came to shake itself off over me.

The sunshine brought the skylarks but the ground was still very wet underfoot and I nearly trod on a frog in a bog. We stopped briefly by a wall to adjust socks and there was an M&M incident.

Passing Fell Wood we came down into Newchurch in Pendle, the witches shop had just closed and we weren't able to get a broomstick, so we walked on into Barley.  We are staying at the Barley Mow and our room overlooks a stream with ducks on it. It is the full moon tomorrow so we shouldn't be disturbed tonight by any witches.