Lancashire Way Day 4

Slaidburn to Chipping
Distance 21.5 miles
Ascent 900m
Weather: warm and sunny
Hare, curlews, oystercatchers, meadow pipits, snipe, male hen harrier, kestrels, mountain bikers
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We made our way out of the village by a quiet lane then up a steep path leading up to fields of long grass. We crossed several fields by stone steps over high walls.

There was a choice here, either go over the bridge now and then along the side of the beck on boggy and indistinct path or follow a clear path up the brook but there be not bridge. We chose bridge. The other side was open access land, so we just headed up, following a route that someone on a quad bike had used. This led up to a gate and out on to Hornby Road, which is an old t
Roman Road. At Hard Hill Top we took a narrow grassy path down into Whittendale, following the beck (Whitendale River, which becomes Dunsop River) into the valley. It was quite boggy in places, especially where they'd put duck boards in and the bog had expanded around it. The valley was beautiful, wooded with sheep fields and streams.

We had lunch sitting on a bench looking down the valley and then followed the lane (almost) into Dunsop Bridge. We skirted around the town, going through some large wrought-iron gates and into cow fields.

After a bit of road walking we turned off at Hareden and followed a path through fields (and bog) to join a track that follows Langden Beck up to Fiendsdale Head. Thankfuly we didn't meet any fiends.

The path leads up to Fairsnape Fell from here, necessitating crossing quite a wide, deep stream so we rolled our trouser legs up and waded across. Then a narrow rocky path led up the hillside, emerging into peat bogs and groughs.

We followed a grassy path down over Blindhurst Fell and back up onto Parlick, where there were lots of paragliders and runners.

A steep grassy slope took us down to Fell Foot, where we joined the lane into Chipping. Here we called a taxi, as it was getting late by now, and we are staying at Ferrari's Country House Hotel a couple of miles away. We have been very well looked after and our room is like something from a period drama, with a massive canopy bed.

Lancashire Way Day 3

Barley to Slaidburn
Distance 19 miles
Ascent 800m
Weather: wet in the morning, dry afternoon
Rooks, skylarks, meadow pipits, curlews, oystercatchers, swallows, barn owl, hares, tiny bunny, cuckoo


We were not cooking on gas this morning, as it had gone off. So we had double helpings of cereals and had rumbling tummies a couple of times during the day.

We walked through the park and then up the lane to Ogden Reservoir with windblown wooded hillsides. At the top of the reservoirs we turned up a rocky path up the side of a gully. This is the Pendle Way, which is supposed to be the route that the accused walked to Lancaster for the witch trials.

The rocky path led across the moors, there were circling rooks and skylarks overhead.

As we approached the top of Pendle Hill the low cloud turned to rain. It eased off fairly quickly but there was drizzle for a while.

Coming down Downton Moor we met a chap who is on day 10 of his Lancashire Way walk. His dog took advantage of the break to have a lie down.

We walked through Downham village and tgeb through some fields. The rain became heavier so we sheltered in barn doorway for a while, seeing a barn owl fly up to some nearby trees. This part may not strictly have been on the official route, but we saw a barn owl so it was all good.

We crossed over a very narrow arched stone bridge and several very over-engineered stiles. Coming through a field of grass, Rob nearly stood on a Hare, the first of four that we saw today.

We had lunch on a bench in the grounds of Sawley Abbey, watching the people looking at the ruins and trying not to get everything covered in orange juice.

We crossed the road bridge over the River Ribble (looking very high) and then walked up the lane into Grindleton. The lane was quite steep, a chap on a moped having to push with his feet and nearly ending up in the hedge in the process.

A straight bridleway went up onto the moors, becoming more narrow and rocky. Ee stopped for sit down by wall and then followed more straight grassy paths passing some piles of stones called The Wife and Old Ned. The latter looked a bit collapsed. On the horizon we could see Fountains Fell and the Yorkshire Three Peaks.

A stony track led down off the tops through farmland and into Easington. We followed the wet riverside path into Newtown and then the footpaths up to Great Dunnnow Woods were the path was completely flooded. The ducks paddling on the path was our first warning. Rob waded through it and I went to investigate a possible detour through a gap in the fence. There was not a way through but there was a lot of nettles. As I went back to the gap Rob noticed people had crossed further to the other side so I was able to avoid the deepest water.

After that we decided to walk along the road into Slaidburn and avoid the next bit of riverside path. We are staying at the Hark To Bounty.

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.

Lancashire Way Day 1

Preston to Mellor
Distance 21.5 miles
Ascent 800m
Weather: cloudy, rain in afternoon
Things on hands: creosote, dog snot, mud
State of feet: mild decay
Dog bench, runners, oystercatchers, grey wagtails, deer, kingfisher

We had got the train from Manchester to Preston yesterday evening and set off after breakfast this morning, after calling in at sainsburys for supplies, including lunch and more cold and flu tablets.

We set off through the park, narrowly avoiding getting trampled by hordes of runners.

We followed the River Ribble which was considerably higher than when we were here at Easter. There has been quite a lot of rain. At that point there was just high cloud some patches of blue sky.

The route was on pavements for about 3 miles, then the pavement went away and we were on verges, then walking along the edge of the road until we'd crossed the bridge over the M6, just south of j21. Almost straight after, we turned off up a track by fields of sheep and oystercatchers. Once we'd got through the gate anyway.

We followed the banks of the River Darwen for a while, then reached Cardwell farm, where the path abruptly became a stinky cow swamp. After some thought we decided to turn back and make a detour around. There was a footpath not far away through a grassy field so we went that way. Rob nearly stood on a squirrel. Then we had to battle with a barbed wired up gate but we made it to the lane with relatively clean shoes.

The path went around a walled wood around Houghton Hall with gates (possibly door) and deer. The Hall (and tearoom) is closed on Saturdays so we didn't go up the drive, instead we stood under some trees and put our waterproofs on as the heavens opened.

It eased off after a while and we had a sit by river for lunch, along with some midges and friendly cows.

Riverside path became grassy fields through farmlands. We stopped for tea and cake at the visitor centre at Witton Country Park then walked up Billinge Hill to the misty viewpoint, through woodland with slightly bedraggled rhododendrons. The clouds began to clear and there was some sunshine. Also some mud.

We left the woodland, crossing a very muddy bridge then down a slippy stone path, crossed a few wet grassy fields before emerging out on the road just outside of Mellor. We walked up into the village to the Millstone Hotel, where our room is up three flights of stairs.

Last Weekend

Saturday
16 miles

It rained pretty much all day. We walked to Daisy Nook in the rain, had a sit in the cafe with cups of tea and bacon butties then walked home. In the rain.

Sunday
Not far
We went to Shaw for brunch at the Shay Wake then Asda where we bought some suncream. The sun disappeared as we walked to Dunwood Park, dark clouds appeared and we sheltered under the trees from the rain a bit as we'd not brought any coats with us. It didnt last long and then we walked home.

Training Walk to White Hill

Distance 19miles
Weather wet

We walked up to Ogden Reservoir and Windy Hill, then crossed the road and up to White Hill.

The moorland grass has started to grow back now after the fire and it's quite green up there. We had a sit down by  some sheep by the wall at the gate by the Oldham Way/Pennine Bridleway junction. There was some debate about the best way to get back and we ended up walking down a very wet, slippy overgrown lane into Denshaw then along the road for a while to get to the lane that heads upto Brushes Clough. We went straight on at the top over to the reservoir and back along the track.

Training Walk - Brushes Clough

Went out late as it was raining all morning.

Over Brushes Clough to the aerials, then wandered around a bit.