Pendle Hill, Lancashire
Pendle Hill from Worsaw
This is the first destination listed in this section because, without a shadow of a doubt, I love the place. Many times I have wandered over Pendle's summit and every time has been different.
From the trig point head towards the ladder stile over the wall to the north. DO NOT go over the stile but follow the path down and round to the right to descend via the man-made steps. Be careful in wet weather as they can be slippery.
From here the way back to Barley is very well waymarked. At the bottom of the steps proceed down to turn right across the front of Pendle House to a gate at end of the buildings. Turn left and follow wall, through gate then bear right (SD812411) to go through a gully and over stile on your right. Pass across the front of Brown House to go through a kissing gate that brings you onto a streamside path.
As you emerge from the main entrance of the car park in Downham, you will see a track between two houses on your right. Go up this track to enter a field via a stile/gate and carry straight on keeping fence on your right. Continue through a gate and then a stone stile until the boundary on your right turns away. From here you need to head slightly left across the open field until you reach a corner whereby you can continue with a fence on your right. Continue through the stile/gate and follow fence on left. DO NOT go through gate/stile ahead but turn left to make your way round a barn on the left. Turn past the front of the barn, over a small ford/footbridge to reach a stile onto road.
There are two walks for Pendle on this page, Walk One is 5 mls/8 km and Walk Two is 10 mls/16 km. Each walk is different, the footpath to / from the trig point at the summit being the only common factor.
Enjoy!
Both of these Pendle walks use the O/S Outdoor Leisure 41 - Forest of Bowland map.
Walk One - From Barley.
Start / Finish : Barley Car Park GR SD823402
Leave the car park by the main entrance and turn right to the T junction. Directly across the road you will see the track you need to take. Follow this good track past Lower Ogden Reservoir and continue on towards Upper Ogden Reservoir.
At the reservoir dam you need to take a stile next to a gate. Go uphill to then follow the path alongside the water with a wall on your right and fence on your left. Go over the stile at the end and then follow a clear path, heading in the same direction, to a ladder stile over a wall. The distinct path continues along a hillside to cross a small stream. Just after this you will come across a waymark pointing up the hill (SD799398). After the short climb you need to follow the distinct path alongside Boar Clough. About 200 metres after crossing the stream you will find yourself following a line of cairns that will take you gradually to the trig point at the summit (SD805414).
At the bottom, turn right along the tarmac lane to leave at left hand bend via footbridge on right (SD819406). Turn left past wall end and follow stream down into Barley. Turn right down the road and then look for path on the left that leads back to the car park.
Walk Two - From Downham
Start/Finish : Information Centre Car Park in Downham GR SD784441
Turn right along the road keeping an eye and ear out for traffic. Follow the road to a sharp left, then right (ignoring no-through road ahead), and as the road turns to the right just after the entrance to Angram Green, look for stile/gate into field ahead (SD778425).
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Cross footbridge and with boundary on left proceed to go over two stiles to emerge onto metalled farm access road. Turn left and follow this good track on past the entrance to Little Mearley Hall.Continue straight on with boundary on left as track fades into green lane to eventually arrive at Lane Side. After going through the gate turn left to stay with the tarmac/gravel track, past Great Mearley, straight on until you reach the road at Pendleton Hall (SD762400). |
| Little Mearley Hall |
Cross the road to go along the lane to Pendleton. After passing the Church look for a track off to your left where the road bends to the right. Go up this track to enter a field ahead by way of a stile next to gate, do not turn left with the small lane. Follow the stream on your right up through the field to a footbridge (SD761393). Cross over the footbridge and head left uphill to join field boundary, turn left and follow fence to top of field to go over stile. Continue straight on to go over another stile, then turn left.
Keeping sparse boundary on left, head up to stile over wall, then another in fence, to pass the end of Wymondhouses on your right. From corner of building, angle left past two large trees. Immediately after second tree, turn right to go uphill to meet up with wall, then here turn left and follow wall until you arrive at a stile. Go over stile to emerge onto sunken lane. Upon joining this sunken lane, turn left and follow uphill to go over stile in wall on left next to gate (SD769387). Head across field to wall stile next to gate. Upon joining the road be careful of traffic as you are on a blind bend. This is known as the Nick o' Pendle. Turn right before crossing the road after a few metres to ascend a good track.
| If you use a compass, set it to 45deg and this part of the walk is a doddle as you just follow the path in that general direction right to the trig point at the summit! The raised track leads you NE towards Apronful Hill with superb views of the Ribble Valley opening out on your left hand side. The track is well worn and easy to follow and you continue in the same direction for approx 1 and three-quarter miles before coming upon a slight dog-leg to the left approaching Ogden Clough (SD790402). Follow the path to go along the left hand slope of Ogden Clough until you arrive at a point where you can easily cross the stream with a good kissing gate on the opposite bank (SD798414). Go through the gate and up a small gully to emerge onto a well flagged 'anti-erosion' path. This path then takes you within sight of the trig point. |
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| The Anti-Erosion path to Pendle's summit |
From the trig point head towards the ladder stile over the wall to the north (SD805418). After going over the stile, avoid taking the obvious path to the left but head forward along a faint path to 'drop' off the edge to a path that develops left and down along the slope. As you descend the path 'zig-zags' before straightening out downhill in a northerly direction towards Hookcliffe Plantation. After passing over a couple of stiles you eventually emerge by way of a kissing gate onto Pendle Road (SD798433).
Cross the road to go through another kissing gate (*NB This is a longstanding Concessionary Footpath which runs parallel to Pendle Road from Lane Head and is NOT marked on the map*) and follow the path down to a gully to go over a stile. Turn left up towards a barn and look for the stile in the wall at the front of the barn. Going over the stile continue on with the fence/field boundary on your right and after going over 2 further stiles you will emerge on the entrance track to Clay House (SD794436).
Go over stile on other side of lane to enter a small plantation and continue with fence on left to go over a footbridge. With fence now on your right proceed on over 2 more stiles. Veer left across field until you meet riverside path that leads back into Downham.
An alternative start point is the halfway point at the Nick o' Pendle.
Start/Finish : Car Park on Sabden/Clitheroe Road GR SD771385
