Walking in Lancashire

40 walks throughout the county including the Forest of Bowland and Ribble Valley

By Mark Sutcliffe

ISBN

9781786310033

Availability

Published

1 Jul 2021

Reprinted

20 Mar 2023

Edition

First

Pages

176

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.10cm

Weight

210g

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Guidebook of 40 walks exploring the dales, moors, uplands and coasts of Lancashire, including Morecambe Bay, the Forest of Bowland, Ribble Valley and the West Pennine Moors. With routes for all seasons of the year and for a variety of abilities, these walks are within easy reach of Preston, Blackburn, Burnley, Lancaster and Clitheroe.

Seasons

Most of these walks can be completed all year round. Some higher level routes are challenging in winter, while lower level routes may become waterlogged after heavy rain.

Centres

Walks in the Forest of Bowland, Ribble Valley and West Pennine Moors are all accessible from nearby towns and cities including Preston, Blackburn, Burnley, Chorley, Lancaster and Clitheroe.

Difficulty

Most of these walks are suitable for any walker with a reasonable level of fitness. Higher level routes that climb above 2,000ft and can be very challenging in winter conditions and require appropriate clothing and footwear, good navigational skills, and basic knowledge of mountain safety.

Must See

Ancient woodland and gritstone moors, historic Pendle and Pendle Hill, RSPB reserve at Leighton Moss, Neolithic Bleasdale Circle, Roman museum at Ribchester, tercet posts on the Lancashire Witches Way, Andy Goldsworthy's sculptures on Clougha Pike, the Inn at Whitewell, Jubilee Tower, the Abbey Lighthouse and Lancashire coast, Morecambe Bay, Gragareth.

ISBN

9781786310033

Availability

Published

1 Jul 2021

Reprinted

20 Mar 2023

Edition

First

Pages

176

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.10cm

Weight

210g

Overview

Offering 40 day walks in Lancashire, this guidebook explores the often-overlooked regions of Forest of Bowland, Ribble Valley and West Pennine Moors. With walks ranging from low-level valley trails to higher hill routes, this guidebook offers plenty of year-round walking options for active families and committed hikers alike. The walks are accessible from a range of nearby villages, towns and cities including Preston, Blackburn, Burnley, Chorley, Lancaster and Clitheroe.

Lancashire showcases some of the most varied walking in the UK, featuring the wide expanse of Morecambe Bay, the Forest of Bowland AONB and limestone fringes of the Yorkshire Dales. These walks travel along green valleys, gritstone moors and untamed hillsides to explore remnants of Lancashire's rich history: The War of the Roses, the Pendle witch trials and the industrial heritage of the West Pennine Moors.

Providing detailed route description and clear OS mapping for all 40 walks, this guidebook includes an introduction full of information about the area including accommodation, transport and access. The appendices contain a route summary table to help you plan your days out, while each walk offers notes on wildlife, history, geology and available refreshments.

Table of Contents

Contents
Introduction
History
Landscape and geology
Wildlife
How to get there
Getting around
Bases
Food and drink
When to go
Access land
Footpaths
Safety
Before setting out
In an emergency
Maps
Using this guide
North Lancashire and the Bowland Fells
Walk 1 Beacon Fell and Brock Valley
Walk 2 Bleasdale Ridge circular
Walk 3 Clougha Pike
Walk 4 Cross o’ Greet and Bowland Knotts
Walk 5 Grizedale and Nicky Nook
Walk 6 Langden and Hareden Valleys
Walk 7 Parlick Pike and Fair Snape
Walk 8 Roeburndale – the enchanted valley
Walk 9 Stocks Reservoir circular
Walk 10 Tarnbrook and the Ward’s Stone
Walk 11 The Upper Wyre Way
Walk 12 Whin Fell and the Brennand Valley
Walk 13 Whitendale Hanging Stones
Walk 14 Whitewell and the Upper Hodder Valley
Walk 15 Glasson, Cockersand Abbey and Conder Green
Walk 16 Gragareth – Lancashire’s county top
Walk 17 Kirkby Lonsdale and Whittington
Walk 18 Sunderland Point
Walk 19 Silverdale and Warton Crag
Walk 20 Easington Fell and Beacon Hill from Grindleton
Walk 21 The Bowland Traverse
West Lancashire
Walk 22 Hurst Green and Ribchester
Walk 23 Longridge Fell
Walk 24 Jeffrey Hill
Walk 25 Great Eccleston and St Michael’s on Wyre
Walk 26 Rufford and Mere Sands Wood
South Lancashire and the West Pennine Moors
Walk 27 Barrowford and Foulridge
Walk 28 Holcombe Moor from Ramsbottom
Walk 29 Great Hameldon Hill from Accrington
Walk 30 Anglezarke and Great Hill
Walk 31 Belmont and Great Hill
Walk 32 Sunnyhurst Wood and Darwen’s Jubilee Tower
Walk 33 The foothills of Pendle from Downham
Walk 34 Pendle Hill from Pendleton
Walk 35 Pendle Hill and the Clarion House
Walk 36 Pleasington and Billinge
Walk 37 Weets Hill from Barnoldswick
Walk 38 Whalley Nab
Walk 39 The reservoirs of Worsthorne Moor
Walk 40 Wycoller and Boulsworth Hill

Appendix A Route summary table
Appendix B Useful contacts

Updates

May 2023

Walks 22 and 24 - OS map

The areas feature on OS Explorer map 287, not 41 as stated in the book.

May 2022

Walk 25

For clarity, the second ‘footbridge’ is the one after Cartford Bridge, which also takes cars.

August 2021

Walk 36 (for clarity)

For better views and another commemorative plaque, follow the path descending gently just south of west (left) along the ridge to the edge of the woods. Don't be tempted to take any of the many paths heading steeply downhill, sticking instead to the top of the ridge.

At the edge of the wood, go through metal kissing gate and straight over field and over stile continuing southwest over the fields.

Reviews

Walking in Lancashire is recommended to all walkers seeking the "Red Rose County (that) has it all."

Walking in Lancashire is a new addition to Cicerone's excellent collection of walking guides, although it is not a new title. Mark Sutcliffe was asked to update the late Mary Welsh's book of the same title. He is suitably qualified to do so. As well as being a Lancastrian, he is an experienced outdoor writer and editor of magazines such as Countryfile and Trail.

Walking in Lancashire is in Cicerone's usual compact format but includes a new feature: folded covers which stiffen the book and conveniently contains a map of Lancashire marked with the walks' numbers and a contents listing for ease of reference. I would have liked to see the covers being slightly wider so they could also serve as bookmarks.

Like the publisher's other walking guides, it is in very clear and easy to read layout and designed to be carried in a hand. The guide starts with a brief introduction of Lancashire's countryside and a potted history of the County Palatine of Lancashire, descriptions of its geology and wildlife, and practical information. Interestingly, the author makes reference to neglected footpath maintenance, stating the quality of stiles, etc varies quite widely across the county, but praises Pendle, Blackburn and Wyre for their "excellent job".

There are forty walks which are well distributed throughout the county, covering less obvious areas as well as the hotspots in the Forest of Bowland, Ribble Valley, Pendle and West Pennines. The walks are circular and 5-10 miles long with most being around 7 miles long. One notable exception is the two-day 28 mile linear Bowland Traverse which includes what Alfred Wainwright described as "the best moorland walk in England". Each walk is headed with useful details of the start/finish locations, distance, total ascent, time, map number, refreshments, parking and public transport where available. These are followed by a short summary of the route. The routes are succinctly written with descriptions of highlighted features that do not interfere with its flow, and are accompanied by colour extracts of an OS 1:50k map clearly showing the route and colour photographs.

After the walks, there is a route summary table and blank pages for notes. In case any 'signpost baggers' are wondering, there is one photograph of a PNFS signpost in the book. As a Lancastrian, I found Walking in Lancashire to be a refreshing addition to my library of walking books of my county. As I've said on a previous review (Signpost 65), a Cicerone's walking guide has about everything what I want out of one. It is designed to be read easily whilst enjoying some of the most beautiful walking in the country. Walking in Lancashire is recommended to all walkers seeking the "Red Rose County (that) has it all."

- Shirley M Addy, Editor, Footpath Inspector, Courts and Inquiries Officer

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Mark Sutcliffe

An experienced outdoor writer and editor, Mark Sutcliffe is a former editor of Country Walking and Lakeland Walker magazines and an occasional contributor to some of the UK’s leading outdoor magazines – including Countryfile, Landscape and Trail. Mark has explored extensively in the UK and Europe on foot and has in-depth knowledge of the Forest of Bowland, where he spends much of his spare time hiking, bird watching and taking pictures. He completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge in 2016, raising funds for dementia research.

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