The Four Reservoirs Walk

4.9.12
Walking with; The Pendle Walking Festival

Walking Festival walking is of a very different kind from lonesome wandering. Whilst the freedom to stop at will and change direction on a whim is restricted, there is no need to constantly refer to a map or to worry about pacing, the walk leaders can generally provide useful local information and there is the opportunity to talk to other like minded souls. Pendle claims to be the UK's largest free walking festival and there are certainly events to suit all interests and abilities (see link for details)http://www.visitpendle.com/countryside/walking-festival.
As I have previously mentioned Pendle's main claim to fame is the Witch Trials that took place 400 years ago in 1612 where 12 alledged witches were tried and 10 executed. The region trades heavily on these events and part of the walk today followed The Pendle Witches Trail. We were seen off on our walk by the Lord Mayor of Pendle, not an everyday occurence, and one which made me wish I'd cleaned my boots! We set off along the banks of Pendle Water and headed through cow-tread boggy farmland (which made me glad I'd not bothered to clean my boots) with Old Pendle looming large in the distance. The appeal of Pendle is the way it rises from the flat valleys and troughs and dominates the surrounding landscape, a huge expanse of rock that just demands to be ascended! We passed between the Black Moss reservoirs where a number of fly fishermen were chancing their arms without any noticeable success that I could see. Conversations was batted back and forth within the group, "Where are you from?", "Where have you walked?" etc and tales of the witches were told as well as modern day tales of angry farmers tearing down 2012 witch memorials on the hill!
The sun came out for the ascent, a blessing or a curse? It made the climb pretty tough but the views from the top were fantastic, stretching out across the Lancashire countryside. A breeze cooled lunch, most of which I spent evading sandwhich scavenging sheep, provided beautiful views of Swallows and House Martins wheeling and swooping and keeping the midges down! We crossed the marshy tops, scruffy heather and black peat, on a fine flagstone path that very much reminded me of last weeks wander down The Pennine Way from Black Hill. At the foot of the hill, the vast expanse of moorland on top remains invisible, but once on top the summit spreads for miles and we crossed it to the head of Ogden Clough and began to folow the Clough towards Barley. Ogden Clough is not uninteresting but nor does it change much from top to bottom and the narrow goat path we followed ensured that eyes were directed firmly towards where feet were put rather than the scrubby surrounds. The clough ends in two more reservoirs and the path from there descends into the picturesque village of Barley where our numbers fraternally co-mingled with a group of French hikers, including a very fine gentleman with feathered beret!
Barley is a pretty spot with a fine cafe. United Utilities during excavations uncovered an almost complete 17th Century cottage complete with cat skeleton which it has been suggested may have belonged to one of the accused Pendle witches......The route from Barley back to Barrowford is a low level meander partially following Pendle Water and with fantastic views back to Pendle Hill. I saw a nodding, twitching Dipper and a pair of Grey Wagtails, before we were spat back out into Barrowford and urbanity and made our way back to our cars. Barrowford is home to the Pendle Heritage Centre, a beautifully maintained park and "The White Bear" pub where (before it was a pub) Methodist preacher and reformer John Wesley was forced to take shelter from an angry mob. All of these deserve a return and further exploration.
Whilst the walk was conducted in the glorious sun of an Indian Summer, there were some distinctly Autumnal hints. The rose hips and rowan berries are out, leaves are starting to turn and as we came through Barley, schoolchildren were emerging from the local Primary for the first time for many of them!

Pendle Hill from Downham

21.05.12
Walking with; Nobody

Pendle, old Pendle, thou standest alone.
Twixt Burnley and Clitheroe, Whalley and Colne,
Where Hodder and Ribble's fair waters do meet
With Barley and Downham content at thy feet

Pendle Hill truly does stand alone, an imposing monolith towering over the impossibly picturesque village of Downham. For all the associations with witches and the supernatural (http://www.pendlewitches.co.uk/), in the bright and glorious sunshine of an unseasonably warm May morning Pendle Hill sat like a benign giant and off I set. The path from Downham took me across farmland passing wooded glades filled with Bluebells and Wild Garlic. Passing under Worsaw Hill I followed a brook along as far as Worston where there were some beautiful cottages and plenty more Wild Garlic and Cow Parsley. I followed the narrow lane, encountering no traffic and plenty more wildflowers including Forget-me-not and Rose Bay Willowherb, before striking off onto the lower slopes of Pendle Moor and climbing very steeply (and sweatily) to a fine vantage (and resting) point. Pendle Moor acts as a plateau and after following a stream for a while the path climbed steeply again towards a cairn on the edge of the broad, fairly featureless summit. Pendle Hill is well known for difficult navigation in tricky conditions but today with not a cloud in the sky, the whole summit plateau spread out before me, as did spectacular, if slightly hazy, views back into the Ribble Valley. I passed the Scout Cairn and continued on across moorland with not a soul in sight until I reached the stone wind shelter and decided that it offered a modicum of shade and would make a decent spot for lunch accompanied by Skylark, Curlew and Meadow Pippit.
Fuelled by cheese and my Granny's excellent Green Tomato chutney I crossed the boggy plateau and headed to the summit. The summit, on the Barley side, was much busier with a couple of groups enjoying the views over the Black Moss reservoirs, so I didn't stay long but retraced my steps back towards the open land before striking off on a descending track above Downham Moor. It was easy, but warm, walking and as I crossed the moor there were plenty of lambs and sheep but not many people even on such a spectacular day. The path continued down through farmland before following the stream back into Downham passing many more beautiful cottages.
Downham is part of the estate of the Assheton family and is reckoned by many to be the prettiest village in Lancashire with no phone lines, electrical lines or satellite dishes, giving it a olde world charm that the pub and tea rooms trade on (and judging by their business do very well from......). The Assheton family have owned the manor since 1588 and have a small private chapel in St Leonard's Church as well as several stained glass windows dedicated to various of their clan. It's unspoilt nature makes it popular with TV and film crews and "Whistle Down the Wind" was mostly shot in the area, as well as, more recently, the TV series Born and Bred. After a wander round the church and graveyard I refreshed myself with a coffee in the sunshine and basked not only in the sun, but in the reflected glory of conquering Old Pendle!