| The Clarion Way...sort of! |
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Date : 23rd to 25th May 2009
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Leaders : Phil Bedson & David Hill |
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Report by : Phil Bedson |
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Photos © : Phil Bedson |
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| CLICK HERE FOR ROUTE DETAILS |
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| The Group on Day 3 | |
The Spring Bank Holiday weekend saw members of Hyndburn Ramblers complete a 35 mile walk based around a local walk called The Clarion Way. Day One was a twelve mile walk from Burnley, Day Two was also twelve miles but circular whilst Day Three from Nelson came in at eleven.
Travelling by train to Burnley Central station the first morning seven members were anticipating a great few days to come as they left under cloudy skies. The first leg was along the Leeds - Liverpool canal which took us North out of town. A field path took us by an estate and under the motorway where the open country was soon with us. Joining the Pendle Way route we made our way up through the village of Higham and as we crested a ridge the view along the Sabden Valley opened up before us. Dropping downhill we made our way past the recently renovated Tinedale Farm and, staying on the Pendle Way, continued on to our lunchtime destination of Newchurch-in-Pendle. Just at the right moment the sun broke through and we sat on the benches near the church to eat our dinner.
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left:
Leaving Burnley behind |
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right: Stile near Higham |
After a brief look in the church at Newchurch we left in an easterly direction and made our way across fields to Dimpenley Farm and Nabs Farm before striking out north-east to join the road. As we reached a crossroads, with a sign post stating we were in Happy Valley.
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View up the Sabden Valley |
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right: All happy in Happy Valley! |
We continued straight on along the road to take a riverside path before the bend. After a short uphill stretch, very muddy in places, we kept to the ridge path and made our way down to Water Meetings. At least that is how it should have been. A misreading of the route meant we took a detour down past Higher Oaklands and via West Pastures before finding ourselves back on the correct line much to the chagrin of one member of the party! A herd of over-friendly calves seemed to be enjoying this mishap too - with one even trying to eat the map.
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left:
Negotiating the mud |
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right: Friendly beef |
Once again we joined the Pendle Way and made good speed down in to Barrowford. Upon reaching the road we turned left and made our way to The Old Bridge Inn where a welcome refreshment stop was just what was needed.
We resumed our walk along the riverbank to pass the Pendle Heritage Centre and follow the path through the park. The path took us under the M65 motorway and round to join the Leeds - Liverpool canal yet again, which was to be the final mile of the first day back to Nelson Interchange.
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| The river at Watermeetings | |
There were seven yet again for the second morning which was to be a circular walk starting from the Pendle Heritage Centre. The sun was blazing down and sun cream aplenty was applied before we left. We made our way back along the riverside path to go past The Old Bridge Inn (sadly closed) and up the road to pass through a housing estate in Higherford. A marker post pointed our way around the side of one house and soon we emerged into fields where the sheep were lazing in the shadows of trees around the edge. We maintained our direction to eventually go over a stile to a footbridge only to end up stood in a stream. Puzzled at first we soon realised the stream was the path and the footbridge was just behind the overgrowth twenty yards away. Field edge paths took us up to cross the road and then on up the drive of Burnt House Farm. Here the diverted footpath takes you around the farm and having regained the line at the other side our way continued up to Blacko Hill Side with Stansfield Tower sitting atop Blacko Hill clearly visible on the skyline before us.
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Fieldpath out of Higherford |
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right: Blacko Tower |
A quite steep field slowed our pace a little and the boggy ground as we reached the top didn’t help our cause but this was soon put behind us as we made our way to join our friend from the previous day - The Pendle Way. Weets Hill was our next destination and upon arriving there the full 360° vista was breathtaking with views right up to the Yorkshire Three Peaks. A quick drink was had and we continued downhill to join Folly Lane where a set of steps took us off into a field. We made our way over a few stiles and found a nice quiet spot for lunch whilst we basked in the still glorious sunshine after liberally applying yet more sun cream.
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left:
Atop Weets Hill... |
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right: ...and our view of Pendle |
More fields after lunch took us down to Salterforth Bridge and the Anchor Inn, where an after dinner aperitif was enjoyed, before we resumed our journey up the lane. We took a track off to the right and then entered a field by way of a gap stile to continue on to Wood End Farm. A narrow footbridge shortly after took us through a copse and onto a lane before we once again took to the fields over to Foulridge Hall. As we descended towards the town of Foulridge we could briefly see the canal wharf off to our left.
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The narrow footbridge |
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right: Fields towards Foulridge |
The streets were quiet and soon we were out in the fields again as we made our way down to Foulridge Lower reservoir where a number of small sailboats were racing on the water. We followed the reservoir side path anticlockwise to leave by way of a track at it’s westernmost edge and continued straight down to join the Leeds - Liverpool canal. At least we should have. Recognising it as somewhere he’d been before one of the leaders marched off up the dirtiest, muddiest track you could have ever wished for and before any realisation that it wasn’t the correct path it was just as easy to proceed along this quagmire of a path as to retrace our steps. So we eventually joined the canal ¾ of a mile further on than expected and a lot dirtier. We followed the canal down to Higherford locks and crossed over one to a field path. Back through the housing estate we soon came back to another old friend - The Old Bridge Inn - and with the sun still beating down an obvious choice to end the day.
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| Sails on the reservoir | |
Arriving at Nelson Interchange on the morning of the third day nine members were out to enjoy the final day of this Spring Bank walk and the sun cream was out again as the temperature was rising. It was immediately uphill through the rows of terrace houses and then on past a couple of factories before we took a lane towards Walverden reservoir. The lane continued up past Thaw House and on towards the hamlet of Southfield Fold complete with it’s impressive Methodist Chapel.
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Just past Thaw House |
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right: Southfield Fold Methodist Chapel |
A network of field paths took us from here to eventually emerge at Catlow. We took the lane straight on to join the road and continued along it, past Walton’s Monument, to the crossroads. A well deserved break was had before dropping down the lanes to the Coldwell reservoirs where the waters were surprisingly low after all the recent rain! Having rejoined the Pendle Way for a short distance we then joined up with The Bronte Way as we made our way over the moors towards Thursden passing all that is left of New House next to the path. The walk down to Thursden Valley through the trees was delightful and certainly made everyone comment. As we left the road by way of a stile we rounded a corner and declared the small patch of grass between a stream and a wall as a suitable spot for lunch. It was south facing and the sun again forced us into getting out that sun cream.
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A long road behind us |
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right: The doorway of New House |
After lunch we continued on along the stream side path to cross via a footbridge before ascending up through the trees. We followed the path as it wound around the hillside before the slight descent down to ….Uh-Oh! Once again we found ourselves in the wrong place! What had become a feature of this walk had struck yet again despite all our best efforts. We established that we were at Monk Hall, literally having just missed the fork in the path shortly after the footbridge, and so a route was found around Beadle Hill to get us back on the correct path. Once there a drink stop was declared as the temperature rose even more.
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left:
Ascending through the trees |
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right: Drink stop after the diversion |
It was a good track that took us down to the Swinden reservoirs and after crossing the road it was an equally pleasing green lane alongside Lea Green reservoir. As we arrived at the far end of the reservoir there was before us some pleasant walking alongside Swinden water whilst the ruins of Extwistle Hall looked down on us from its perch on the ridge. At the junction of Swinden Water and The River Brun a few minutes were spent trying to identify the industrial remains amongst all the undergrowth. We continued on alongside the River Brun until we reached the aqueduct upon which resided the Leeds - Liverpool canal.
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Through the trees alongside the River Brun |
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From here it was just a half mile back to the station from whence we had started out just two days earlier. True to form however we’d just missed the train and so it was a well deserved pint that was called for.
Five people completed all three days of the walk which reached a total of 35 miles - Congratulations go to them.
