dunsop valley | sunshine and celandines

I have posted about the lovely Dunsop Valley before but I couldn’t resist showing some images from a 5 mile walk on Sunday morning. Only 20 minutes drive from home, the scenic Trough Of Bowland is every bit as picturesque as the Dales of Yorkshire, yet this is a Lancashire gem through and through. The area can also claim to be the Centre Of The United Kingdom, though quite a few other settlements in Northumberland, Yorkshire and even Wales claim to be also. The weather was both blustery and calm, it didn’t really know what to do with itself….

A vibrant green moss on the woodland floor. Almost star spangled.

There are a few United Utilities information boards in the valley.

We walked as far as this footbridge, but hope to go further next time.

Nearly back in the village of Dunsop Bridge.

A well deserved breakfast butty topped off the end of our walk from Puddleducks in Dunsop Bridge. 🦆

This afternoon we donned our waterproofs and walking boots, packed a lunch and flask of coffee and headed to the centre of the UK !

The pretty village of Dunsop Bridge in the Trough Of Bowland is the nearest village to National Grid reference SD63770 56550 Hanging Stones. Apparently this area has been determined to be the exact centre of the country.

From the village car park ( £1.40 charge for four hours) we walked past the green and took the tarmacked track to the left of Puddleducks Tea Rooms and Post Office. From here we followed the lane through a couple of farm cottages and up through the valley as far as the water pumping station and back.

P1000647 — Heading toward the Dunsop Valley.

Hugo really enjoyed dipping in and out of the brook and chasing sticks. 🙂

Meanwhile the weather was a mixture of sunshine and hale stones, plus it was blowing a bit of a hooley.

I think the weather conditions frightened off most of the wildlife. I saw a few ducks and the odd pheasant. Lots of purple catkins on the alder trees gave the countryside a lilac hue.