Pendle & Clarion House Walk . 🏠

It’s another walk through ‘ Pendle Witch Country’ with a couple of stops full of history and hospitality.

Walk 14 from Lancashire Year round Walks by Nick Burton. OS Explorer Map OL41. 5 and a half miles.

We parked at the pay and display car park opposite The Pendle Heritage Centre in the village of Barrowford. From here the author has devised a circular route that joins The Pendle Way with its Witchy Waymarkers , taking explorers across rugged countryside to Roughlee where The Last Clarion House resides.

Pendle Hill seen from the car between Gisburn and Blacko . At 557m , Pendle is just short of being a mountain.

Daffodils at the pay & display car park in Barrowford. Spring has sprung!

For those of you who have never heard of Pendle Hill, it is probably the most famous natural landmark in Lancashire. Steeped in history and known for its wild rugged beauty, Pendle is included as a detached part of the Forest Of Bowland AONB. Rising above the green pastures of the Ribble Valley & Clitheroe to one side and the borough of Pendles industrial towns and scattered villages to the other, Pendle Hill dominates the landscape on most of my local walks. It is from where George Fox was inspired to rally people to join the Quakers after his vision at the summit, and it is from where the alleged Pendle Witches were marched in shackles to Lancaster for the infamous Pendle Witch Trials.

On the Pendle Way path by Pendle Water.

Passing Old Oak Cottage.

Distinctive White Gatepost at Water Meetings Farm.

Heading up hill through woodland.

And onto open hillside. Looking back toward Blacko Tower.

We cross a very muddy field.

Squelch Squelch !

A crossroads of paths. We go downhill from here.

Heading down to Pendle Water and the village of Roughlee.

And some substantial Stepping Stones.

Beware, Hugo crossing. We were impressed by his balancing act.

Which was better than mine….

We pass a fairy house in Roughlee.

And on the side of the road, a witch. Alice Nutter.

Alice Nutter was one of twelve people accused of Wtchcraft from the Pendle Area in the seventeenth century. The alleged witches were denied access to lawyers and hung together at Gallows Hill in Lancaster on 20th August 1612. Most probably innocent victims of the mass hysteria and superstition of the time, the Pendle Witches have never the less caught the imagination of visitors to Pendle over the years. Alice herself was a member of a wealthy landowning family in Roughlee. Her lifesize statue made from steel and brass can be seen walking in chains by the side of the road.

Roughlee has an impressive waterfall on Pendle Water.

Dam Head is one of several former mills in the village.

From Roughlee we walk up Jinny Lane in search of a special refreshment stop. In a nearby field , a herd of Highland Cows watch us languidly.

Eggs for Sale.

Time for a brew?

The Last Clarion House.

Open only on Sundays , Clarion House is the last of its kind left standing. Built in 1912 for mill workers and their families to escape into the fresh air on their one day off ,this cosy meeting place still welcomes walkers and cyclists who happen on this special place. The Clarion movement had caught on at the end of the 19th century, a socialist ideal for working class folk who wanted to get together with like minded people. Walking clubs, choirs and cycling clubs sprang up as well as club houses and refreshment rooms like this one. It was lovely inside with benches to sit on, vintage socialist paraphernalia decorating the walls and a welcoming roaring fire. And it’s all run and looked after by friendly volunteers. For a more detailed post about The Last Clarion House, check out Michael’s Blog Here.

Roaring Fire. 🔥

2 mugs of coffee and a KitKat £2.

Dogs on leads are welcome.

Benches outside Clarion House.

Leaving Clarion House we head through a field full of Jacob Sheep and lambs.

A witchy house sign.

Not exactly a Witch? She peers over the wall at Noggarth Top Shop and Pendle View Gardens.

Pendle Hill from Noggarth.

A cute spindly 🐑 lamb.

Back on The Pendle Way.

We come across an abandoned farm.

And it’s abandoned burnt out farmhouse. Still beautiful and now the home of …….a barn owl, which flew silently out from the bedroom window. 🦉

The fields were sodden so we detoured the short walk back to Barrowford along Pasture Lane , passing the White Bear Inn.

Pendle Heritage Centre, Barrowford.

Back in Barrowford I take a quick look around the Pendle Heritage Centre which has a museum, tea room and walled garden. Situated by Pendle Water in a grade 1 1 listed manor house and farm buildings, the centre includes exhibitions about life here through the years and The Pendle Witches.

Museum gift shop window.

Inside the museum.

Manor house kitchen.

Mullioned windows.

Pendle Witches story.

Walled Garden.

Hope you enjoyed my muddy walk through Pendle Witch Country. 🧹

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Sabden and Churn Clough Reservoir.

More and more this year, we have discovered places local to us that we haven’t really taken notice of before. One such village is Sabden , just over the other side of Pendle . Nestled in its own valley under the bulk of Lancashire’s most famous hill, Sabden is said to be 2 degrees cooler than any of its neighbors. With that in mind we dressed for Winter on Saturdays 3.5 mile hike from Sabden to Churn Clough Reservoir. We parked at the village car park, where we met a friend and his two Bedlingtons who joined us.

Basically this walk can be made much shorter by not even venturing into Sabden, there is roadside parking before you descend into the village. Personally I am glad we saw at least a small part of Sabden. Or you can include the reservoir in a much longer hike around the valley. Here are some photos from our walk.

Badger Wells Cottages.

Not sure what this flower is, but love it’s vibrant purple colour.

There was a little terrier watching us from the downstairs right window in this pretty cottage.

A striking sunflower bench. No time to rest though..

I love that Gorse can flower all year round.

Finger Post Sign.

We did somehow take a bit of a detour up the hill a bit ( not my idea 🤣) , so the reservoir materialised quite a distance away. Churn Clough Reservoir was built in the late 1800s and extended in the 1920s. It is used for fishing and there is a good footpath round it.

Churn Clough Reservoir.

Melting snow.

Pew with a view.

Several cormerants were diving for fish.

A rather nice house that looks over the water.

Unfortunately this walkway was blocked off.

Churn Clough dam.

Goodbye Churn Clough.

A typical Sabden cottage.

And an appropriate pub sign for a Pendleside village.

Knitted Nativity. ❤️

I am looking forward to returning to Sabden and it’s scenically set reservoir. Another local gem found.

What has been your favourite local discovery this year? There have been so many…..

Walk From Nest On The Hill.

It does feel like all I post about is walking this year. I suppose that is very true! Before this Sunday morning hike from the Nick O Pendle , we also enjoyed a tasty breakfast at the super cute Nest On The Hill , a newly opened little cafe in a cabin at The Wellsprings restaurant. Wil had a sausage butty and I devoured yummy french toast with melted chocolate and blackberry compote. Hugo was made a fuss of by the lovely young couple who run this quirky bruncherie ( hope bruncherie is a word! ), that serves warming food & drinks before the main restaurant opens for lunch. The Nest is also packed with locally sourced gifts and crafts. Lots of present ideas. I even started my Christmas shopping!

After our food and my purchasing , Hugo for one was busting for a walk. I could have curled up on the cosy sofa in front of the toasty log burner for a while longer ,but fresh air beckoned…. We took the owners recommendation of a bridleway walk through the fields, thus avoiding the crowds who park nearby to make their way up Pendle Hill.

Pendle Ski ⛷️ Slope.

Bench with a view.

View information board.

We walked up the road and down a little , then through a gate on the right, following a farm track/ bridleway over rugged Lancashire countryside. To be totally honest I’m not really sure what this area is called, maybe Wiswell Moor. Some map perusing is needed! Anyway we basically walked as far as a field of llamas, then turned around and made our way back. A muddy 4 miles or so.

An old barn.

Rugged terrain.

Windswept tree.

Sheep’s eye view.

Approaching a conifer plantation.

We carried on toward Bramley Farm.

Passing a few houses and farms, some boarded up.

Look! Llamas.

Green fields.

Blue sky.

Looking towards Nick Of Pendle.

Sunbathing sheep.

The weather was bright and breezy, a perfect Pendle day. More from Pendle Hill coming soon hopefully. 🥾

Nest On The Hill. A cozy Pendle Gem.

Higham Circular Walk ~ The Sabden Valley.

I hope to bring you a few more photos from Lancashire walks whilst lockdown continues. 🌹

Higham nestles at the foot of Pendle Hill and the Pendle Way is a walking route which can be accessed from the village. The area has many associations with the Pendle Witches. Higham was home to several reputed victims of ‘ the witch ‘ Chattox. She allegedly turned the ale sour in the village pub ‘ The Four All’s Inn ‘ and bewitched the landlords son to death. She along with eight other people were hung on a hill above Lancaster for witchcraft in 1612.

On a more cheery note Higham was also the birthplace of Jonas Moore, who became known as ‘ The Father Of Time’ owing to his key role in establishing Greenwich Mean Time and the Greenwich Meridian. Not bad going for a Lancashire lad…

This walk is a 5.5 mile hike through a gorse strewn valley with lots of views of Pendle , old cobbled tracks and skies full of tumbling swift’s and swallows on a Sunday morning in May.

A Pendle Way sign above Higham.

Golden gorse.

Pendle Hill from above Higham.

Old wall.

Friendly horses, one in a rather posh cerice jacket. 🙂

A lovely Dapple Grey who wouldn’t pose for a photo.

A beautiful Grade ll listed cottage with mullioned windows..

Geese. 🙂

One was obviously a Guard Goose.

Unusual carvings.

At another farm ~ a gorgeous guinea fowl..

And a friendly mog.

Onwards along a cobbled track.

Footpath sign.

Looking back towards Pendle.

Climbing a small hill and admiring Pendle, or stopping to catch my breath. 😉

Sheep & lamb.

Over the top of the hill..

Time for a snack.

Heading back to the village.

Wall Brown 🦋

The Four Alls Inn.

The Four Alls on the pub sign denote the following.

The King rules all.
The Priest prays for all.
The Soldier fights for all.
The Common Man pays for all.

I was really surprised by this walk. Lots of history and gorgeous scenery in what was once royal hunting ground ‘ The Forest Of Pendle’ . The area is actually now an AONB and deservedly so I think.

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Walking Book – Guide To Lancashire Pub Walks by Nick Burton.

Map – OS Explorer OL21 South Pennines.