Walks to find ………..

A New Year and I imagine, new walks! I have also been looking back at walks I’ve done over the years ,especially those with a specific point of interest. Join me as I look back on walks to find…….

Snowdrops & Acconites at Dalmain in Cumbria.

Snowdrops. I don’t know about you, but the sight of snowdrops in January and February gives me such a lift. These dainty looking ( and very hardy) harbingers of Spring pop up alongside rivers and carpet woodland. Since Victorian times they have become a symbol of purity and hope. Quite a few stately homes and parks organise snowdrop walks ( usually in February ) , so it’s a good idea to check online if there are any nearby.

Two years ago we found swathes of snowdrops at Dalemain in Cumbria . Last years display at NT Acorn Bank was beautiful too and Eunice from Life In The Mouse house blogged about her walk around the grounds of Lytham Hall In Lancashire . Let me know if you have seen any snowdrops yet in 2024.

Anthony Gormley statues on Crosby Beach.

Naked Men. I think I am long overdue another visit to Another Place. 😊 This is the name of the Antony Gormley art installation on the sands of Crosby Beach near Liverpool, featuring 100 cast iron statues of the artists own naked body. Dotted along 3 miles of coastline and looking out to sea, the statues have become an iconic landmark since their arrival on these shores in 2005. My post is quite old now but here’s a promising looking Walk I found online.

Cotton Grass, Little Mell Fell near Ullswater.

Bog Cotton. Find a fell, any fell ,and you may just be lucky enough in early Summer to find yourself surrounded by Cotton Grass blowing in the breeze. The Wildlife trust describes this vision of loveliness as ‘ like someone has thrown a giant bag of cotton wool balls across the landscape’ , they are not wrong! We did the short hike up Little Mell Fell in the Northern Lakes last year. Check out The Hiking Household for this family friendly walk.

Swanside Packhorse Bridge, Chatburn, Lancs.

A Packhorse Bridge. Don’t you think there is something magical about an old Pack Horse Bridge. Packhorse bridges were built from the 17th century onwards to allow packhorses transportation over rivers and streams. They are often found deep in the countryside along old droving routes. The one above in The Ribble Valley features on my blog from 2021 Weekend Wanderings.

Meanwhile check out Michael’s blog Down By The Dougie for his post about Ashness Bridge in the Lake District and Devon & Cornwall blog Treks & Tors for lots and lots ( and lots) of bridges. 😁

Bluebells in Flakebridge Woods, Cumbria.

Bluebells. Is there a more beguiling sight in late Spring than a violet haze of beautiful bluebells carpeting the woodland floor. Our native bluebells are an indicator of ancient woodland , a symbol of fairy enchantment (some say fay folk ring the bells before meeting up) and they give off a divine fragrance too. I have loved walking through bluebell woods in Barbon , Whalley and Flakebridge . But where to in 2024….

Perhaps I can seek out the best Bluebell Woods via The Woodland Trust website.

Stainforth Force in the Yorkshire Dales.

Waterfalls. I do love a good Waterfall Walk and the UK has plenty of them. And there are varying names for the word Waterfall too. Around the country you may come across falls, forces, fosses, snouts and spouts! One of my favourite waterfall walks is The Ingleton Falls Trail in The Yorkshire Dales ,which passes 8 waterfalls of varying sizes. Another walk I enjoyed in the Dales featured Stainforth Force above.

So perhaps the best waterfall walks are in Yorkshire? Melodie from Our Lake District Escapades would disagree, here’s her post about Aira Force in the Lakes.

Mandarin Duck, Strid Wood, Bolton Abbey.

Autumn Colours. Come September and October, our woodlands become spectacles of colour, reds, yellows, orange and gold. The male mandarin duck above sports his striking ( quite autumnal shades, I feel) all year round , his photo is here because he looks especially dapper against an autumnal backdrop. I saw mandarin ducks, other wildlife and autumn colours on a spooky walk at Bolton Abbey back in 2018. For information about the best walks to admire the season in all its vibrant glory check out this country file article. 🍁

Trig Point, Binsey , Cumbria.

Trig Points. Many of the bloggers I follow love their walks, especially those that go up a hill! I can’t say I’m really one of those bloggers, however even I feel a sense of satisfaction when I’ve huffed up a fell and am rewarded by far reaching views. The concrete pillars known as Trig Points were erected by the Ordnance Survey , quite often at the highest point of a prominent hill, though I believe there are a few low level trigs too.

Are you a trig bagger? At the moment some friends of ours are seeking out all the Trig Points in Lancashire, there are over 100. Who knew!

Meanwhile here are a few bloggers trig point walks. Bowland Climber on a quest to find the Nicky in Nicky Nook. The Glasgow Galivanter hikes uphill to meet the Three Brethren and Ruth of Walking Away bags a trig atop Periton Hill.

Alice Nutter Statue in Roughlee, Lancashire.

Witches. If like me, you live in the shadow of Pendle Hill , you may have walked in the footsteps of 12 people, all accused of witchcraft in the 17th Century. The accused became known as The Pendle Witches and were led on foot through the Pendle countryside to be put on trial in Lancaster. Most were found guilty and hanged. Very insufficient evidence and mass hysteria contributed to their demise, and today most people would agree that those convictions were unsafe and erm, codswallop. Still, Pendle Hill remains a beautiful yet mysterious place full of witchy walks such as this Pendle & Clarion House walk.

Let me know what your own favourite walks are. 🥾

June ~ Round Up. 💗

Another month has sped by and half a year has passed already. Crazy or what!

Reading. The only reading I’m doing at the moment is reading about books I might want to read. Haha. Oh and reading blogs of course. 😊 I really need an incredibly short novel to get me started, if anyone has any recommendations…

Watching. Now that I’ve finished 7 seasons of Grace & Frankie ( sob! ) ,I am in need of something else to fill that time in the day between my early morning shift and my late afternoon shift. Of course I do get on with housework and take Hugo out as well, I am not a complete couch potato. Honest! I quickly sped through Russian Doll starring the brilliant Natasha Lyonne , in the first season she gets stuck in a timewarp where she has to celebrate her 36th Birthday everyday. But she also has to die everyday, so not all good. Wil and I watched a film, Dog starring Channing Tatum as a War Veteran assigned to take a War Hero dog to her handlers funeral. Not all runs smoothly on this Road/Buddy movie, it’s an enjoyable ( occasionally hard) watch.

Eating. A Heat-Up to Eat-Up Take-Away has sprung up nearby ,so one Friday night we ordered a yummy platter. Grounded in Clitheroe is hoping to open as a deli shortly too. Can’t wait to buy some more globally inspired nibbly bits soon.

Walking. I have blogged about a walk from Shap in Cumbria and a walk that features wildflower meadows at Slaidburn in Lancashire , this month. Just incase you missed them. 😁 I find myself regularly doing 25 thousand + steps a day at the moment ,due to walking up and down corridors at work and walking the dog.

Animal Encounters. June was the month I held a snake called April. April is a Milk 🐍 Snake. Milk Snakes aren’t venomous happily , their bright colours fool potential predetors into thinking they are dangerous. I did the Animal Encounters Experience again in Melmerby, this time with friends , who were stopping with me at the van. If you don’t fancy getting up close and personal with snakes and hissing cockroaches, there are also alpacas, llamas, ponies, rabbits and goats to cuddle.

Enjoying. Flowers that resemble insects. A couple of beautiful bee orchids are in flower in the quarry area at Cross Hill Nature Reserve , saw them on a dog walk. So bee 🐝 autiful. ❤️

Friends Becoming 50. No not me! Not quite yet. The first of a group of good friends hit the big 50 last weekend. She had a 70s/80s/90s themed party at her home , with a cheesy disco, We had a really fun time. Happy Birthday Jo!

See you in July. 💗

Temple Sowerby Walk. 🥾

Today’s walk is one from the weekend. A gentle saunter starting at NT Acorn Bank and taking in the pretty village of Temple Sowerby in the Eden Valley district of Cumbria. The route can be found on the Acorn Bank Website. Because we are members of the National Trust we parked on the car park at Acorn Bank. Non members may have to adapt the walk a little.

Shepherds Hut at Acorn Bank entrance.

Walk Map.

Beautiful Bluebells.

Pear Blossom and Daffodils.

Walking through Wild Garlic.

Crowdundle Beck, a tributary of the River Eden.

We passed under a railway viaduct.

What Ewe Looking At?

Bridge over the Beck.

We passed through a small village called Newbiggin , one of several Newbiggins in Cumbria. I love the rosie coloured sandstone that the buildings are made of. Here it was taken from Crowdundle Beck.

St Edmunds Church, Newbiggin.

A farmhouse at the crossroads built in 1695.

And curious cattle.

A bit of road walking. Very peaceful though.

Lots of stitchwort out in the hedgerows.

Distant Hare.

Heading through Borough Fields and on to Temple Sowerby.

Temple Sowerby through a ginnel.

The houses are set around a village green.

St James Church, Temple Sowerby.

Temple Sowerby is an attractive village , once known as the Queen Of Westmorland villages. It was named after the Knights Templar who briefly owned the settlement and nearby Acorn Bank. Temple Sowerby was once a tanning village and other industries in the area included the mini ng of gypsum. There is still a gypsum plant at Kirkby Thore.

Victory Hall.

The House at Temple Sowerby B & B. Cafe for residents and non residents called Temple Velo.

Lunch at Temple Velo.

Heading out of the village.

A short country lane walk and then we are back in Acorn Banks parkland.

Parkland.

Acorn Bank.

Mellow yellow.

Flowers galore.

A peek in the orchard.

Clock Tower.

After a look in the second hand book shop at Acorn Bank it was time to head home. What a lovely walk. 😘

January ~ Round Up. 💖

I thought I would do a little round up post at the end of every month. Who else thinks that January has whizzed by!

READING ~ It’s been a gentle month of reading, easing me into 2022. Luckily there has been no need to buy new books or borrow any books, just yet. The first month of the year lends itself perfectly to making a start on lovely Christmas gifts , such as Angela Harding’s beautifully illustrated ‘ A Year Unfolding ~ A Printmakers View ‘. This gorgeous publication is packed full of Angela’s stunning prints of the wildlife she sees from her home in Rutland , her adorable hounds and holidays on the coast. Though late to the party I have also just finished reading Richard Osmons ‘ The Thursday Murder Club’ which I loved too.

WATCHING ~ I have watched quite a few good dramas on the box recently including ‘ Rules Of The Game’ starring Maxine Peake and David Tennant in ‘ Around The World In Eighty Days’ . My favourite show to binge watch in January was the excellent ‘ Afterlife ‘ on Netflix. I couldn’t help but blub at the end though. : ( And as for Guilty Pleasures ~ can’t help it, I’m becoming addicted to The Masked Singer as usual. 😋

A Mitton Circular Walk.

WALKING ~ There have been a couple of gentle walks this month, nothing too strenuous though. I blogged about hikes in Lytham, Paythorne and Skipton Castle Woods. Hugo the Labrador always makes sure I get my steps in!

EATING ~ Wil made a delicious Burns Night Pie using Veggie Haggis , which went down well. I can’t find the actual recipe online but theres a similar one Here.

A friend and I had a delicious Belgian Waffle Breakfast at The Chocolate Works in Clitheroe recently. It’s the photo in the post header. All that fruit has got to be healthy, right. 😋

ENJOYING ~ Regaining my sense of smell after covid and loving the scents of these Lakeland Lights Candles. Hand blended in Cleator Moor in Cumbria, I fell in love with these gorgeous creations after receiving two off my brother for my birthday in November. I treated myself to a couple more recently too. Ullswater ( Grandeur) and Whinlatter ( Forest ) are my faves. So far. 🙂

Lakeland Lights Company Candles ~ Photo From the Facebook page.

~ Tartan. For some reason I am totally in love with tartan! I own a lovely tartan thermos flask and a snuggly & soft tartan blanket, both presents off my other half. They are perfect for keeping me toasty through the winter months and taking out on walks too.

~ Wordle. Google Wordle and find the online word game that everyone ( it seems like! ) Is becoming addicted to in January. The premise of finding a 5 Letter Word in less than 6 goes is both surprisingly simple yet sometimes frustratingly difficult. Enjoy!

Thanks for dropping by. 🥰

Up Melmerby Fell.

I think we can safely say that our caravan in Melmerby is fast becoming our second home. Now that England is coming out of lockdown restrictions, we are hoping to spend more time there, hopefully at least two weekends a month. There’s still so much of the Eden Valley to be explored, not least from our own doorstep. Never one to suggest a hike up a hill, I left it to Wil to persuade me that a fell walk from Melmerby on a clear Spring day was a good idea. 🙂

After breakfast at the van, we set off from the village, following a well defined track up through woodland and into the hills. And there are plenty of hills!  Melmerby sits at the foot of the mighty North Pennines.

Ford and stream.

Hills. ⛰️

Wil waiting for me….as usual.

Looking back.

Looking up.

Eventually after a lot of lagging behind I caught Wil and Hugo up. The views are extraordinary , with the Lake District fells and even the sea in sight on a clear day.

Hills and sky.

Perched on a hill..

Views across to the Lake District Mountains.

A Dunlin.  Although more commonly associated with the coast, dunlins breed in the uplands. This one wears it’s breeding plumage.

A rusty machine skeleton.

Another upland bird, the beautiful Golden Plover.

Now there are several summits in the fells above Melmerby. And Melmerby Fell is certainly one of the bigger ones at 709 metres ( not that much shorter than two of the Yorkshire 3 Peaks, and higher than Pen Y Ghent ) but sorting which cairn or trig belongs to which fell is a bit tricky.

Possibly Meikle Awfell.

Knapside Hill, maybe.

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Melmerby Fell Summit.

This unimpressive looking  Cairn is the top of Melmerby Fell. Yay!

A rest on Melmerby Summit.

Up on the tops the weather had turned from t shirt weather to something a bit more wild and cold. It even tried to snow! We soldiered on along the Maiden Way, a Roman road later used as a Drovers route.

Walking along the Maiden Way. Cross Fell in the distance, I think.

Rosy coloured sheep.

Along the Maiden Way.

Another fell bird ~ the pretty Wheatear.

We made our descent by following an old tramway , now almost given back to nature. It leads down to a large lime kiln by Ardale Beck. I think the kiln looks like a miniature castle. And then on to Townhead, Ousby.

Following the old tramline into the valley below.

Back of Townhead Lime Kiln.

Townhead Lime Kiln.

Below the hills we walked across.

A contented little lamb.

The final part of our walk took us along pretty country lanes from Ousby back to Melmerby.

St Luke’s Church, Ousby. Made from the rosy red sandstone so typical of the area.

A sheepdog sees us off.

Sheep jam on the way out of Ousby.

A pair of partridge.

A Tunncks Tea Cake back at the caravan.

In the end I was glad that Wil persuaded me to join him on this hike up Melmerby fell. 🙂

Os explorer 0L31

11 miles ( 18km).

Walking in Cumbrias Eden Valley ~ Vivienne Crow.

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Januarying.

I am treating January as I usually do. It’s my month of keeping snug and cosy inside, with a healthy dose of fresh air and exercise. I also like to plan holidays and weekends away at this time of year, so have been researching our little holiday in North Norfolk during May and weekend walks in the Eden Valley, for when we can get back up to the caravan.

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Winter Window Sill.

Continuing Winter cheer with my window display. The Robins mimic my real life robin visitor. The hyacinth plant I found in Sainsbury’s for a bargain 65p is now flowering and giving off a delicious scent, resembling woods of bluebells.

Winter Walks.

I’ve been looking for more walks from home. Although I thought we had been just about everywhere on our doorstep, I was proved wrong last weekend, when we discovered new to us footpaths. I’m sure there are more to explore!

There will be another place to wander when Clitheroe’s new Nature Reserve opens. It is very local indeed. I have nosed over the fence a couple of times and I spied several Teal on the water. 🙂 Can’t wait for a proper look.

The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch is all set for the last weekend of January. I have signed up as usual and am looking forward to seeing which feathered visitors turn up in the hour.

Primrose Nature Reserve. 🦉🦉 Photo from their Facebook page.

Bridgerton. It’s a bodice ripper.

Incase you are looking for some on screen escapism, here is a list of what I’ve enjoyed watching recently. Most are series and there’s one film. But let me say this, my list is one of mostly guilty pleasures. 😄

• Bridgerton. Netflix. Regency romance with lots of drama, comedy, gossip & scandal.
• Derry Girls. All 4 / Netflix. Coming of age comedy set during ‘ the troubles’ in nineties Northern Ireland.
• Ghosts. BBC I Player. Spirited comedy about the ghostly inhabitants of a haunted house, from the creators of Horrible Histories
• Winter Walks. BBC I Player. Join well known faces as they film their favourite walks in Yorkshire. I miss Yorkshire. ❤️
• Eurovision Song Contest : The Story Of Fire Saga. Netflix. Very cheesy but enjoyable musical comedy film set in Iceland and Edinburgh.
• The Masked Singer. ITV/ ITV Hub. Addictive crazy singing competition.
• Home For Christmas. Netflix. Norwegian rom com series.
• Sneaky Pete. Amazon Prime. Crime drama about a con man who assumes the identity of his cellmate to escape from a vengeful mobster.
• The Queen’s Gambit. Netflix. An orphans rise against the odds to become the Worlds number one chess player.
• All Creatures Great And Small. My 5. Heart warming 1940s comedy drama about a young vet who accepts a job in a Yorkshire Dales Vetinary practice. This is a remake of the original series, and just as good. ❤️

Winter Reading.

It’s nice to find a nice cosy read and I did in Winter Holiday from the Swallows and Amazon’s children’s book series by Arthur Ransome. I am immersed in a world of frozen lakes, snowy igloos and secret signals. Thanks to the What is it about books ? blog for the recommendation. ❤️

So this is my first foray into using the new WordPress editor. I hope it turns out okay.

Do leave me your own thoughts on how you are spending January?

Garrigill to Ashgill Force walk 🥾🍁

At the weekend we took a walk from Garrigill in the North Pennines to the nearby waterfall of Ashgill Force. We bought an Alston Moor walk leaflet in the outdoors shop in Alston for 60p.

The route begins at Garrigill’s Village Green, we parked near the village church. Garrigill looks to be a lovely little village , whose pub and shop have seen better days.

St John’s Church.

Village Green.

George and Dragon sign.

The leaflet says that there were once two pubs in Garrigill. The George & Dragon was the haunt of visiting gentry, Tories and shooting parties, whilst the Fox was for miners, poachers and Liberals!

Climb the slippy bridleway to Loaning Head.

A Loaning Head cottage.

Views across the Pennines.

Kestrel.

There are lots of very high Stiles to climb over.

Swaledale Sheep.

One moment, blue skies…

the next, sideways rain..

Meadow Cranesbill.

The weather went a bit wild and after navigating about a million steep stiles we came across the waterfall. Unfortunately we had managed to deviate from our maps directions somehow, but we got there in the end.

Gill scramblers at Ashgill Force.

Ashgill Force.

It is apparently possible to walk behind the waterfall, and indeed ‘ Dance with the Fairies’ , although it looked a bit busy with Gill Scramblers the day we visited.

Hugo was joined in the gorge by another Black Labrador boy, which would be lovely if Hugo actually liked other boy labradors. Fortunately Hugo was more interested in the stones Wil were throwing in the water, than fighting. Phew!

Labradors.

Footbridge.

The rest of the walk was more of a gentle meander, following the River South Tyne back to Garrigill.

An almost stone circle.

Another footbridge.

A beautiful place for a dip.

Fly Agarics beside the river.

Autumn colours.

Buzzard.

A mini waterfall.

Attractive stone bridge.

Hips.

And back to the church.

I really enjoyed this scenic 5 mile walk and hopefully we will try it out again, maybe when the meadows are full of wildflowers come early Summer. 🙂

Back On The Tolkien Trail. 🧙‍♂️🥾

Although I’ve posted about The Tolkien Trail on my blog before, I walked it again recently with my sister and family, and thought it worth another look. Undoubtedly this tranquil area of Lancashire inspired J. R. R. Tolkien , he often stayed here whilst visiting his son John who attended Stonyhurst College. The Lord Of The Rings author enjoyed walking in the lovely leafy Hurst Green countryside and local place names and landmarks made it into his writings.

On this occasion we followed the route starting at The Shireburn Arms , the 17th century Inn was named after the rich land owning Shireburn family. A river Shirebourn features in The Lord Of The Rings.

Hurst Green village centre.

A Tolkien quote near The Shireburn Arms.

A glorious clump of Purple Loosestrife. ❤️

Aqueduct.

Our walk very nearly got abandoned. At this point we were meant to be following the riverside but a herd of frisky cows showed too much interest in Hugo the Labrador. We made a hasty retreat up a hill and managed to rejoin the river later.

A house called ‘ Jumbles’ named after Jumbles’ rocks, pertruding stones in the river Ribble.

River depth gage.

Hugo.

Hacking Hall in the background.

The heavens kept opening ( and the sun shone too! ) as we followed the trail. To be honest the walk could really benefit from a few Lord of the Rings inspired sculptures or scribbles along the route, I reckon. Anyway above is Hacking Hall from where the Hacking Ferry boat still operated in Tolkien’s time at Stonyhurst. The ferry was possibly the inspiration for his ‘ Bucklebury Ferry’ .

This old oak is mentioned in The Woodland Trusts Ancient Tree Inventory.

Winckley Hall Farm.

Tree climbers.

Cromwell’s Bridge from Lower Hodder.

Cromwell’s Bridge over the river Hodder may have been the inspiration for Tolkien’s ‘ Brandywine’ bridge. It is named after Oliver Cromwell ,who along with his troops rode over the skinny stone structure, on their way from Gisburn to The Battle of Preston. We followed the riverside up through shady woodland past Hodder court.

Corn crops a long the Holder.

Cuckoo Pint Berry Stalks.

Windey path through the woods.

Up above.

Stepping out.

Eventually we ended up in the grounds of Stonyhurst college, though I didn’t manage to get many photos. And then back to the car parked in Hurst Green. The trail covered 6 or 7 miles in total.

Stonyhurst college grounds from behind.

Alm houses in Hurst Green.

I must confess I have never read any Tolkien, though I enjoyed watching The Lord Of The Rings films. When walking the trail you probably need to research the areas connections beforehand, as there is no signage or information on the route. Nevertheless this was an enjoyable hike around a lovely area. 🥾

Here is a recent post from The Bowland Climber who was in the area too.

The Tolkien Trail can be downloaded online and can be found in numerous local walk books. I used…

Walks Around Clitheroe ~ Terry Marsh.

Melmerby & Ousby Circular walk.

Here are a few images from a 5 mile walk we did on Saturday in The Eden Valley. This is a nice walk in some parts, but we definitely had issues with some very lively cattle, and had to keep making diversions to avoid them. I love cows the most when they are snoozy, and not galloping down a field toward you. 🤪

Also, we had to finish the planned route by road ,as the crops in a cornfield we would have walked through ( on a public footpath) were being collected. It was a peaceful country road though, so not so bad.

We walked through Melmerby, passing rosy stone buildings such as this, the village store.

And a bee friendly area, not for mowing.

A pretty pink poppy, buzzing bee inside.

Bluetit on umbelifer.

A track that takes you up the fell.

But we turned right for Gale Hall.

And were passed by a trailer of bales.

Lane to Gale Hall.

Unsurprisingly Gale Hall is a farmhouse.

A calm cow. Unfortunately I didn’t think to get photos of the lively ones.

Think we are safe from cow stampedes in this field!

Distant crops.

I wondered what a Texas Gate is? It is in fact a cattle grid.

Pony who came for a pat.

Pretty pink mallows.

Feverfew.

Postbox in the Row, a part of the straggling village of Ousby.

Sheep being herded in Ousby.

Foxy pub sign.

A Robins Pincushion, which are created by a Gall wasp on wild rose bushes.

Once back in Melmerby I find a pretty painted pebble. 🙂

Parts of this walk weren’t great, but I did get some nice photos from it at least. 😊

Weets Hill Walk. 🥾

We found a peaceful moorland walk on Sunday. I guess it was so quiet because of the drizzly weather. It soon fined up though and we happily abandoned our waterproof jackets. Yay!

Our walk started from a canal side car park near the Anchor Inn at Salterforth near Barnoldswick. This isn’t an area we have explored before and despite having a map and walking book we did get a bit lost ( shocker! ) but it all worked out ok in the end.

The route headed up into the rugged moorland of Weets Hill where there are fantastic views and even some unusual art work. Here are some images from our 6.5 mile hike.

Leeds & Liverpool Canal.

Canal side way marker.

Buttercup meadow.

A narrow squeeze style which I could barely squeeze through. 😅

Ground nesting birds sign. We made sure we kept to the bridleway.

This old track is called Lister Well Road.

Caught on camera.

Lister Well Road.

Lower Foulridge Reservoir…maybe. Anybody know?

I can’t help pointing out Lister Well Road ! Lister is my family name. 😊

Blacko Tower in the distance.

Cuteness overload ❤️.

Hungry horse.

Looking toward Pendle Hill.

‘ Heading’ for Duck Pond Farm.

There is actually a head at Duck Pond Farm. 🙂

And another!

A former occupant ( an art teacher) made the large head sculptures.

Fitting all our big heads in a selfie.

Heading away from Duck Pond Farm. A beautiful white horse.❤️

Getting in some dawn chorus practice..

Cotton grass.

Buttercups.

Think there’s a troll under the bridge.

This is Hugo’s cute pose…..only done when he is watching someone eat. Look into my eyes!!

Meadow Pippit collecting nesting material.

Weets Hill Moorland.

Heath Bedstraw.

A Barnoldswick chimney.

Somebody’s watching me.

Foxglove.

Pink grass. Anyone know their grass? 😁

And back to the canal tow path.

The Anchor Inn….. apparently holds an impressive stalactite formation in the cellar.

This walk was definitely all about the views , the wildlife ( we were serenaded by the continuous chatter of pippits and skylarks) and those unforgettable sculptures at Duck pond farm.

Walking Book – Walking in the Forest of Bowland and Pendle by Terry Marsh.

Map – Explorer OL21 ( South Pennines).