Cicerone Walking in The Forest of Bowland & Pendle

Cicerone - Walking in the Forest of Bowland and Pendle

The Forest of Bowland and Pendle provide vastly differing terrain – from the lush farmlands of the Ribble valley to the more rugged rough pastures of the Forest of Bowland uplands and the huge boggy uplifts of the main Bowland massif itself.

The walks in this guidebook are suitable for those who already have good navigational skills and range from 3 miles to 12.5. For walkers who like to ‘collect’ summits, there are six Marilyns within the area of the Forest of Bowland and Pendle, only two of which (White Hill and Easington Fell) are not included in any of the walks. However, this guidebook does offer information on how to access both for those who wish to access them by elongating one of the existing routes. The other Marilyns that are included in the walks are Ward’s Stone, Pendle Hill, Longridge Fell and Fair Snape Fell.

None of the walks in this book present technical problems in good weather conditions, especially in summer, and the vast majority may also be tackled in winter by competent walkers. However, some of the walks transverse bleak and featureless moorland where mist becomes a major hazard, and others involve a measure of road walking where you will need to take care against approaching traffic (although road stretches have been kept to a minimum).

At the start of each walk there is a box that provides information on the start/finish point (including details of refreshment and toilet facilities), distance, height gain, the terrain along the route and relevant Ordnance Survey maps.

Seasons
All seasons, but suitable gear required on the tops in winter or bad weather.

Centres
Caton, Dunsop Bridge, Slaidburn, Whaley, Clitheroe, Chipping, Sawley, Bolton-by-Bowland, Downham

Difficulty
Suitable for competent walkers. Navigational skills required. Some walks are on farily remote moorland.

Must See
The Lune and Hodder valleys, open moors and the view from Clougha Pike, Sawley Abbey, tales of witches, and historic villages like Downham, Hurst Green and Waddington