Pendle, Pendle, Pendle

Pendle is most famous for Pendle Hill, and the Pendle witches but there is much more.  Last Sunday 22 of us left the Pendle Heritage Centre in Barrowford and followed the Pendle way alongside Pendle Water.  The Pendle way is either 43 or 45 miles long depending on which website you read and takes in Earby and Wycoller as well as Pendle Hill.  However we only followed it for a couple of miles before heading up and north.

From the top of the moors, the hill doesn't have a name on the map, there were great views across the Ribble valley of the Forest of Bowland and the Yorkshire Dales including Ingleborough and Pen-y-Ghent.  We were also by this time in the shadow of Pendle Hill itself.

Crossing the moors we reached Lower Black Moss reservoir and then the Pendle honeypot of Barley, where most routes up Pendle Hill start.  In Barley we once again met up with Pendle Water and the Pendle Way, firstly rising above the river before reaching the slightly disappointing stepping stones (too close together and concrete!) that crossed the river.  Being one of my walks there was one more climb, and the wettest field of the walk to negotiate before the walk in the park in Barrowford.

We ended, obviously, where we began, at the Pendle Heritage Centre that as well as a good teashop also has a museum, art gallery, walled garden and an interesting bookshop full of books on all things Pendle!