Pendle Hill circular from the Nick of Pendle

Parking:	In lay-bys on the Nick of Pendle (grid reference 772385). Further parking is available further down the road on the climb out of Sabden, and just over the Nick opposite the Wellsprings Public House and dry ski slope. See map of starting point
Directions:	Get road directions to the parking place here
Map:	Ordnance Survey – Explorer EX041 (Forrest of Bowland and Ribblesdale) See map of walk area Buy this map - in association with Aqua3
Distance:	6.6 miles (10.5 km)
Grade:	2-C

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From the lay-by on the crest of the hill (on the left-hand side of the road having travelled up from Sabden direction), cross the road and take any of the two main paths directly opposite, which converge after the initial short climb. Both paths go past information boards about Pendleton Common and the Rights of Way and footpaths on it.

The path is fairly flat at the start, before rising upwards across Pendleton Moor along the clearly defined path up to the first visible horizon. On reaching the first summit (Apronfull Hill), Churn Clough Reservoir can be seen over to the right of the path.

The path flattens for a short time before rising up to the next horizon on Badger Wells Hill, where the path then goes down into a small dip before rising up onto the next horizon about fifty yards ahead on Black Hill. The path now flattens and starts to very slightly descend heading for Ogden Clough, which is the large sweeping valley ahead. To the right, the valley is much wider and heads down towards Upper and Lower Ogden Reservoirs, whilst to the left the valley narrows and heads round towards the summit of Pendle Hill.

As the path approaches the valley, the direction of the triangulation point on the top of Pendle Hill is straight ahead, and the path used in this walk to reach the summit can be seen on the far horizon coming in from the left and heading over to it. Before reaching the valley itself, the path begins to bend around to the left and heads up the narrowing valley keeping initially about eighty feet above the stream. Whilst the stream gradually rises all the way up the valley, the footpath remains fairly flat, thereby getting closer and closer to the stream.

The path continues on for about three-quarters of a mile. When the path is approximately ten yards from the stream and at the same level, a small tumbled down wall, of about two feet in height appears between the path and the stream. Continue past this, and about fifty yards further on there is an old stone gatepost, three feet in height, from where the footpath to be taken can now be seen a little further on, on the other side of the stream. A little further on, the path crosses the stream and heads through the wooden kissing gate about ten yards the far side of the stream.

Pass through the kissing gate and head up the few yards to meet the man made slab path which runs up to within one hundred yards of the triangulation point. The path rises slowly from here up towards the summit. Over to the left, the return footpath can be seen following the line of the horizon. When the flags finish the triangulation point is visible about one hundred yards ahead. If visibility is poor, following a straight line along the final flags, will take you about twenty yards to the right of the triangulation point.

Upon reaching the triangulation point follow the path around to the left of it and walk away from it in the same direction along the footpath heading for the gate in the wall directly ahead.

Go over the stile to the right of the gate, and head diagonally left away from the wall, along a worn grassy path about four feet wide. The path can be seen stretching out almost in a straight line up as far as you can see. Follow this path up to the horizon, where the path, keeping on the same line, starts to approach a wall coming in from the left. Just before reaching the wall, the path bends around to the right and heads for a stile clearly visible in the wall ahead.

Go over the stile and head directly away from the wall towards the stone weather shelter, a couple of hundred yards ahead. The footpath leaves this and heads for the large cairn which is clearly visible another four hundred yards ahead. The path between the two stays close to the edge of the hill. This memorial cairn is very well constructed and is ten feet in height. Standing on the weather shelter side of the cairn, on a clear day, the Snowden range of mountains in North Wales can be seen directly ahead looking over the memorial cairn.

Over to the right, Clitheroe and the A59 road, which runs parallel to the side of Pendle Hill are visible down below. Looking ahead, the path can be seen turning diagonally to the left away from the edge of the hill, before turning right and following a line down the centre of the next hill, just to the left of the wall, which is visible in the distance. On leaving the cairn the path becomes more well defined, initially bending around to the left, then after passing over a small stream in a little dip, it bends back round to the right. The path now runs straight along Mearley Moor, parallel with the A59 below. After approximately half a mile, a tumbled down wall comes in from the left and crosses the path.

Immediately on crossing this wall, another higher wall leads away from this wall in the direction of the path (straight ahead), and stretches out in front as far as the eye can see. The path follows just to the left of this wall, for another half a mile, where it reaches a cairn. At this point, the wall turns away at ninety degrees to the right.

The path leaves the wall at this point and continues onwards in the same direction, where it starts to descend. From here the Nick of Pendle is again visible as is the Wellsprings Public House and Pendle dry ski slope. From here to the end of the walk, the path roughly follows a straight line to the Wellsprings. After about two hundred yards, the footpath bends around sharply to the right. At this point there is a smaller path that leaves the main path, and heads steeply downhill into the valley below still heading in a line for the Wellsprings.

On taking this lesser path, it leads down through some heather to a stream emanating from Ashendean Clough up to the left. Cross the stream and take the path up to the right, which rises quite steeply initially. Continue along this path up and over the horizon, eventually heading down towards the road and the public house.

Just before reaching the road, turn left up a well defined grassy path running almost parallel with the road. As the path flattens, turn right upon meeting the wide track. Follow this track the final few yards back to the lay by and the road.

 

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