About The Walks

The length of the walks, and approximate height gain, are in kilometres and metres. This is not done to confuse but to simplify - each square on a map is a kilometre long and wide so, once you know your walking pace, it is very easy to calculate how long a walk will take. Solo or with a small group I reckon on 3k an hour as an easy average – perhaps only 2k with a large group, particularly if there’s considerable historic/photographic interest. Obviously longer if there is a lot of uphill involved.

The approximate height gain tries to take into account all the ups and downs on the walk. For example from Barley to the top of Pendle is a difference of about 330m but I’ve more than doubled this because the walk takes you over several other tops.

All the walks are on the nearest Right of Way to the edge of the Parish concerned avoiding, so far as possible, roads and such popular routes as the canal bank and Pendle Way . They are not signed (except where they leave a road) and many of the paths may be little used – one objective being to encourage use of many more of Pendle’s hundreds of miles of footpaths, rather than just a select few.Just occasionally these principles have to be broken if the nearest path is a long way from the boundary – or if the walk will be improved by a minor infringement!

Obviously you don't need to keep strictly to the walks as described here - for example several could be improved by combining the walks from two neighbouring parishes missing out some of the boggier/less interesting bits. Thats up to you - Pendle has hundreds of footpaths so you've plenty of choice.

The starting places chosen have been designed for car parking (often limited) and, wherever possible, near bus stops. However buses to the villages are few and far between.

Whilst you’re welcome to print out the maps here we strongly recommend that you buy the South Pennines 1:25,000 Outdoor Leisure Map 21 where all the walks are covered in the Northern Section. The maps here are not to this scale because, of course, they have to be fitted into the space available on the web page. I hope the walk descriptions are actually detailed enough for you to find your way without the map but trust that you would not be so unwise as not to take one!

Move on to the NEXT PAGE for a full list of our Parishes, the length of the walks and so on.