Pendle Ascents and Photographs

There are many ways of climbing Pendle – the following are all from the eastern, Pendle, side but you can also ascend from theRibble Valley (Clitheroe) side several ways – I particularly like the way up Little Mearley Clough. 

From Pendle there are two parking places to start any walk.  The large car park in Barley (823403) - £1 honesty box, and a much smaller area of free roadside parking at “328” on Barley Lane north of the village (814416). The walks on this page start here - those on the next from Barley.

All the walks are circular and are open to a huge variety of unsigned alternatives so that you can start either a long or short walk but change it if you are getting along slower or faster than you had anticipated. There are no maps included here and the walks are basically described as from farm to farm so that you will need the South Pennines Ordnance Survey map OL21 to follow them.

The 3.5k Sprint

From “328” take the lane west to Pendle House turning right up the signed path just before it then up the prominent steps to reach the wall (and stile for “Robin Hood’s Well” / Downham). Turn left up the wallside then along the big path to the summit trig point. Continue along in the same direction taking the left hand path where it forks and at a large cairn go left back down the hillside on the cart track back to Pendle House and the lane back to your car.

The Sheep’s Way

This is only about 10k but goes up Pendle twice – firstly by the steepest way – and needs an additional detour of nearly 1k on each leg if you want to take in the summit. It is also entirely on Open Access land so, in places, has only faint sheep tracks to follow.

From “328” go north up the road for 250m then over the stile to the next wall. Over it there is a small path left to a poor stile and the steep way up Pendle. From the road a track right can be seen about half way up leading to Robin Hoods Well but it isn’t findable when you get there. Either continue up the wallside or go right to the Well and then left up the path. Follow the right hand side of the wall (summit to your left) on the big path to the next wall and gate then left to the Scout Memorial and the next beacon, now overlooking the Ribble Valley. Continue on to the next wall then down it left. The big track right is reached but continue on the path leftwards above Ogden Clough to drop down and cross it – shortly before reaching Boar Clough some sheep tracks can be seen up on your left – either go up these always going right over three more small, unnamed, cloughs to reach, high up, the big Pendle Way path, or (less enjoyable, but easier) go on to the signed Pendle Way path and up that. After just over 1k and before the summit can be seen you reach the point where there is a bit of a track right to the large cairn and the way back down the cart track, to Pendle House, and your car.

Instead of reascending Pendle you can carry on past Boar Clough and take any of the next three paths left to skirt under Pendle on rarely used paths, to reach Pendle House.

GO TO routes from Barley Car Park

GO TO Photographs