Friday 31 March 2023 - Cicerone Lancashire Walk No 27 - Barrowford and Foulridge

Click on any image to access a slideshow - this is Pendle Water from the bridge at Higherford Mill

Rather less than an hour's drive from home saw us at Pendle Heritage Centre in Barrowford, where on road parking eliminated the need to puzzle out how to work the car park's meter.

Pendle Heritage Centre

I'd been here before, on a rather more auspicious occasion - the winding up of a charity that had served its purpose. An assortment of well meaning councillors and Chris Makepeace met me at the centre to deal with the paperwork, after which I seem to recall a rather nice celebratory lunch. Those were the days!

Today's drizzle soon had us donning waterproofs after setting off in the dry, next to Pendle Water . There used to be lots of mill activity around here, but today it was just a lone dipper flitting in and out of the river.

A typical bridge dating back to the industrial revolution

The path led us towards Blacko Tower, on private land so sadly not available to visit. It was apparently built by a local grocer in 1890, 'to improve the view'.

There was mud.

And views over Lancashire's industrial heartland.

A typical farmhouse of the area

Slightly muddy paths led from below the tower, past the site of Malkin Tower, where some local women held their Easter Covern on Good Friday 1612, when all God-fearing folk should have been at church. This was deemed to be evidence of witchcraft and they were all carted off to Lancaster Castle to await trial. I think this sort of thing still happens in places like Russia, where any opponent of Putin is deemed to be the modern day equivalent of a 'Pendle Witch'.

There was more mud in an ancient sunken lane.

Elevenses were enjoyed outside the relatively modest building of Sand Hall. Then, on reaching Foulridge Reservoir - as bursting with water as the lower Barrowford Reservoir is in a state of drought - we decided to take the optional 3km around the lake. The path was mostly firm, with several birds to observe. Great crested grebes accompanied the mallards; goldeneye were present, and a platoon of recently arrived swallows were hoovering all the insect life they could find above the water. Chiff-chaffs, robins, nuthatches and great tits were particularly vocal in trying to drown out the call of a wren in the wooded lakeside. The distinctive flowers of butterbur lined the path.

Returning past the yacht club house, we took the bridleway to join the Leeds & Liverpool Canal where it emerges from the 1490 metre Foulridge tunnel. Lunch was taken on a bench beside the canal, with views back to Blacko Tower, which does indeed have a commanding view for those privileged to enjoy it.

Turning right over the canal at the lock keeper's cottage at the top of a series of locks saw us plodding across a greasy field to reach a path back to Higherford Mill and the pleasant riverside path along which we had set off over three hours earlier.

By now the weather had cheered up and waterproofs had been stashed. We adjourned past some Tercet poetry to the Heritage Centre for tea, coffee, and excellent carrot cake.

Here's our route - about 12km with 150 metres ascent, taking us a little over three hours.

BC has also walked this route. His interesting report, including some detail missed by me, is here.

Next:

Friday 7 April:
Around Shocklach. 11km from The Bull in Shocklach (SJ 439 492). Meet at 10am outside the pub. (Take the B5130 south from Chester. Cross the A534 at Farndon and continue south to Shocklach.)

Please let me know if you are coming.