An invite to travel down to Wiswell near Clitheroe in Lancashire
today.
The plan was to walk with my daughter and her friends, stay
overnight ,and then Cathy and Mark, Loes and I would travel
back to Cumbria to spend a few days together at our house.
The first part went to plan except that Loes's knee was playing
up and though she travelled down to Wiswell, in the end she
wasn't able to join us on the walk.

It was to be a two hour journey south for us today, so an early
start was required.
We were up at 7am and captured this image of the dawn sky from
Loweswater before we set off.

Wiswell is a village on the west of Pendle Hill, the one with
the ski slope and the witches !
[ This was the photo at the end of the day, placed here for
geographical context only.]

Our walk however, started from Barley, which is the village
on the eastern side of the famous Lancastrian hill.
We initially met at Judith's house then piled into one car,
five plus two dogs, for the short drive around the to the start
point in the village.

The walking group today: Jo, Jude, Cathy, Mark, with Dougal
and Boris (plus myself).
The three girls have remained the best of friends from the
time they all started Med School together ( back in the last
century !)

We followed Pendle Water, which gathers on the eastern slopes
of Pendle and passes through two Ogden Reservoirs before arriving
here.
- - - o o o - - -
This is the bridge at White Hough with its non-symmetrical
arch.
It would appear pointed, at first sight like a Norman
Arch in a church building
but I think, in view of the ancient crack
that the bridge arch must have partially settled
over time,
and producing the flattened curve and pointed apex
as a result.
Still, it looked strong enough to bear my weight
(!)
and presumably has been passed fit for vehicular
traffic,
so we were more than happy to walk across it.
It's probably been cracked like that for centuries.
- - - o o o - - -
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The footpath had crossed the river and we were
now walking down the right hand bank, entering an ever widening
field.

The sun was shining through the trees but it
was cool down here in the valley.
Before reaching the converted farm, we walked
along a slight embankment and beside a small lake on the right,
strangely not shown on the maps.

The footpath continues to follow the river down,
but we cross the river bridge and head off along the road to
the village of Roughlee

A large weir on the river has a fine waterfall,
and points to the importance of the river in producing power
for the mills of the area.
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Some fine
old stone-built houses line the road to Roughlee. |
One has a 'Blue Plaque'
relating to a visit by John Wesley in 1748. |
Slight hilarity was had when one member of the
party read it as "Wesley was chased by a hostile Mole.
Time they visited Specsavers !
Barrowford is the large town over the next hill,
that was presumably far enough away for the mob / moles to stop
chasing poor Mr Wesley.
- - - o o o - - -
The village of Roughlee has long been associated
with
the infamous Lancashire Witch Trials of 1612.
One of its better known defendants was Alice Nutter.
In 2012, on the 400th anniversary of her death,
a statue was erected to commemorate the notorious
event.
Alice Nutter was unusual in that she was a relatively
wealthy lady
wife of a local yeoman farmer, but it was a time
of high superstition
and religious persecution of Catholics by King James
1st.
She pleaded not guilty but was hanged at Lancaster
along with nine others.
More information can be found on the Roughlee
Village website or Wikipedia
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A beautiful
iron Statue by the side of the road . . . |
. . . and the information
plaque placed alongside. |

There is a mistaken belief that Alice Nutter
lived in Roughlee Hall close by,
but there is now greater certainty that she
lived in a farm across the hill at Crowtrees, close to Barrowford.

The fine building that is Roughlee Hall.

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- - - o o o - - -
Roughlee has a fine set of stepping stones to cross
the river
but despite getting over half was across
it was found that the ice covering the far stones
was too slippery and so the ladies turned back.
None wanted to be as brave or foolhardy as the dogs
and go for a dip in the river !
All was not lost as a footbridge a
short distance further on
took us safely over the river.
- - - o o o - - -
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The path then climbed the side of the valley
and gave us extensive views as we neared the top of the ridge.
Here we could look across to the tower on the
hill known locally as Blacko Hill or Brownley Park.

Peering over the other side towards the expanded
village of Barrowford, part of the extended Burnley valley complex.

Looking back at the Blacko Park Tower for the
last time, as we head west along the high ground.

To the north was the snow-edged high ground
of Pendle Hill.

Appropriatlely the house up ahead is called
Pendle View . . . and just happens to be a cafe where we might
stop for a nice, hot, mid-walk drink.

The garden certainly lives up to the name.

We follow the signs and settle ourselves into
their garden room, hoping for a short period of relaxation and
recuperation.
- - - o o o - - -
What we had failed to notice
was the Electricity Board working outside !
We had managed to pick the one day of the week
when the cafe had no power.
They could not boil a kettle nor work a card machine
so our "rest and recuperation"
though full of apologies from the owners,
was much shorter than planned.
- - - o o o - - -
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We'll have to fix another walk with Jude and
hopefully have more success next time.
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We re-started our walk
and for those that like off road machines
this was the scene three hundred yards away
across the fields.
The team had obviously been replacing an old wooden
pole
and they seem close to re-instating the supply
for the beleaguered cafe.
Better luck next time.
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Across the fields and down the lanes, heading
for Newchurch in Pendle.

The village seemed to be a ribbon development
high on the hill.

We passed one football pitch and a "parcours"
activity playground.

Then the steps became steeper as we approached
the village and a second playground (posh or what!).
Because the steepness of the slope, many of
the houses were three storey at the rear, two storey facing
the road.

Newchurch signpost and Village Award plaque.
The road here forms a brief part of the longer
"Pendle Way" footpath.

A well kept old building had a name plate that
identified it as "The Old Slaughter House"
complete with water bath to presumably wash
your hands !
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The village
has a famous shop, dedicated to all things "Pendle
Witch" |
The sign says ""Dro
Pin Foras Pell" . . . say it quickly and it makes
sense. |
We climbed out of the village via a stone wall stile, only
to drop down the field on the other side, back to village level.
Here we climbed an old squeeze stile (with a half gate) and
headed into the woodland.

The woodland, due to the moisture and lack of sunshine, was
rather muddy in places.

Jude's advice to wear boots was certainly spot on the mark
here.

We walked back towards White Hough that we had visited earlier,
but then did a sharp turn onto a leaf covered track.

Soon we arrived at a Village Hall that we should have recognise
. . .
as we were once more back down to river level in the village
of Barley.

We crossed over the bridge, complete with another weir, mill
race and waterfall beneath it,
designed originally for yet another old mill.

Hidden behind the cars parked on the road was our original
car park where we first started our walk.

Jude's local knowledge not only guided us to the cafe but also
recommended the beef broth for our late lunch.
Would that be a "small" or a "regular"
size portion Sir ?
I'll leave you to work that one out !

Final happy photo of the three 'med-school mates' eagerly awaiting
their broth.