Remember: Press F11 for a full screen view of this page.

Web Counter when published 2 206 930

 

 

" Jude's Barley Round - Pendle -"

Date & start time:      16th January 2025.  11.30 am start.

Location of Start :     Barley Village car park, Barley, Lancashire, Uk. ( SD 823 404 )

Places visited :          Barley, Roughlee, Pendle View Cafe, Newchurch in Pendle, back to Barley.

Walk details :            6.1 mls, 750 ft of ascent, 2 hrs 45 mins.

Highest point :           Highs and lows at the cafe, 807 ft - 248m asl.

Walked with :            Jude, Jo, Cathy and Mark, myself and the dogs, Boris and Dougal.

Weather :                  Sunshine and blue skies, a gentle but cool breeze early on.

                     

                     

© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Licence number PU 100034184.

 

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 - - -

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.

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

 

- - - o o o - - -

   
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.

- - - 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 - - -

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 - - -

We'll have to fix another walk with Jude and hopefully have more success next time.

- - - o o o - - -

 

 

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.

 

- - - o o o - - -

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 !

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.

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note: Pictures taken with my iPhone 11pro mobile phone camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed with . . . a dog biscuit for the boys from the bottle on the counter.

Go to Home Page . . . © RmH . . . Email me here

Previous walk - 10th January 2025 - A Snowy Buttermere Drive

A previous time up here - 2nd October 2004 Pendle Hill and Downham village for lunch

Next walk - 18th January 2025 - Cathy and Mark in Loweswater