3 trigs east of Colne

Photo shows - 3rd trig point in distance on Kelbrook Moor.

The above walk took me around 4 hours (30 mins included for stops at each trig point). The distance was 15km with  370 metres climbing.

I parked on a side road but best place would be Ball Grove car park, it's next to Colne water a few hundred metres from my start. I did the walk in anti-clockwise direction.

The footpath sign posts where pretty frequent. At the few houses in lan e head area I went off to the right (a footpath sign directed this way)around the houses but should have kept on the path to the left.

The final trig on Kelbrook moor involves going off path and heading in the direction of the trig in the distance (a northerly direction). Coming back from the trig I headed west to find a wall which I followed to drop down to the route.

On the route back towards Colne a couple of the footpath signs are hidden or take through what appears are people's gardens/estates. They worked and lead me out correctly. Alternatively follow cob lane and the cockhill lane down.

Along the route I enjoyed Colne water and the pond, the lush green farmland and the heathery moorland near the 3rd trig point. There is some setting just before the second trig if you take left side of the 2 paths upto it. This is a nice view spot for lunch. When not in lockdown there is a nice pub at the crossroads between the 2nd and 3rd trig at Black Lane Ends. 

Not many 10 mile walk which you can bag 3 trig points on! Enjoy.

above shows my actual walk route and the official planned route above that.

church loop via dunkenhalgh and rishton

This route is suitable for a family. I took my clan (wife, daughter's aged 10 & 13) on this. It is relatively flat in East Lancashire terms, exploring local water ways and countryside. Total distance 6.5km, total climbing 57 metres. It took us 1 hour 30 mins.(a steady pace with a few photo stops)

I started by St James's Church in Church. Set off in a clockwise direction crossing the Liverpool-leeds canal turning right and then following the footpath that goes away to the left.

Follow my route above for the full route

Points to note along the route, on going under the motorway bridge with the Hyndburn brook on your left, follow the path (can be a little muddy) till you cross over the river at a bridge. Now you can either follow the path ahead or wander off to follow the river course to your left. If you choose to follow the river course you will (or keep your eyes peeled off to the left from the main path) you will spot a steep Weir which is a nice waterfall. This a about a hundred metres from the main road junction. The main road must be carefully crossed and then followed upto the left towards the edge of Rishton. As you enter Rishton turned right down the minor lane passing some allotments on your left.  When you reach a few houses turn left following the road to a dead end and then head straight across 3 fields to meet the canal. Crossing styles and keeping some allotments on your right on the way.

Now turn left and follow the canal, here you will see interesting wildfowl and when the canal narrows you will cross over the motorway on an aquaduct. Shortly after this before a bridge you turn left and follow the cycle way back to church (for a longer alternative you can continue to follow the canal rather than turn off). Once back at the initial canal bridge it is worth crossing the bridge taking the path down to the right and then underneath the bridge  you have just crossed to find the spot halfway along the Liverpool-leeds canal.

Enjoy!

great hameldon (a rambling route)

This walk is not for little children and if it has been very wet(due to 2 potentially boggy areas), If this ok read on....

In brief I walked up from the avenue parade area of accringtonia, took in the monument atop the coppice having climbed up the path through the trees huncoat side from bowling green/small car park. On reaching a t-junction at the top of this path I briefly went left to take in a good view of pendle hill and then about turned to head for the monument. As ever stunning views from the monument.

With the monument to my back, I turned right and headed down the path. Taking a rough path of to my left (a more major one can be taken to the same destination at a junction where the main path goes down to the right.).

Following my route go under the dual carriageway by-pass and follow the road round the bend. Just before a farm take the style to the left and go up over the minor rail track.

At the next junction take the rough track to your left (the photo shows the scene after a hundred metres on this faint path)

follow my route keeping a wall initially on your left before going over the hill (in the past I have met cows on this area but never had any issues with them). Heading for a stile I crossed this and turned right up a track (the kings highway) for a few hundred metres (you could at this point cross the road/kings highway and take a track to your right). Anyhow after following the kings highway 

i came across the above scene. I took the right hand style, then kept the fence on my left quite close to me (this bit can be boggy, go higher to your right if needed before rejoining). the path goes over a small stream and becomes faint, head up to the fence gates that can be seen below.

go over the fence but don't take signed footpath to your left instead go straight on up hameldon.

the photo shows the view behind me ascending this section of hameldon. Soon the trig point will be yours!

After enjoying the views from the trig.

Take the path that appears to be in the direction of pendle hill (northwards). Follow this down the slope keeping straight ahead/if a decision is needed keep a slight left rather than right. At times be careful this area can be boggy. When you come to an abandoned small brick building, take the path to your left (your are now above hameldon scouts). Keep on the path that keeps you at the same altitude. In the scene below

take the left of the 2 paths, do the same a bit further on (you do not want to lose altitude just yet). Follow the path around the edge and then cross a stream. The path follows the kind a cliff edge before turning left to join the kings highway. Turn right and after a hundred yards or so look for scene

now take the track of to your left. Past a caravan. At the next junction turn left and then right into farmers field. Follow the path to join up with our road under the dual carriageway. 

Once under I turned right and at the next junction turned left. Following a path till just past a reservoir on my left. From here I took the main path to my left and dropped down past the reservoirs, I crossed a small bridge before turning right following a stream (keep an eye for a little waterfall on your right). Follow the path towards accrington (you can turn right like I did into some nice woods as you go down the cobbled plantation street) (Arden hall area).

The whole walk took me 2 and a half hours (allowing for little stops atop the coppice monument and hameldon hill). Involved 10.2 km/6.3 miles and 997 foot/303 metres climbing. Enjoy!

clowbridge reservoir circuit visiting singing ringing tree

Having shared some of my best walks that can be accessed on foot from Accrington. I will now start to share some walks a little further a field. This one starts over hamelton hill (20 mins drive away) at clowbridge reservoir (a nice circular walk can be had around the reservoir in itself). Parking is available by turning left just after the reservoir if approaching from Burnley (on my visit the parking was free). 

I was joined on the walk by my eldest daughter today (aged 13), you can see the clowbridge reservoir in the photo above in background.

As you can see from my route map starting at the car park on the south west side of the reservoir. We took the higher path (as opposed the path that hungs the lake) around the reservoir (heading anti-clockwise on the route)

the higher path is gained by taking the path to the right at the point (see above photo). Follow this path around the lake once accross a stream the path climbs a little so you get to for information boards about gambleside. Here take the lower path below a stone wall and continue to follow my route.

The route for a few hundred metres stays at the same altitude till you get to a t-junction. Turn left and drop down to the reservoir edge. After a hundred metres by the reservoir edge turn right and head up throught a tree for a life plantation. 

The route climbs up straight ahead for a kilometre. At a t-junction take the left hand path this bends round up to take you to crown point road. You cross this and then Follow the path to the right that takes you up to near the singing ringing tree, briefly coming back near to the road as you climb through another tree for a life plantation (along this route the views of Burnley and Pennine east Lancashire and beyond are excellent). 

We stopped for lunch at the singing ringing tree. Enjoying the weird "hunted cow sound" of the tree and the excellent views. (This is 3 miles from are starting point). 

From here we went back to and crossed crown point road. Near a cattle grid we took the path off to the right which stays at roughly the same attitude following this route along the moorland for a mile or so (in general going straight on and at a decision point taking the right fork). This brings us to the path junction. Compton's cross is through a style to the left at this point.

This was an ideal desert stop (a mile and half after are previous stop).

From here we went back through the style and took the path to the right but not sharp right down the hill to the reservoir.

Once at the reservoir we turned right and followed the reservoir edge back to the car park.

The total walk allowing for our lunch and snack stop took us 3 hours, was 6 miles in length and involved 215 metres climbing.

Upper Huncoat Trail (Hameldon Scouts)

This walk explores huncoat before heading up hameldon scouts and finally the coppice. In total it is a 9.5km walk and I would allow 2 hours 30 minutes to enjoy the complete circuit. I did over 300 metres climbing when completing the route.

If the full walk is not for you; areas to explore I recommend include;

Spout House woodland, huncoat - In the heart of huncoat, a nice common to explore. Access either from Bolton Avenue or Higher Gate Lane.

The Peel Park and Coppice - amazing views can be had from the monument with many paths through the woodland upto it.

Hameldon Scouts - it's a climb upto them but atop the scouts nice views can be had northwards of pendle and the Ribble valley (see photos below).

The walk (see my route below) - I completed the route in a clockwise manner starting and finishing at the Whitaker's pub on Burnley Road. 

I basically followed the Huncoat trail (an alternative publication that can be found on internet). I completed the Upper section crossing Burnley Lane, Huncoat between the 2 sections. The Huncoat trail way markers are useful to find the way around the trail. One tricky area to navigate is coming up out of Hapton Woods as you ascend after a few hundred metres near what's seems to be the top of the cliffs. There is a choice of paths one that goes straight on up (looks more major path) or another to the right (this path runs initially not gaining any more height around the cliffs). This is the path to take. When the path eventually climbs onto the top of the scouts. This is a worthy brew/view stop! See photos of view.

I took an earlier in the walk detour up huncoat war memorial again to gain good views.

I would like to acknowledge in this blog the creators of the full Huncoat trail whom have given me the concept of my walk and to in particular Roy Chetham whom produced this and others walks. As well as producing good weather statistics regards are local area. Worth a check out of his website. He may have passed a way but I thank him for influencing me.

accy to the deserted valley

This walk was a long one 16 km or 18km if you bag rushy hill trig. For those who do not want venture so far out of Accrington and oswaldtwistle, I will before we start highlight a few pleasant spots.

Woodnook water/Priestley clough - rather than take the old railway path from nuttall street, go beyond the derelict land and take the minor road, past a couple of caravans and houses (says private near end) you will now have a path that follows a wide stream to your left, there is a nice kind of waterfall about a hundred metres up on your left (over the fence). If you cross at the bridge of the stream further along and follow the path left you can follow the path back to nuttall street for a nice 1km circuit.

Jackhouse reservoir, this sits above oswaldtwistle (on my map it is the reservoir that I circle). You can get close to the reservoir (please don't go in, I am a firefighter and have seen a number of good swimmers unfortunately have there bodies recovered from these areas). There is a woodland loop you can go on above the reservoir.

The view from Rothwell heights/bedlam - if you carry on up the path from the woodnook water as shown on my map, once above the Accrington riding school you will be afford excellent views of East side of Accrington. This viewing spot locally is only second for me to the views gained from the monument  near the top of the coppice.

To the walk..., follow my route as shown on route map, I completed it in a clockwise direction. Points to note - just beyond bedlam you will at first have a well marked trio of footpath signs(take the one that goes straight on) after this you will come to a few properties. My photo below shows the gate to take.

I have decided to take the 3 trig point opportunities to bag on route. Following the plotted route. First trig - I plotted to go along the b road (no pavement) then up to the left of a house on the footpath beyond a gate is the trig point. If you choose not to do this go straight on at the cross roads.

Whilst going over the Moors you can climb to the top of thirteen stone hill across the moorland (no trig point but on a clear day views of Manchester can be obtained).

Second trig -rushy hill trig - I have not plotted this one on the route but to bag the trig. You carry on the footpath you are already on rather than turning right. You will come to an old brick built bunker. Hop the fence here (it's a small but barb wired top fence)and walk upwards to nice bright white trig then return the way you came to rejoin the route. 

Another tricky footpath to spot is after jackhouse reservoir in the Hoyle bottom area. Turn right off the minor road you have followed for a while down another minor road with quickly a house is a head. Go over the wall to your left keeping a fence to the right of you.

The third and final trig point is accessed by crossing a gate and heading up on top of the field (beware sometimes cows that in herds, can chase you off protect this trig!). I dropped down and hopped a fence in the corner to continue on my route. You can alternatively follow the road around or bag the trig and go back the way you came to the gate.

To complete the full route including the 3 trigs I would allow 5 to 6 hours. There is 500 metres climbing to be done throughout the route.

If you fancy a refreshment break, along the rossendale way section of the route (follow the helpful signs for this bit). You can turn off to your right just after a quarry/reservoir dropping down through a plantation of trees to arrive at clough head cafe (it is up most days of the week).

Keep enjoying our countryside.

laund clough

This is a short walk but takes in a hidden gem of laund clough that runs between Accrington and baxenden. I started the walk opposite the entrance to Oakhill park on Manchester road. Dropping down onto a footpath. Follow the path keeping the stream on your left, you wonder through a nice woodland with the stream and a couple of mini waterfalls on your left as you go. After around kilometre as the valley narrows. Take the bridge cross the stream and keep within the valley till the end. You come out on Southwood drive, turn left and then take the footpath to the right after around a 100 metres. This takes you to the back of houses aftera hundred metres or so take a path up to a farm style building. This enables good views towards Accrington and northwards beyond. Take the minor road down to the left this takes down the open land then through a small industrial area (not the most picturesque area of the walk) and leads you back on to Manchester road. Turn left uphill and you will back at our start point. For bonus enjoyment cross the road and have a wander in Oakhill park, enjoy the duck pond, war memorial and play park for children.

I would allow a 45 mins to an hour to enjoy the walk without the Oakhill park section. The walk is 2 and a half kilometres with 93 metres climbing.