We start at the top of plantation street, entering Arden hall woodland. This is a nice easily accessible woodland, with birds and the footings of the former Arden hall. Make your way through the woods to join back up with the cobbled road. Follow this for a few hundred metres then taking the footpath off to your left. After a hundred metres just before the stream/brook take the footpath to your right alongside the stream. Look out for the small waterfall on your left a hundred metres or so as you walk along. The path leads to a path junction. Take path/minor road straight ahead not to the reservoirs (it does cross the stream though) but then at the next junction take the left/major path to the left. This takes you under the A56. Once under the dual carriageway follow the road up to the left as it then bends right just after take the gate/style to your left up the slope before the farm(see photo above). This crosses a minor rail track and then crosses another wall. You now have Moleside moor just above you. Follow the path to the right keeping the wall on your right.
After a few hundred metres when the wall turns right, follow the straight ahead heading up towards a sunken reservoir. Join a path (the kings heighway) turn right for a hundred metres. There will be a stile to your left by the far corner of the sunken reservoir. Go over this and then take the path that goes up to the right. Here you find the gambler's caves quarries. There are a couple of pretty impressive caves within here if you carefully look around.
Once explored head back towards the sunken reservoir but further along.
You will come to a wall junction with a stile. Cross this stile and then take the path which heads up hameldon hill to the left. Carry on up this fairly straight path to reach the summit of great hameldon. Bag the trig. You have climbed 240 metres in ascent to reach here if starting at our start point!
Now take the more minor path/not always easily distinguished down in a 90 degree angle to the left from where you came up. After a few hundred metres down a quite steep slope go slightly left at an obstacle point junction. Then you will reach the kings highway main footpath going across.
Take the path that goes ahead to the right and then a minor path going left forward but not the one that goes left slightly back on yourself. From here follow my route back to join the main path near the farm to go under the A56. As an alternative route down. I suggest you turn right and then left. Following a footpath past some reservoirs on your left. Then lower down turn right and follow a path which keeps woods to your right and some more open meadow land to your left. You get nice views of Accrington town ahead of you. The path comes out at a modern housing estate. Go straight on down elmwood close and a short path before turning left towards Arden field along an uneven road, where the circuit is complete.
The route is approx. 8km and I would allow 3 hours to enjoy the walk allowing time to explore Arden hall, gamblers caves and a celebratory snack at great hameldon trig!
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