Be Bewitched

A summer walk from Barley takes in the mystical and magical Pendle Hill, writes John Lenehan

- John Lenehan

I have written a walk from Barley before but on that occasion I didn’t take in Pendle Hill. It was a cold January morning then, quite the opposite to the warm sunny morning when my friend and I did this walk. The obvious way to the top of Pendle is straight from Barley up the Big End, but we preferred to take a different route. It is long and explores the more remote area of the vast upland that is Pendle, but is an extremely beautiful way to enjoy some of the finest views in Lancashire.

1 Leave the car park by the main entrance and turn right towards the village then turn left following the sign to Newchurch. Go uphill and then turn left into Bridge End and pass some cottages on the right then keep on as the road becomes a narrow track and follow this. It is stony underfoot at first.

Note: Barley grew in population when textile mills were built there. The abundance of water in the streams from Pendle and the surrounding hills helped power the mills at first. At one time Barley Green Mill had 200 looms. Narrowgates Mill still survives, as do the weavers’ cottages which are now private houses.

2 The track starts to go steeply downhill, there is a wooden gate on the left of the track and one on the right.

Next to the one on the right is a stile.

Cross this and go uphill with a wall on the left, then reach a stile in the wall corner, cross this and turn right and then, with the wall on your right, carry on uphill.

Cross a stile by a steel gate and carry on with the wall on the right then as you start to reach pine woods, bear diagonally left away from the wall to a gate stile leading into the woods.

Cross this and immediately the path forks, take the right-hand fork and go uphill through the woods.

Exit the woods and cross a stile in the stone wall in front then turn left. Note: There is a fantastic view of Pendle Hill from here.