Sunday February 25th. Edenfield Round. 20 miles. Leader: Roger Jackson.

The Edenfield Round was the group's very first walk and this our second re-enactment the first was for East Lancs LDWA's 40th Anniversary celebrations. 

A good turnout of seventeen walkers though sadly no dogs brave enough ( Even Poppy the Powerful had received and excepted accepted a better offer) set off from the Rostron Arms car park in Edenfield, on a cold but  fairly clear morning. We walked up the steep Gincroft Lane onto the moor where we stopped for our team photo in front of an old ruin (it was a house not ME). We then continued climbing along Sand Beds Lane ( actually a path) to join theRossendale Way (RW). Now on a wide stony path we passed Cowpe Lowe, on the left, and dropped down over Black Hill with a wonderful view of Cowpe Reservoir. Turning right and still following the RW down a now partly cobbled path for approximately two and a half miles down into Healey Dell Nature Reserve where we stopped for our Lunch by an attractive small pond surrounded by benches.

 Suitably refreshed  we continued on to Whitworth  past the  Red Lion Pub then we followed the Pennine Bridleway over Lobden Golf Club then dropping downhill , crossing over the main road and walking again through the Healey Dell Nature Reserve. As we left the reserve we stopped for our Lunch again by an attractive small pond surrounded by benches. (Ok it was the same pond as the coffee break)

Lunch over we headed off for Knowl Hill, our last big challenge. We initially walked to the bottom of Rooley Moor Road, then after going up it a short way turned off left to go between Naden Middle and Greenbooth reservoirs to follow a zig zag path up onto Knowl Moor then Knowl Hill itself with excellent views all round. Dropping down and crossing the main moor mainly using the Wind Turbine maintenance roads we turned right following the track back to Edenfield passing the iconic Waugh's Well on the way.

An excellent walk many thanks for all who joined me.

Roger

Sunday February 18th. Hill, Mountain and Moor. 12 miles. Leader: Steve Gilleard.

Twenty Four walkers and Two dogs set off from Downham village car park at 9.30am bound for the summit of Pendle Hill.

Clouds were parting already to reveal patches of of blue sky but Pendle itself was still shrouded in mist.

Heading out of the bottom of the village we initially followed Downham Beck and then along very muddy field paths to Lane Head Barn. Crossing Pendle Road we then followed the Ribble Valley Jubilee Trail up into the mist.

Most of our Climbing done, we stopped at the wall shelter on the top of Pendle’s Big End to Contemplate a Plaque in the wall, placed there to give information about George Fox who in 1652 is said to have had a vision on Pendle Hill which led him to form the religious movement The Society of Friends also Known as Quakers. Also set into the Wall Shelter is a small stone with the word Kpacota (Russian for beautiful) engraved into it.

Walking South along a wide path we quickly reached the summit Trig point at 557m, still in mist so no views unfortunately.

Heading Downhill and now following the Pendle Hill Way we reached the busy village of Barley where lunch was taken at the picnic benches by the Pendle Water.

Refreshed, we now walked back through the village and along the road to Lower Black Moss Reservoir before doing a circuit of The Pendle Sculpture Trail in Aitken Wood.

Returning to the reservoir road we now walked north crossing Black Moss road and to reach Mountain Farm. Going uphill along the wallside we soon reached the stile into Helliwell Wood. Carefully picking our way through the wood along an invisible path for 300m and negotiating rough ground and many fallen trees we emerged at the stile at the north western corner of the wood.

We now crossed Twiston Moor to reach the broad track leading towards Coolham Farm. After crossing several tricky stone stiles we passed Coolham to Reach Twiston Lane.

Crossing the road we now walked field paths before crossing two foot bridges at the bottom of narrow valleys, one of which carries the waters of Twiston Beck

Now passing the farmhouses of Ravensholme and Hecklin we crossed fields to Lane Head Barn before retracing our route, from earlier in the day, back to Downham. And not forgetting to wash the thick and sticky mud off our boots in Downham Beck before entering the village.

Steven Gilleard

Click on the link below for Howard's pictures.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Lj7FGYUS1Z27C7Ln7

Wednesday February 7th. Excursion to the Forgotten Valley. 10 miles. Leader: Mike Lee.

24 people and one dog met at Nuttall Park in Ramsbottom on a bright, chilly morning for a Plodder walk to the Forgotten Valley.

We started by following the route of the East Lancs Railway through Summerseat and on towards Bury. Shortly after Summerseat we turned to climb up to Chest Wheel Farm and on to Baldingstone. Passing under the motorway, we then climbed up the road to Walmersley Golf Club and then over fields to Castle Hill Road. A path across fields then took us to Old Birtle, where we joined Scotland Lane.

The route of Scotland Lane takes it high above the Cheesden Valley, known as the Forgotten Valley. The name Forgotten Valley was coined by the authors of a book about its industrial history, telling how in the nineteenth century it was a hive of industry. Its abundant supply of water power led to it becoming home to over a dozen mills spread along its length. But the advent of steam power slowly made these water mills uneconomic and they were eventually abandoned. The ruins of these abandoned mills are now overgrown with trees and the valley is home to only wildlife and a few cows. My original plan was to visit some of these ruins, but a recce revealed the valley bottom to be a sea of mud and that idea was quickly abandoned. 

We stopped for lunch on the edge of the valley, giving us views both up and down the valley and to the vistas beyond.

After lunch we continued along Scotland Lane and by various paths and lanes to Bury Old Road as it passes through Nangreaves.

On the way we passed a small wooden cross placed near the site of a 1945 air crash in which a Polish airman lost his life. The pilot’s name and rank, the date of the crash and details of the crashed Spitfire are written on the cross.

We used Bury Old Road to make our way northwards to Grants Tower, overlooking Ramsbottom. This was built by the Grant brothers, who were mill owners in Ramsbottom, and fell into disrepair before being partly restored recently.

After a drinks stop and discussions about the tower, we descended back to Ramsbottom and the end of the walk.

Thanks to everyone who came.  

Mike Lee

Sunday February 4th. Round the Hills. 18.5 miles. Leader: Nick Halford.

16 Walkers met by Rawtenstall market, with strong winds forecast for the day, which turned out to be just a reasonable breeze - for most of it.

A steady climb took us past the ski slope, then north beneath Cribden hill, joining the Rossendale way for a spell, then the Burnley way at the Hamelden hill masts. This down to Clowbridge reservoir then up and over to take the Pennine Bridleway down to the strangely-named village of Water, and due south to Waterfoot.

Above us loomed Cowpe hill (1443 ft) and as we were obviously in its shelter strong winds seemed likely at the top, so the option was given to take an easier route back to Rawtenstall.  Naturally everyone pressed onward and upward for this ‘sting in the tail’, and if the wind didn’t actually blow any of us over it certainly tried.

It was still difficult for a while after the trig, but gradually disappeared as we started to drop, past the extensive remains of quarrying and the ‘three sisters’ stone pillars, it was indeed the Valley of Stone.  

Over 3000ft of ascent, with at least 4 LDWA groups represented, thank you to all that came.

Nick