Tim writes: This Clitheroe walk starts in the town centre it might be better to start at Eddisford Bridge or modify the route to take in the castle grounds.
Whilst Clitheroe is not strictly in the Forest of Bowland, it sits between the main section to the north and the smaller break off at Pendle Hill, or the Forest of Pendle as it is sometimes referred as.
The first section of this Clitheroe walk takes is along the B6243, or Longridge Road as I used to call it. For a good few years I lived a little further down at the Longridge end.
At Brick House Farm you leave the road and take a track that eventually joins Malkin Lane, before it meets Church Lane, just before Great Mitton. Next you’ll cross over the River Ribble at Mitton Bridge and will soon see the Aspinal Arms on your left. This is lovely pub with a great outdoor seating area.
Just after the pub the route joins the Ribble Way and heads back up to Clitheroe. It’s a nice section of the walk along the Ribble until you reach Shuttleworth Farm and the oddly named Fishes and Peggy Hill.
The Clitheroe walk then takes you passed the sewage works and onto Henthorne Road where you continue to follow the Ribble Way back up to Edisford Bridge. Here, sadly, it’s back onto the B6243 to walk back into Clitheroe. I’ll definitely change things up here if I do this walk again.