Pendle Hill Walk from Barley – A Spring Day in the Forest of Bowland

Today was one of those perfect spring days. Crisp, sunny and cool enough to make walking a pleasure. The Forest of Bowland was looking at its best, with the sunshine breaking through the clouds and lighting up Pendle Hill every few minutes. It really was one of those days when you couldn't ask for better walking conditions.

I parked on the road near The Pendle Inn in Barley, which is a great place to start if you're planning to walk Pendle Hill. It's a lovely pub with accommodation too, so it's ideal if you're thinking of staying over. If you can't find a space on the roadside, don't worry. There's a car park called Pendle Hill – Avenue Car Park. Just stick Barley New Road, Barley, Burnley BB12 9LD into your sat nav and you'll find it easily enough.

From there I headed past Barley Village Hall and followed the road towards the Ogden Clough Reservoirs. Normally I'd carry on to my usual route, but today I spotted a fingerpost leading into some woodland that I'd never really paid much attention to before. It looked interesting, so I made a bit of a snap decision and followed it.

I'm really pleased I did.

The woodland path soon opened out onto the fell, and the views across to Pendle Hill were superb. The sun kept appearing through gaps in the clouds, lighting up different parts of the hillside every few minutes. It made stopping for photographs very easy.

Once out on the open fell, the path became a little less obvious. I probably did a little more off-roading than I'd planned, but eventually I found a marker stone with "Summit" carved into it, which confirmed I was back on the proper route. I've climbed Pendle Hill quite a few times over the years, but I'd never approached it this way before, and it's always nice to find a different route.

From there the climb became steeper, but nothing too dramatic. A few stops for photos, a leisurely lunch and before long I was out on the summit plateau making my way towards the trig point.

The views from the top are always worth the effort. On a clear day you can see across much of Lancashire, over the Forest of Bowland, across to the Yorkshire Dales and even as far as the Lake District. It's one of those summits that never disappoints.

After taking a few drone shots from the top, I started heading back down the famous stone steps towards Barley.

On the way down I found myself telling everyone who was puffing and blowing that they were nearly there. About halfway down I realised I was probably giving people false hope, so I switched to simply saying hello instead! That seemed a bit fairer. Mind you, the fell runners were flying past in both directions looking as though they could happily do another lap.

As you come off the fell there's a fingerpost pointing back towards Barley. It's a lovely gentle walk of about a mile, passing streams, dry stone walls and a handful of houses before bringing you back into the village.

One thing I hadn't noticed before was a small collection of glamping pods overlooking the brook with Pendle Hill as the backdrop. I later discovered they're called Higher Grange Glamping. They look like a brilliant place to stay if you fancy making a weekend of it, although it's entirely possible they've been there for years and I've simply never noticed them before!

From there it's only a short stroll back to The Pendle Inn, where I rounded the day off with a well-earned pint of Guinness. They also have accommodation if you are looking to make a night of it.

If you're looking for a walk that isn't too far from Burnley, Clitheroe or anywhere else in East Lancashire, Pendle Hill is hard to beat. Between the history of the Pendle Witches, the scenery around Ogden Clough, the open moorland and the views across the Forest of Bowland, it's a walk I never seem to get tired of, no matter how many times I go back.