20th November 2014 - Witch Country
Walk Details
Distance walked: 5.9 miles
Total ascent: 1183 ft
OS map used: OL21 - South Pennines
Time taken: 3.5 hrs
Route description: Barley-Lower Ogden Reservoir-Upper Ogden Reservoir-Driver Height-Wood Hole Dole-Stainscomb-Sabden Fold-Lower Sabden Fold-Haddings Lane-Pendle Way-Newchurch in Pendle-Barley
I've got another opportunity to get out today and the plan was to climb Pendle Hill from Barley. In the end I changed my mind, it was far too murky, so I'll save it for another day. So I had a wander across to the countryside around Sabden Brook and back via Newchurch-in-Pendle instead. Not a walk that will live long in the memory. One advantage of starting from the picnic site in Barley is having something to eat and drink from The Cabin.
I left the picnic site in Barley and crossed the road to take the access lane that heads uphill to the Lower and Upper Ogden Reservoirs. When I reached the upper reservoir I crossed the dam and took the path that heads steeply uphill. At the top and my way ahead wasn't at all clear. I'd planned on going straight across and down the other side of Driver Height but I ended up on a path down into the cloughs of Wood House Dole. I think the path up may have taken a short cut to the next wall to the west. Anyway, when I realised where I was I didn't want to have to climb back up so I found a way out of access land and onto the footpath across the hillside from Stainscomb to Sabden Fold Farm. At Sabden Fold Farm and I was back on track. I then followed Haddings Lane through Sabden Fold to Higher Town Farm and onto the Pendle Way which took me to Newchurch-in-Pendle. I had a walk up the steep road towards Barley before taking a path down the drive to Barley Fold and downhill to Barley.
Total ascent: 1183 ft
OS map used: OL21 - South Pennines
Time taken: 3.5 hrs
Route description: Barley-Lower Ogden Reservoir-Upper Ogden Reservoir-Driver Height-Wood Hole Dole-Stainscomb-Sabden Fold-Lower Sabden Fold-Haddings Lane-Pendle Way-Newchurch in Pendle-Barley
I've got another opportunity to get out today and the plan was to climb Pendle Hill from Barley. In the end I changed my mind, it was far too murky, so I'll save it for another day. So I had a wander across to the countryside around Sabden Brook and back via Newchurch-in-Pendle instead. Not a walk that will live long in the memory. One advantage of starting from the picnic site in Barley is having something to eat and drink from The Cabin.
I left the picnic site in Barley and crossed the road to take the access lane that heads uphill to the Lower and Upper Ogden Reservoirs. When I reached the upper reservoir I crossed the dam and took the path that heads steeply uphill. At the top and my way ahead wasn't at all clear. I'd planned on going straight across and down the other side of Driver Height but I ended up on a path down into the cloughs of Wood House Dole. I think the path up may have taken a short cut to the next wall to the west. Anyway, when I realised where I was I didn't want to have to climb back up so I found a way out of access land and onto the footpath across the hillside from Stainscomb to Sabden Fold Farm. At Sabden Fold Farm and I was back on track. I then followed Haddings Lane through Sabden Fold to Higher Town Farm and onto the Pendle Way which took me to Newchurch-in-Pendle. I had a walk up the steep road towards Barley before taking a path down the drive to Barley Fold and downhill to Barley.
Route map
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Lower Ogden Reservoir
and Upper Ogden Reservoir. This was where I made the final decision not to do Pendle Hill.
The Black Moss reservoirs can just about be made out as I make my way up Driver Height
Looking out across a very murky East Lancashire
On the path that follows the fence down to Wood House Brook
Wood House Dole. A colourful bit of countryside with all the dead bracken.
Crossing fields to Sabden Fold Farm
In Sabden Fold
After a walk along Haddings Lane I'm going to follow the Pendle Way to Newchurch-in-Pendle. A bit of weak sunshine through the mist has brightened things up.
In Newchurch-in-Pendle and..
..it's Witches Galore
Pendle Hill and Barley as I head down to the picnic site