The Barley Witch Walk
Terrain
This is a moderate walk on uneven grassy paths over the fields, good tracks and some quiet road. There are some steep inclines and declines.
Distance
Approx 7.5 miles using OS map OL21 Forest of Bowland and Ribblesdale. The walk can be split into two walks the Western loop is 4 miles and the Eastern loop is 3.5 miles.
Part One Western Loop: From the entrance to Barley car park we turn right and walk to the t-junction. We cross straight over and follow the sign to Barley Green. Follow the no-through road between two pillars to pass by Nelson water works. We cross the stream on our left via a footbridge just after the water works, go through a gate and head uphill to cross a stile. We then turn diagonally left uphill through the field to a marker post below a house. We cross over a broken wall to another marker post and turn left uphill to a gate and a stone pillar with a white cap. We go through the gate and turn left and follow the Pendle Way, with wonderful views of Pendle Hill and Barley, over the brow and then keeping to the right of a building and the wood we can see in front of us we head downhill going through a gate at the end of the wood into the village of Newchurch in Pendle. We turn left at the road passing the public toilets to visit Witches Galore shop. We then walk back down the road past the toilets and the old slaughter house on the right to visit St. Mary’s Church. We then turn left out of the church and walk down the road to the junction where we turn right into Well Head Road sign posted Sabden Fold. After 400 metres we take a look in Faugh’s Quarry on the right then continue on the road passing Moss End and Bull Hole in the valley below and then past Saddlers Farm on our left which is now Shekinah Christian Centre. Just after a large house and the drive way on the right we turn right through the gate and head steeply uphill by the side of the dry stone wall on our right, not the track going to the left. We go through a gate with a yellow arrow and keep heading uphill to the crest. We then head downhill still with the wall on our right towards Upper Ogden Reservoir. At the reservoir we go over a stile and descend the steps on the right, go through the kissing gate on the left and turn right and follow the track to Lower Ogden Reservoir. We continue to follow the track with the reservoir on our right through the valley back to Barley.
Part Two Eastern Loop: We walk through the car park to the right and follow the Pendle Way sign into the trees with the river on our right. We follow the track between some houses and then in front of some more houses and just before a ford and a bridge look for the Witches sign on the right pointing left and towards Whitehough Outdoor Education Centre. We follow the road round to the right and immediately after a red brick building we turn right and follow the footpath through the wood over a number of small footbridges keeping the Outdoor Centre on our left. At the end of the wood we go through a gate and take the path to the left up some steps and keep to the path uphill to a gate, with a Witches sign, on the right above the wood and below a farm. We go through the gate and cross the field to go through another gate. We head forward downhill through the wood to a tarmac track and turn left along the track. At the end of the track we turn left uphill on the road and after a short way turn right onto a tarmac track towards Hollin Top. We cross over a cattle grid and follow the Witches sign on the right downhill to pass to the left of a farm and head forwards through the field and bear to the left at a stream and a sign post on the right. We head towards the farm, go through two gates then forward to the road. We then turn right to the village of Roughlee. As we walk through the village we admire the waterfalls on our left and then pass Crowtrees on the right. We turn immediately right after the road bridge to follow the way marked footpath with the river on our right. We continue on the footpath until we arrive at the Whitehaugh Bridge where we turn left up the road then at the main road we cross over and go over the stile opposite. We head uphill to go through a gate and turn left onto Heys Lane. We follow the lane back to Barley.