Pendleside Villages (9 miles)

Date: 2nd October 2016

Description: A walk that visits 4 of Pendleside's villages, starting at the picturesque village of Downham. Some road walking towards the end.

Starting point: Car park at Downham.

The walk: From the car park walk up the hill and turn right pat the Assheton Arms. This leads past cottages to a footpath. Turn left, pass through a pair of gates and ascend to the ridge. Over the ridge descend in the same direction to reach a stile onto the road. Turn right and walk along the road until you reach a farm track on the right, signposted "to the mill". Walk along the track onto a path passing the mill pond and stream on your left. Cross the stream at a wooden footbridge and turn right with the stream on your right. Keep ahead until you reach a stile in a hedge. After crossing this, ascend the slope to reach a second stile. From here a concessionary path will bring you to a farm drive below Stubs Wood. Turn left along the drive and then cross a stile on the right. Follow the path up the field and take a stone stile, to the left of the gate onto the road. Turn right to arrive in Rimington.
Walk along the main street and immediately past Cosgrove's, formerly the Black Bull, turn left along a footpath. It leads down to a gate and a ginnel. On meeting a track cross it to a stile and continue a gradual descent with the hedge on your left. After crossing Stankill Beck keep keep ahead until just before a stile. Turn left and follow the field boundary until a footbridge is reached. Cross this and follow the path as it crosses beneath a railway track. The path leads you onto a farm track and to a stile in a fence. Here, the signpost is somewhat misleading,pointing straight up the hill. Take a more diagonal line to a tree lined boundary. This will bring you to a metal gate with a marker pointing left diagonally upwards. After a stile in a fence turn right at the far corner of a strip of woodland.Keep ahead past the wood to arrive at a complex of of properties around Sawley Grange.Waymark signs will lead you through these and onto the A59 road. Cross the road to a stile next to a gate and begin to drop with a hedge on your left. After the remnants of a farm building , bear left to reach a stile in the far corner of the field. Cross this and then turn left over a stile in the wall. Keep ahead with the farm complex of Dockber on your right. At the end of the wall take the footpath on the right leading up to Dockber. Turn left on the main track and follow it until you reach the edge of Sawley. Walk through the village passing Sawley Abbey on your left to reach the A59. Turn right and follow the cycle path to Chatburn. To visit Chatburn continue past the church and then return to the church and take the road uphill directly across the road which will lead you back to Downham.

The pubs: A choice of 2 pubs on the walk.

 Spread Eagle, Sawley. Nice pub but don't expect to get served quickly if they are busy serving food. A jazz trio were playing when I visited (Sunday afternoon). 4 local cask ales on the bar including my choice, Bowland Brewery's Sawley Duck.

Assheton Arms, Downham.4 cask ales on the bar. I opted for Theakston's Lightfoot.

Downham

Pendle Hill

River Ribble at Sawley

Spread Eagle at Sawley

Sawley Abbey

Assheton Arms, Downham