Barley
Car Park (SD 823 403) – Barley Green – Lower Ogden
Reservoir – Upper Ogden Reservoir – Ogden Clough
– Pendle Hill – Beacon or Big End Trig Pillar
(557 metres) – Pendle Side – Windy Harbour – Salt
Pie – Lower Black Moss Reservoir – Upper Black Moss
Reservoir – Stang Top Moor Trig Pillar (324
metres) – White Hough – Barley Car Park
This was a grand day to be out on the moors. Although
it was hazy in the valleys from the tops and a little
cloudy at times we had blue skies and sun for much
of the day. It seems the OFC spell of bad weather has
now been well and truly broken. On the way into Barley
I had great views towards Pendle Hill from near Newchurch
in Pendle.
We
met at the car park in Barley at 9.30am and although
we were meant to start at 10.00am
we were under way
by 9.45am with everyone turning up early. Just before
we started a very kind lady took several photos from
several cameras of the band of OFC’ers. On today’s
walk were Richard Ratcliffe (our organisor and navigator
for the day) and his brother Peter, Liz Lemal, Barrie
Fearnley, David Dimmock, Josie Dimmock, Simon Howard,
Lorraine Barks, Ed Harrison, Sara Boyle and myself
Neil Haslewood. All in all this was a great bunch
of walkers if I might say.
Barley
is a lovely little village with great character.
From the car park we headed out of the village
along a lane towards Lower Ogden Reservoir.
This was the
first point on the walk for a photo taking session.
The reservoir is located in lovely setting with
Fell Wood and the moors behind. Further along
the lane/track
we came to Upper Ogden Reservoir. Amazingly the
reservoir was almost empty with just a trickle
of water flowing
down towards the lower reservoir. After a short
debate (the first of the day) we headed up
the side of Barley
Moor instead of walking through the rocky bottom
of Ogden Clough. However we did follow the route
of Ogden
Clough from a higher vantage point and walked around
the edge of Barley Moor on a well trodden path
until we reached a wall. We then followed the
wall uphill
to a fantastic view point on Pendle Hill over the
valley below and beyond. Although it was hazy we
could see
Clitheroe, Chatburn and Downham below as well as
a very faint outline of Penyghent and Whernside
on the
horizon.
From
the view point we walked a short distance to a round
shelter on the edge of Pendle Hill
– which
gave
just enough room for most the OFC walkers who
made the trip there. Mind you the entrance
was extremely
narrow and our rucksacks nearly got in the way!
We eventually retraced our steps back to the
wall and
boundary stone and scaled a high wooden stile
over the wall (this was in fact the first of
many stiles
that we had to help Barrie’s dog over). We then
walked around the edge of Pendle Hill to reach
another wall.
The summit of Pendle Hill was now clearly in
sight. We decided to have our lunch next to
the wall as
it gave us protection against the wind. After
a good break
for our refreshments we then walked the short
distance to the summit of Pendle Hill at 557
metres. The
summit is also named Beacon or Big End. The views
from the
top were great and it was also another opportunity
for a photo shoot. One gentleman at the summit
asked if I would like my photo taken with my
camera – to
which I replied “yes please”. Then he asked Lorraine
– and then he really got confused and surprised
as we all gathered at the trig point – mind you
he did
take a few photos of us all at the summit in
the end though – thank you to whoever he was.
After
leaving the summit we walked along the ridge to where
the path turns steeply down
towards the
bottom of Pendle Hill. Coming down the hill
there were great
views across to Lower and Upper Black Moss
Reservoirs – which we were to visit later.
We then walked
along a lane at Pendle Side, crossed a road
and followed
a path across a field to Windy Harbour Farm.
There was another field to cross before we
arrived at
Salt Pie! – a very unusual name if I might
say! We carried
on to the edge of Lower Black Moss Reservoir.
Here we had another debate as to which route
we should
take. We decided to take the path by the side
of Upper Black
Moss Reservoir to another road. After a short
distance along the road we turned off again
across a boggy
field eventually reaching a stile taking us
through someone’s
garden. Very odd – but the stiles were very
nicely made!!
Soon after we arrived at our next destination
– the summit of Stang Moor Top (324 metres)
and its
triangulation
pillar. A very run down area here with an old
quarry and tip!! Off we set again across fields
(not too
sure which direction to take) to an Outdoor
Centre near
White Hough. The path back to the car park
in Barley was very nice as we followed a wooded
stream.
Afterwards
it was drinks in the Barley Inn. What a fantastic
day it was – and again in
great company.
Thanks to everyone who came to make this
walk such a good one. And finally - a big thank
you to Richard
for making this walk happen in the first
place.
Roll on next time! |
