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Things to see and do in PendleWalks in the Pendle Area including Nelson and Colne Map: OS Explorer: OL 21 South Pennines 1 Pendle HillNot very far north of Burnley you'll find a charming area of surprising beauty, a scenic landscape which is truly a picturesque corner of the county of Lancashire. There's old Pendle Hill, with its distinctive profile visible from miles around, with superb views north west to the ancient Forest of Bowland and westwards to the Fylde Plain and the rough, grey Irish Sea. Pendle Hill rises out of an area known as The Forest of Pendle, but contrary to the name, this is not a forest, but an area of rock, moor, deep valleys and green fields. With history and legend infusing every acre of its ground, Pendle Hill can be sinister or delightful, enticing or threatening: it has an air of mystery and romance, not least because the ancient Britons buried their dead here, and before them the Romans apparently worshipped their gods here. There's evidence of a Bronze Age burial site on the top of Pendle Hill. And of course, most famous of all, the Pendle Witches, terrorized a (no doubt) hysterical community, cursing and casting the evil eye wherever they went. The route on which they were led away from their interrogation to their ultimate demise on the gallows is part of the Pendle Witches Trail. And, as we have observed elsewhere on the website, the Quaker movement originated in Pendle when George Fox ascended Pendle Hill in 1652 and was granted a vision of people waiting "to be enlightened and gathered in". If you plan to ascend the hill, start at the village of Barley. 2 Weets Hill and Boulsworth HillTwo more hills in the Pendle area which you may well enjoy walking are Weets Hill which you can find just west of Barnoldswick, and Boulsworth Hill which is situated near Wycoller Country Park. You can get information on all these walks in the Pendle's Three Peaks guide (available from all the Tourist Information Centres). The ideal approach to Weets Hill is from Barnoldswick; it's a lovely little walk, with superb views across Pendle country and the Yorkshire Dales. Along the way you'll see green pasture, limestone outcrops, and millstone grit. By contrast, the route to Boulsworth Hill from Wycoller Park has good views, millstone grit outcrops, fields, wooded valleys and a surprising hidden waterfall. Wycoller Country Park and the surrounding moors is another superb area for walks in Pendle. Even within the village there is much to explore - the village dates from 1000 BC, but what you see there now is much more recent: the ruins of Wycoller Hall (16th century), an aisled barn from the 17th century, and seven charming bridges which cross Wycoller Beck. Look out in particular for the Clam bridge, the Pack-Horse Bridge and the Clapper Bridge. You can get an information leaflet on the walks available from the information centre. As you may know, this area is Bronte country and the long distance path the Bronte Way passes right through the village. Wycoller Hall is supposedly the model for Ferndean Manor in her novel Jane Eyre. The Pendle Way is a 45 mile long distance path which circumnavigates the Pendle region, including the Three Peaks. Parts of it can, of course, be walked as shorter linear walks. The Bronte Way, linking places associated with the family, also passes through Pendle country on its journey to Gawthorpe Hall near Padiham. Colne: The Ferndean Way follows Colne Water from Waterside in Colne to Wycoller. The route is mostly on the level and the path is easily discernible. The walk is approximately 3 miles long and passes areas of interest along the way. Barrowford: The Water Power Trail is a 7 mile circular walk that links some of the early water powered sites found beside Pendle Water. The walk starts at Pendle Heritage Centre. It follows the course of Pendle Water to Brierfield, over to Roughlee and then back to Pendle Heritage centre in Barrowford. D
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