Pendle Hill (summit 557 metres above sea level) is situated in the north-east of Lancashire near Burnley, Colne, Nelson and Clitheroe. The Borough of Pendle is named after this isolated hill, not linked to the Pennines to the east and the Forest of Bowland to the northwest. It is part of the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The name of Pendle Hill says the same thing in different languages. Pennul or Penhul, is from the Cumbric pen and the Old English hyll, both of which mean "hill"; when the meaning of this was lost, the word Hill was again appended.

Pendle Hill consists of an ancient table millstone grit, which lies over softer shales, on an underlying bed of limestone; and it's covered with peat, which originates in decomposition of sphagnum moss.

It's famous not just because of its beauty, but also because of the Pendle Witches and George Fox, whose vision on the top of the hill led to him forming the Quaker movement. A Bronze Age burial site has been found at the summit of the hill. The most common starting point for the ascent is the village of Barley; this is also the steepest way up. Other villages in the area include Downham, Newchurch-in-Pendle and Sabden.

Local lore would have you believe that "If you cannot see Pendle Hill, it's because it's raining; if you can see it, it means there will be rain any time soon."

In 1652, George Fox had a vision while on the summit of Pendle, which led to his forming the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). Today, Pendle is still strongly linked with the Quakers, and this is reflected in the name of their centre for religious and spiritual study in the USA.