October Walks in Slaidburn

Our next walk will be from 

Slaidburn

in the FOREST OF BOWLAND
area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

and will be on

Saturday 13th October 2012

0800hrs prompt from the short stay car park

Slaidburn and its history

Visiting Slaidburn in the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is like stepping back in time. Isolated and protected by the surrounding Bowland fells, and largely owned by a single family for almost 200 years, the village has remained un-spoilt by modern development and is virtually unchanged since the early 19th Century.

Many have described Slaidburn as the most picturesque village in Lancashire. From the village green on the bank of the river at the eastern entrance to the village, the main street with its ancient cobbled pavements climbs gently into the heart of the village. By the post office is what looks like a sentry box but is in fact a first aid box that once contained a stretcher for injured fell walkers. A roadside well in the village commemorates the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria and there is a fine war memorial. There are few modern buildings and the village feels frozen in time. A short walk from the centre of the village takes you past the 18th century school to the Medieval Church of St Andrew’s.


Slaidburn whilst picturesque is also a living, working village still largely dependent on agriculture, with a large number of its inhabitants working in the local area.

There will be three walks as normal:

• A Walk led by: Tony McDonald 
• B Walk led by: Beverley Kelly
• C Walk led by: Peter Parry

We have had a lot of heavy rain over this summer and more recently and as a result the ground is very wet and muddy. PLEASE ensure that footwear is waterproof and gives ankle support as ALL walks will encounter muddy, slippy ground and lying water. Walk leaders have taken this into account in planning the walks, but this is not a summer walk.We do not want any accidents.

Weather Forecast: The forecast is for sunny periods with light rain showers in the afternoon. Wind (5/6mph) is SW veering round to WNW and a temperature of 7/9C

Riverbank Tea Rooms Site
More details about the area here
and here [pdf] 

 

A Walk at Slaidburn 2012

Walk Leader: Stuart Smith and Tony McDonald
Total Distance: 11 miles
Total Ascent/Descent: 1800ft app

This walk is of particular interest to me because my mother and father bought a small farm in Bashall Eaves when newly married in 1955 which is only a short distance away from Slaidburn and they always had fond memories of living there.

We start the walk off from Newton which was formerly known as Newton on Hodder walking through undulating fields which have no visible path to follow. We travel North past Crawshaw before turning West past Beatrix. Once across the river we head North following the river through the forest and on to Whitendale before finally turning east past Dunsop Fell and Wood House ultimately arriving at Slaidburn.

Stuart

 Some photographs of a similar walk in 2008 here:

B Walk at Slaidburn 2012

A Lordly Route Through the Centre of England

 Walk Leader: Beverley Kelly
Total Distance: 8+ miles
Total Ascent/Descent: 750ft
Time: approx 4.5 hrs

B Walk Route - click to open

Autumn colours by a tranquil Hodder

We have done three reccies to get a walk which  provides views, interest and reasonably good walking conditions. We are pleased with the result. This walk is probably the best of the three and will get you back to Slaidburn tired but satisfied and ready for your refreshment.

We start our walk from Newton, a village recorded in the Domesday book but grew due to local industry centered upon the River Hodder. Unfortunately the toilets at Newton have been closed although there are some later in the walk.

Les with his 'catch' !!!!

 Leaving Newton we walk along the banks of the Hodder and then on to 'Giddy Bridge' and the Tudor Style Knowlmere Manor, built in 1849 for Jonathon Peel. Whether this is still part of Lord Bowlands estate I do not know, but it still looks as if it is under one ownership.

Our next destination is over rough and wet but passable land towards Dunsop Bridge, passing Thorneyholme Hall another part of the Bowland Estate and across the Hodder again and down a magnificant driveway to reach Dunsop Bridge and the centre of England. Here there are toilets, a cafe and probably our lunch stop by the river courted by the ducks.

 We now head for Beatrix Fell, passing a lovely children's playground, past some cottages, then out to open fields again heading for Beatrix Farm. Do take in the magnificant views all around and enjoy the rolling countryside and the changing colours of the trees.

It is now downhill to cross the clear waters of Rough Syke, then a steady climb up again to reach Bull Lane an old but very neat drovers lane. We are now 2/3rds of the way round and at 750 ft the highest point of the walk and not really tired. It is now a steady drop down towards Slaidburn on open grassland and varied scenery with plenty of interest, hopefully avoiding the mud and wetlands. [Just follow the leader and keep an eye on the ground]

We pass through Slaidburn church grounds to reach the river bank and a short way to the coach  and cafe. (Hark to Bounty just round the corner).

Looking forward to your company and a great walk together. Beverley and Les

 

The B Reccie before adaptation

C Walk at Slaidburn 2012

Walk Leader: Peter and Diana Parry
Total Distance: 6 miles 
 with 14 stiles (one or two difficult) and the odd muddy spot after rain
Total Ascent/descent: 454/486 ft

 
The walk, on grass footpaths and farm tracks, leads NW out of Slaidburn and climbs gently above the River Hodder, affording fine views of the Bowland Fells.

We then turn South West on undulating terrain, still with fine views, until a short downhill section on a quiet road brings us to Newton-in-Bowland.

A final one and a half miles along the banks of the Hodder completes the walk

Some photographs as taken on the walks at Hawes

Photographs from Tony on the B Walk

More photographs from the B Walk