Weekly Route - West Craven Way

Walking Route: West Craven Way

Salterforth > Thornton In Craven > Bracewell > Salterforth

Distance: 24 miles (39 km)	Height Gain: 3780ft (1152m)
Overview: A scoop look at a brand new 24-mile trail taking in a variety of Lancashire and West Yorkshire's best scenery.	Maps: Ordnance Survey: Expl OL41, LR 103 Online: Streetmap
Strenuousness: 3 Technicality: 1 Photo Grade: 2	Start Point: SD 888 453

An early preview of a new trail opening this weekend at the Pendle Walking Festival. This 24 miler takes in from the Leeds - Liverpool canal to parts of the Pennine Way in a circular walk through some of Lancashire and West Yorkshire's finest scenery - made famous by the Pendle Witches and outdoor photographer, film maker and performer Alastair Lee. Perfect for a long day walk when the Lakes and Dales are too far.

All pics are by Alastair Lee courtesy of www.visitlancashire.com

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Section 1 - Salterforth to Thornton-In-Craven

Distance: 10.2miles (16.5Km)

Height Gain: 1793ft (547m)

Starting from the Anchor Inn at Salterforth the trail takes the towpath alongside the canal to Mill Hill Bridge where you pass under the "Welcome to Lancashire" sign before turning left and over a stile.

Follow the obvious path across a footbridge then cross the fields towards farm buildings on the far side, then continue through the gate and over the disused railway to the A56. Turn right past houses before crossing the road to a gate next to a bus stop, and proceed across the field to a stile by a stream. Cross the stile then turn left and follow the stream.

On your right hand side, there's another stile and the road. Turn left then immediately right through the squeeze gate then take the gully to another gate before meeting a wall. With the wall on your left continue over Lancashire Ghyll, the former county boundary, onto an obvious path with a fence on either side.

Pass Oxenards and cross the lane ahead before bearing left across a field then through the gate to another lane. Follow the lane to the right to the top of the hill then turn left onto a path signposted to Throstle Nest. At the garden use the stile on the right and follow the path for 200 yards before turning left to a bridge over the stream. Cross the bridge and turn right alongside the stream then continue past the old quarry where another left turn follows a wall to Great Edge with views across to Colne and the reservoirs. Keep the fence on your left and continue ahead, with a wall replacing the fence to another stile then move downhill.

As the path starts to rise again turn left, then right across the field to a series of stone steps alongside the trees. Now go left across the next field and through the gate and along the lane past Hawes Farm. A stile now takes you uphill, where there's a left turn after yet another stile where the wall heads left. Continue straight ahead here over more stiles to a gate, then follow the wall left onto the signed Pendle Way.

Follow the path behind Scald Bank Farm down to a bridge over the stream, then right to Harden Clough. A gravel path leads to a stile into a field where you turn right at an obvious line of bushes and continue down to another stream. Cross the stream and go uphill before crossing a stile and turning left over the bridge. Now turn right and continue uphill alongside the fence to a gate, where you turn right onto a bridleway. Turn left as you reach gardens then right at the telephone pole to a stile.

Move left as you climb the hill to Bleara Road, then turn right to a T junction, followed by a a left then right again at Salt Pye farm. Now continue along the path, through fields to Bent Hall Farm, then turn left and climb uphill to reach a house with a giant chess set in the garden. Turn right, then left through the fields to Proctor Height Farm before turning left uphill to the road.

Turn left along the road to Dodgsons Lane then right past Dodgsons Farm and continue downhill crossing a stream before moving diagonally left across a field to a gully. From the gate move left, crossing a stream, then uphill and right on the obvious path with the stream now down to your right. Cross the bridge at the end of the field then continue moving left past Oak Slack Farm.

The trail now turns left, uphill, then over the cattle grid and right to another gully. With the gully on your left go downhill and through the trees to Booth Bridge Lane. Pass the cricket ground and cross the old railway line to emerge in Thornton In Craven.

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Section 2 - Thornton In Craven to Bracewell

Distance: 6 miles (9.5Km)

Height Gain: 703ft (214m)

From the Old Post office in Thornton-In-Craven turn left onto Cam Lane and onto the Pennine Way to pass Old Cote farm. A mile from Thornton-In-Craven turn right where the lane bears left, still on the Pennine Way and proceed downhill over a bridge and two stiles then climb again before dropping once more to a narrow bridge.

Now join the canal path at Bridge 160 then on to the church where you cross the stile to the right of the churchyard. Now turn left and follow the old wall to the main road and across to the Cross Keys which marks the halfway point of the walk.

From the pub pass houses on the right and take the path alongside the road as far as Ingthorpe Grange. Take the tarmaced road past the Grange then through the farmyard and diagonally right up to the fence. On the other side, move diagonally left this time to the brow then downhill and left to a junction.

Turn right here towards Gisburn and take the path on the right past Marton Scar, following it as it bears left and through a farmyard. Keep straight on downhill with a hedge to your left until bearing right at the first telegraph pole. Go through the gate and keeping the hedge on your left continue to the road which leads directly into Horton.

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Section 3 - Horton to Salterforth

Distance: 8.25 miles (13.5Km)

Height Gain:1284ft (391m)

From Horton pass the Paradise Chapel and take an almost hidden path through the hedge on the left just after the farm buildings. Go right at the gate and continue ahead over the stream to meet the A59.

Cross the road and follow the bank to a stream then over a stile and left over fields and a stile to a telegraph pole. Turn right at the wall to cross Stock Beck and onwards to Bracewell.

After passing the church turn right then left towards Priory Cottage before turning right through a gate and across the field past the trees. Cross to the right after following the fence to within 100 yards of the end of the field then past a plantation and small lake to a kissing gate. Now turn sharp left over a stile and go down to the stream and a bridge where a narrow squeeze leads uphill past a farm to Brogden Lane.

As you approach the lane turn right through the gate and on through three more gates before crossing a field to a fence corner and right to a gate. Continue through Coverdale Farm to a road junction. Turn left up a stony track to Brogden Lane then across in the direction of Cowdale Clough.

Keep going uphill then left at Weets House and the obvious mast with Weets Hill summit to your left. From Weets Hill follow Gisburn Old Road for half a mile to a left turn just before Star Hall. Go uphill then left and right through gates to a stile on the top of the hill and some strange sculpted heads.

From the sculpted heads pass in front of the buildings and turn sharp left to join a wall where you turn right down the path between wall and trees. As you approach Higher View turn right and cross the field to a bridge followed by a series of stone steps leading up to a stile.

Now cross diagonally left downhill to a wall and turn left at the trees at the bottom. A path leads around the houses to join the road which should be crossed before turning right then left into Letcliffe Country park.

Go through the park to a gap in the wall then head across towards a group of large trees and a stile. At the corner of the wall go through a gap then move left alongside the wall to the corner and left again into a field with a fence on your left.

At the next stile go right and head across to a further stile then bear diagonally left to the road. Turn right and cross the canal before turning right again to rejoin the canal towpath where a left turn will lead you back to your starting point and a welcome drink at the Anchor Inn.

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Route Map