Local walking & Cycling

Local walking routes

  • We use the OS Maps app for our walking; the subscription option gives you detailed walking maps to plot your routes, and seeing exactly where you are at any time means you just can’t get lost!
  • Here are some routes I recorded for you:

Bambers Lodge to Holden Clough via fields (5 miles)

You can walk directly along the road to reach our favourite local garden centre, taking care to watch for cars, the road is busier than you might think… but this route is much nicer if you don’t mind some hilly bits and some boggy parts too.

OS Maps link: https://explore.osmaps.com/route/15385847/bambers-lodge-holden-clough-via-fields-5m

Bambers Lodge – loop over Easington Fell (5.4 miles)

Starting out along the valley bottom, this route can be a little boggy in parts. As you pass around towards Easington you’ll start to climb and see some great views as you head back over the fell – the whole fell is open access so you might want to plot your own course back to Harrop Fold, and then either follow more fields back, or take the road for a dryer simple finish to your walk.

OS Maps link: 

https://explore.osmaps.com/route/13707644/bambers-lodge-loop-over-easington-fell-55m

Bambers Lodge loop past Bay Gate (2 miles)

A gentle short route – one drop down into a valley and climb back up, and some boggy areas (as usual!) Some sheep fields.

OS Maps link: 

https://explore.osmaps.com/route/16335436/bambers-bay-gate-lower-heights-greenwoods-loop-2-miles

Bambers Lodge – Bay Gate, Smalden Lane, Swan Barn loop (5 miles)

Very boggy in places! Great views on a clear day. currelty there is no access to the trig point itself so follow this route, not the OS path for now (summer 2023). After the path down from the trig point to the road, the next section is tricky with bogs and stones. Alternative route is back down the road, with appropriate care for traffic (ignore the last part turning into our house driveway!)

OS Maps link: 

https://explore.osmaps.com/route/16951569/bambers-lodge-swan-barn-loop-5-mile

Calf’s Head, Worston loop (2.7 miles)

Start and finish at the Calf’s Head, Worston, BB7 4PH 1QA – a nice local pub with beer garden. Dogs welcome in the bar & garden. Relatively flat walk through a mixture of sheep & not-sheep fields. Lots of stiles. Just after Little Mearley Hall, bear left but keep the diagonal fence on your left to avoid climbing the barbed wire at the other end!

OS Maps link: 

https://explore.osmaps.com/route/16549605/bambers-lodge–calfs-head-loop-27-miles

Other local walks:

  • The Bowland AONB Walking page has an incredible amount of information for you, including routes, safe walking, countryside code
  • Pendle Hill is a local favourite – but as the most popular route becomes eroded the local AONB team have suggested some great alternative routes around the hill. https://www.pendlehillproject.com/summit-else-route-summaries
  • Tramper Hire (all-terrain electric buggy) – the local AONB Tramper Hire information is all on this PDF 
  • Spring Wood, Whalley. Spring Wood is a semi-natural ancient woodland located just east of Whalley on the A671 at the junction with Accrington – it’s a small woodland, we usually loop round a bit and take nearly an hour. Road. Parking: pay by Ringo, approx £1 all day
  • Marles Wood, near Ribchester – park at Marles Wood Car Park, BB6 8AL, free parking, can get busy. A river walk, there and back a couple of miles, or you can do optional loop along the road. You’ll be near the Black Bull at Langho too, dog friendly gastro pub, highly recommended.

Cycling:

  • Sarah’s Yorkshire Bike Rides – guided routes & bike workshops – based in Gargrave just 12 miles away towards Skipton
  • Pendle Routes – a local selection 
  • Gisburn Forest Hub – start here for great mountain bike trails and a lovely cafe
  • Dale Head Farm – mountain biking courses specialising in women’s MTB weekends – Dominique runs excellent cookery classes too.