Forest of Bowland

[Adam4868]

Did a lovely walk,starting from Hurst Green,near Stonyhurst recently.Went over Cromwells bridge near there ? I do love the walk up Pendle hill though,one of my favourites when with my partner and kids,lovely part of the world.

 

[ColinJ]

Did a lovely walk,starting from Hurst Green,near Stonyhurst recently.Went over Cromwells bridge near there ? I do love the walk up Pendle hill though,one of my favourites when with my partner and kids,lovely part of the world.

Funnily enough, despite having lived in this area for 34 years, I have only walked up Pendle Hill once. I looked across at it from my office window for 7 years and when I left that job I decided to celebrate with a walk up the hill with a group of soon-to-be ex-colleagues. I must do it again after lockdown finishes!

 

[Adam4868]

Funnily enough, despite having lived in this area for 34 years, I have only walked up Pendle Hill once. I looked across at it from my office window for 7 years and when I left that job I decided to celebrate with a walk up the hill with a group of soon-to-be ex-colleagues. I must do it again after lockdown finishes!

Ok Col,totally off topic sorry,was pretty similar story myself.Probally because my partner isn't from round these parts (Irish) and is into history...such as spitting on Cromwells bridge and paying a pilgrimage to the "Witches" of the area 😊 So we've been a lot to these areas.Probally walked up Pendle hill a dozen times and still appreciate it and the surrounding area and witch trails.Some lovely walks and pubs to explore.

 

[geocycle]

Stonyhurst is something else. I recall playing cricket there once against the village team, the quality of the outfield was better than most squares I played on that season! Dent and Coniston away were particularly challenging.

 

[Blue Hills]

That's a good view, and one that I have never had. I never linger long in Clitheroe because I am always on the way to somewhere else, with a lot of distance to cover.

Like these two?


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct8ZohLt97Q


In truth of course that's probably a bit of clever negging PR/place placement to keep the secret.

Especially from the French.

Every time I have been up there the gates have been open so I have ridden up to the college and round to the left as we look at it.

Yes I jave usually ridden straight up and then left like you - but that (last time) the gates were shut, momentarily opened as if by the hand of god for a big car to come through, then shut again.

If we get up there on another ride I'd like to try to locate a snarky sounding priest-written (I think) memorial - except rather than brew up on it I'd more likely crack open a can of something strong in memory of the remembered.

 

[Blue Hills]

Mmm, @Blue Hills says his coffee pot does two cups, must remember to bring a cup with me and talk nicely to him if he's on a ride I'm on.

More than welcome if I have notice so I can bring extra coffee - you just supply the water for the pot and a bit more so I can cool the pot for unscrewing between brews.

Myself and @Littgull already have a loose arangement to do the Salter Fell ride when this hell is over and I think he's planning to bring a cup for some espresso in the scenic wilds. Colin plans to come but skip the Salter Fell bit as he doesn't want to do the walking bit again. Plan was also to ask @Oldfentiger but such is my memory I can't remember if I got round to formally inviting him. Still, get this hell over first.

Sure hope we don't get this lot when we are up there - it was very quiet when we did it - couple of bikers maybe and a 4x4 from the RSPB on the lookout for poachers.

Still, gives you an idea of how wild it is.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stF0Py6l1Co

 

[Blue Hills]

Funnily enough, despite having lived in this area for 34 years, I have only walked up Pendle Hill once. I looked across at it from my office window for 7 years and when I left that job I decided to celebrate with a walk up the hill with a group of soon-to-be ex-colleagues. I must do it again after lockdown finishes!

To check that the stones haven't been moved/bodies uncovered?

 

[ColinJ]

To check that the stones haven't been moved/bodies uncovered?

Ha ha. The colleagues in question were fine. Some of the others though...

The Salter Fell motorbike footage was quite exciting but I am glad that we didn't encounter any noisy bikers when we were up there. Funnily enough, the fact that the video seemed quite long despite the riders travelling very quickly reinforced how long the offroad section is. I can see why it took us hours to get over it on pushbikes - and quite a few sections DID involve pushing! I would rather have been on my mountain bike with 2.25" knobbly tyres and suspension, than my CX bike with 35 mm semi-slick tyres and no suspension. Apart from the discomfort and risk of slipping on those loose stones, I was worried about a sharp rock edge gashing a tyre.

I was just searching for information on whether it is legal for motorcyclists to cross the Fell - apparently, it IS as long as they stick to the path.

I found this report from Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue. It reinforces what we said at the time about not risking a solo crossing in case of an accident...

37. Sunday 9th October. Spot Pick-Up. 09:41 Hrs. Salter Fell Track, Bowland. Team received a request to support the North West Air Ambulance with a female fallen from a trail motor bike on the Salter Fell Track / Hornby Road in Bowland. Reported with a broken collar bone / shoulder injury. As the Team was on exercise at our Headquarters at Smelt Mill in the Trough we were able to dispatch two Landrover Ambulances within minutes of the call. A Landrover from Bolton MRT who were on the exercise with us was also dispatched. On arrival, the Air Ambulance had been able to land very close to the casualty on the narrow track above Whitendale. The only thing left for the Team to do was for one member to ride the trail bike down the track to the road. Eleven MRT members responding to this incident with support from others in Control at Smelt Mill. (30 Rescue Person Hours)

It is a lovely area, but you definitely would not want to have an accident up there and be unable to summon help!

 

[Blue Hills]

Apart from the discomfort and risk of slipping on those loose stones, I was worried about a sharp rock edge gashing a tyre.

It is possible that I did actually gash a tyre/damage a sidewall but then I was using rather delicate Vittoria tyres which get their nice road feel from a rather flexible sidewall.
On my ride back south the bike did feel odd at the front but I couldn't figure out why.
Back in London I noticed that the tube was sticking through the sidewall.
Next time I will use tougher tyres and maybe use my 26inch wheeled exped bike with the Marathon tyres.

 

[ColinJ]

It is possible that I did actually gash a tyre/damage a sidewall but then I was using rather delicate Vittoria tyres which get their nice road feel from a rather flexible sidewall.
On my ride back south the bike did feel odd at the front but I couldn't figure out why.
Back in London I noticed that the tube was sticking through the sidewall.
Next time I will use tougher tyres and maybe use my 26inch wheeled exped bike with the Marathon tyres.

 

[Littgull]

More than welcome if I have notice so I can bring extra coffee - you just supply the water for the pot and a bit more so I can cool the pot for unscrewing between brews.

Myself and @Littgull already have a loose arangement to do the Salter Fell ride when this hell is over and I think he's planning to bring a cup for some espresso in the scenic wilds. Colin plans to come but skip the Salter Fell bit as he doesn't want to do the walking bit again. Plan was also to ask @Oldfentiger but such is my memory I can't remember if I got round to formally inviting him. Still, get this hell over first.

Sure hope we don't get this lot when we are up there - it was very quiet when we did it - couple of bikers maybe and a 4x4 from the RSPB on the lookout for poachers.

Still, gives you an idea of how wild it is.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stF0Py6l1Co

Good video @Blue Hills - of scenery and terrain I mean - not the motorbiking pests!

Yes, Salter Fell is definitely very high up on the list of my 'must dos' once the CV19 danger is behind us. I can't think of many better surroundings to partake a cup of your much vaunted expresso in pleasant company 👍.

 

[PK99]

MrsPK and I would have been staying at the Inn at Whitewell tonight, prior to a 4 night stay with my old University friends at a fantastic decaying splendour old county gentleman's house in Giggleswick that we rent for a few days each year.

Frustrating!

 

[uphillstruggler]

On the brewing up thread slight divert, just remembered this I got from Planet X the other day.

https://mailchi.mp/planetx/have-a-brew?e=50209ebaed

(edit - my stove set-up is a lot smaller than that)

So maybe I'm actually ahead of the curve/not so odd after all.

Not sure I'd be doing that at the moment unless very very remote/out of the sight of marauding Derbyshire police - maybe when this Godgiven hell is over I'll start a photo thread on bikes with a brew and scenery.

On the main thread, some more pics to encourage @gbs

Pendle Hill from Clitheroe Castle.

View attachment 516223

Pendle Hill from the doorway of Downham church (bike out of shot)

View attachment 516224

To put some steel into him for trip back north, a shelter between Settle and Horton in Ribblesdale in some not exactly rare weather.

View attachment 516225

A bike in front of Stoneyhurst College, but the slightest divert on a ride from Preston to Clitheroe. It's a Hewitt, from Preston (OK Leyland) ridden to the Ribble Valley when it was picked up (with a 20 minute shelter in a church lych gate near Longridge when the heavens briefly opened).

View attachment 516226

Strange, I have been up to those gates myself on a little pootle when staying in Mellor, more out of being slightly lost and nosey tbh. cant remember if i cycled right up or stopped there but its a lovely spot.

I don't think you'll be disappointed with the stove in that bundle either, i bought the X3 but it was too big to fit into the fork bags i bought from PX so i bought the X2 also, which just fits. PX did me a deal as the details on the website said that the X3 should have fit into the bags.

how often are you in that area? i've not been for a while but am hoping to get back up there in the near future.

 

[Blue Hills]

Strange, I have been up to those gates myself on a little pootle when staying in Mellor, more out of being slightly lost and nosey tbh. cant remember if i cycled right up or stopped there but its a lovely spot.

I don't think you'll be disappointed with the stove in that bundle either, i bought the X3 but it was too big to fit into the fork bags i bought from PX so i bought the X2 also, which just fits. PX did me a deal as the details on the website said that the X3 should have fit into the bags.

how often are you in that area? i've not been for a while but am hoping to get back up there in the near future.

On the stove, you may have misunderstood me - I meant I received a mailer about it - I have two small stoves already, the smaller, a pocket rocket type of thing from Vango, I use for my ride coffees. Perfectly happy with it with the cheapo gas cartridges I use with it.

On Bowland, I'm from those parts, so get there a fair bit.

It is true that you don't really tend appreciate the area when you are young - the bright lights beckon

 

[Douggie954]

Went through the Forest of Bowland on our LEJoG. It was one of the best bits of it. Stayed in the youth hostel in Slaidburn and ate in the pub opposite, the food was great. The cycle out towards High Bentham in the morning was fantastic, although quite tough as well for us!