Longridge Fell with BC

Wednesday 22nd. April 2026

Bowland Climber has had an arm in a sling for several weeks but it has now been liberated, however he is still not allowed to drive, and he is homesick for walks further afield. I have offered a trip out.

The evening before I was making sure I had everything ready for my off to Longridge in the morning. My car keys were not on their hook. It was now 11:00 pm. I searched to no avail, then sat down and did some thinking. Ah! I remember going to the local shop in the car and noticing a reduced tyre pressure light which pops up every two weeks or so. I had re-inflated when I arrived back home with my cigarette lighter plug-in.  A dash out to the car confirmed what I then knew. I had left the key in the ignition switched on - battery now flat. I call Green Flag. They message back saying they will land at "00.15 tomorrow." I panic thinking that "tomorrow" will not do until I realise they are using the twenty-four hour clock and it is now before midnght. They arrive at at sbout 11.45. I then have to set off and drive for about half an hour to get the battery properly charged. Evrntually I get to bed sbout 1:00 am.

I have a welcome black coffee at chez BC  and off we go with long awaited default spring warmth and glorious blue sky. In consideration of my problem with steepness we drive to the highest road starting point for Longridge Fell.

Wide forestry tracks provide steady ascent, and dog walkers are greeted at intervals. Emerging onto the ridge of the fell we have one of the finest panoramic views anywhere in the country and at its best today in this brilliant weather.

We ascend to the Ordnance Survey trig pillar, a place of outstanding beauty well known to both of us over the years, and a venue to be savoured for its solitude and quiet contemplation, and appreciation of nature. But horror of horrors, it has been turned into some sort of commecial "destination" with information boards and a vistor's log book system all spoiling the timeless natural appeal of this wild scenery. One of the notice boards actually blocks the panoramic view to the distant Pendle skyline. This area is designated as an AONB and one wonders if they have given permission, if so, shame on them.*

Further on we turn off the ridge  to start descending through a series of frightening mountain bike tracks with jump-offs for the junior hards and reminding me of going over the handlebars myself on a descent of the Walna Scar Road years go. As one gets older such escapades become become increasingly susrprising at their reembrance.

As we sit for our sandwich and coffee I fire up Merlin, the birdsong ibentifying app. A willow warbler is detected, and then BC maanges to spot this bird about about eighty yards distant perched on the  pointed spikey top of a forestry pine tree. We have the pleasure of its melodious song for several minutes before we see it fly off, perhaps to find a willow tree? My bird book says, "...wide variety of wooded habitats, from forests to bushy commons."

Our convesation has been wide ranging throughout. At one point, for a reason I don't remeber, I recall my reading years ago of A.J. Cronin's The Citadel. The novel is set in 1927 and edscribes the efforts of a newly appointed young GP in the Welsh valleys and his contribution to improvement of health care which  eventually lead to the fomation of the NHS in 1948. The title, The Citadel reperesents the  impenetrable self seeking bastions of the medical profession at the time.

Further descent gets us back to the car. This has been ome of my most enjoyable walks for some time.

--------------------------------

*

From AI:

"Planning permission for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs)—now often referred to as National Landscapes—is administered by local planning authorities (LPAs), typically the local district, borough, or unitary council. 

While the AONB Partnership (or Conservation Board) often provides advice on planning applications to protect the landscape, they do not have the power to make final planning decisions."

Steady ascent to gain Longridge Fell ridge

Each one of the regular named storms brings new tree falls. This one was not evident on BC's last visit back in January I think

Parlick and Fair Snape Fell, a small section of the panorama from Longridge Fell

On the ridge approaching thr OS trig, and...

...Mc Donald's next?

Mountain bike tracks

BC takes what I suspect is yet another photo of what he tells me is his favourite tree. Of course it will look different on each visit.

Hell Gill

Tuesday 7th April 2026

Having an objective for a walk has been aired here on occasions. I recently bought  "Walks to Yorkshire Waterfalls" by Mary Walsh,  a  Cicerone guide published in 1990*. My first foray was Mary's  Hell Gill walk. This would also include a stretch of the multi-named track:  Lady Ann's Way, The High Way, Old Road and Pennine Bridleway. That is one of the most walking friendly tracks I know of and would include a previously unwalked section for me. However,  after descent from the road on rough tussocky  and pathless going,  a serious, breathless  ascent for me was neccessary to gain the welcoming  Old Road. 

That track and Hell Gill were worthy objectives, but they were slightly marked down by the discovery of Lunds Church.

For heaven'sake (note the pun/explanation) why was a curch built in such a sparsley populated area? The restoration mentioned in the Wiki excerpt below has now been completed. The interior is spotless and atmospheric in its sympathetic restoration.  Lunds Church stands in the centre of a field isolated, but like a speck of gold amnongst the tailings in the pan.

From Wikipedia

The current building dates from the mid 18th century.^[2] It was the smallest church in the Diocese of Ripon, with a capacity of 60 worshippers. It closed in 1981 and its condition deteriorated, though it remained in church ownership. In 2011, it was used for scenes in the film Wuthering Heights. Restoration work started in 2023.^[3] It has been grade II listed since 1969.

The climb past Beck Side Farm and up to Shaws, a converted farm property was ever steepening. A mysterious waterfall gill continued above Shaws but I turned left on the good track. Other similar gills and waterfalls appeared to my right as I progressed on the wide cropped turf path with its gentle undulations and extensive views down to what I suppose is Upper Uredale or on the map, Mallerstang. Ahead Wild Boar Fell dominated high on the skyline with the sharp escarpment of The Nab at its far end. The climbing crags recently identified by Bowland Climber and his friends run prominently below the summit ridge. The routes have now been  published I think on the BMC website.

Eventually Old Road arrives at Hell Gill bridge. The savage narrow cleft of the gill is so deep, dark and overgrown that I couldn't even see the water perhaps sixty feet or more down in the depths, and even the bridge was difficult to photograph.

Descending and passing through farm buildings a proper farm track developed and I could then see the stream emerging from the bottom of the gill. Further on the stream drops over Hellgill Force before emptying into the River Ure.

Ordnance Survey shows a footpath across the main road returning to my start point following parallel with the road. I followed unfortuntely with no means of escape until about halfway.That path had unavoidable mud baths every hundred yards or so with a particularly gloopy sticky kind of  mud. On a couple of occasions ,my trainer was left behind sucked from my foot involving difficult retreaval. At last a marked footpath lead back down to the road,from where I walked back to my car.

That walk was certainly worthwhile despite the poor return route. I had much  pleasure being in proper hill country above the intake level with grand views all around on a cloudless blue sky spring day. There is a sharp difference between this and country walking through livedtock fields and the like

(Cannot find out how to alter the varying font sizes, no matter, better trhings to do.)

The tussocky descent taken from the stile leading from the road

Down in the bottom at Beck Side leading to Lunds Church

Lunds Church

"Come unto me and I will give you (rest?)"

Lunds Church in context. My ascent to Old Road is in the background

Starting the ascent

Approaching Shaws. The path climbed through their garden

Lunds Church isolated in centre of field

Gill above Shaws

Steps leading out of Shaws garden to the gate onto Old Road

Old Road, perfect walking.. Distant Wild Boar Fell and The Nab, and below... 

High Hall. Derelict farmhouse - this is at about 1500ft! And below...

Hell Gill Bridge

Hell Gill after the gill and flowing towards Hell Gill Force

Hell Gill Force

All the tractors for Alan

Start/finish from road, bottom left corner, anti-clockwise. N.b. location of Lunds Church in red

*"Yorkshire Waterfalls" Mary Welsh.

Cicerone are now the apex guide book producer having learned from expereience with good maps, colour, and seperation of subjective information from route description. This is one of their much earlier efforts and shows its age. It is entertaining to read, interspersed with glowing refrences to imgianry bird life and other mentions of possible flora and fauna that may be encountered, and local history, but that detracts from  the need for a concise route description. The maps are also quite rudimentary, but sufficient for one to relate to an OS map. Mary Welsh passed away in 2017 at the age of 88. She was a prolific and well respected author of many outdoor/walking publicastions.

From Hutton Roof

 Wednesday 1st April 2026

Parking is marginally available opposite Hutton Roof church. I have mentioned before the war memorial stone in the churchyard for the local fallen of WW1. This is headed by:

Theodore Bayley Hardy, VC, DSO, MC, KHC

Hardy was vicar at the church and although a pacifist and aged 51 he volunteered for the war in 1915 and was taken on as a chaplain and served as a non-combatant. Hardy's many deeds of courage and modesty and care for fellow comrades lead, it is believed, to him being the most decorated non-combatant ever.

I am not too given to recommending long Wiki entries from my posts but I think this one is not too long and is well worth a read.

Theodore_Hardy

"We shall remember them."

This four and a half mile walk was pleasant enough and notable for:

The worst overall collection of decrepit stiles I have encountered for a while.

An error taking the wrong path from Spital bridge - the correct one was almost parallel and to assuage my self deperecation was an understandable error, rather than a gross mistake. See the red dots on the map below.

The two paths merged to follow an unusual deeply sunken lane extending for half a mile.

Near here I heard loud voices, shouting, but distant.

Turned out to be a group of hi-viz clad weorkers gathered under an electricity pylon apperently shouting at each other, their voices easily carrying the quarter mile or so back to me.

As I plodded back up the road to Hutton Roof the sun burst through contrasting sharply with the earlier murkiness and opening up grand views to Ingleborough and the always inviting Dales landscape. 

As I huffed snd puffed up a steep little hill I came across an elderly local lady tyding up the debris from a recently felled roadside tree. We had excellent conversastion. she had a sonorous Lanacashire country accent, a good sesnse or humour, and was full of information. She told me she acted as a local guide and informant on the lifetime of the above mentioned Chaplain Theodore Hardy VC and amongst much about Hardy's relations and the like, she told me Hardy, before his church position in Hutton Roof  he had been a teacher at various schools including D H Lawarence as a pupil at one time.

That meeting certainly trasnsformed what I would classify as an everyday kind of walk into something more memorable.

Hutton Roof church, and below...

In the churchyard.
Hutton Roof WW1 memorial including Hardy VC

Just to give a sample of the countryside  - limestone country

Badger Gate - now posh hoiday units I think

Lupton Beck

Stocky  I would say. Night club bouncer type?

Lunch break

Zoom to 
shouting hi-vizzers

The deeply sunken lane

Looking back at my route - cropped sheep pasture dotted with small limestone outcrops, delightful

Start/finish, Hutton Roof church (furthest west) clockwise. 
Note red dots showing correct route I missed