Sponsored by
Walking - Whitewell and Long Knots
This week's walk begins at Whitewell, the mid-way point of last week's ramble from Dunsop Bridge, with which it can be incorporated to make an equally enjoyable day-long excursion.
Whitewell comprises little more than a church and inn, but both are both steeped in history and date from around the end of the 14th century. The inn, renowned for its food, was built as a manor house by Walter Urswyck, who administered Bowland Forest on behalf of the king. Amongst his duties, he held court, collecting taxes and meting out punishment to those who unwittingly or otherwise infringed the complex rules of Forest Law. The building only became an inn during the 18th century and now enjoys an enviable reputation for its food. The church is slightly later and was founded as a chapel of ease to save the locals a lengthy trek to the parish church at Chipping.
1 Drop past the church following signs to stepping stones across the River Hodder and climb the hillside beyond to New Launds Farm. Follow a track through the yard, leaving just beyond a restored cheese press through a gate on the left. Accompany a track curving around the steepness of the hill, continuing beyond its end to emerge on to a lane. Go left for half a mile, topping the rise to find a signed gate on the right. Strike away straight up the hill, dropping on the far side of the ridge to a gate out on to another narrow lane.
2 Go right shortly crossing Dinkling Green Brook to reach the farm. Keep ahead between the buildings and leave at the far side along a cart track. After some 200 yards, bear left at a fork, soon emerging into a field. Keep going with a fence on your right into the field corner, although those paying attention to the detail of the OS map will notice that the line of the path slips through the gate to run the last few muddy yards on the other flank of the hedge.
3 Back in the field follow the boundary south, passing through a gateway and then over an intervening fence before dropping to a footbridge spanning a stream below Lickhurst Farm. Follow a narrow lane up to the farm, swinging left in front of the farmhouse and through the yard. Right at the far end, go ahead through a once white-painted gate along a hedged track. Later swing left in front of a field gate following a ditch to a waymarked gate and stile into a field. Turn left, continuing over a stile in the corner into a second field. Where the fence then moves away, bear right to a gate. Keep walking by the left boundary until you can pass out onto a tarmac drive.
4 Double back left, shortly passing Lower Greystoneley, beyond which the way degrades to an old track and dips to cross a stream. Climbing out of the wooded dell, continue with the track past Higher Greystoneley, eventually meeting a lane. Go right but leave almost immediately over a stile on the left and head out across the fields to Fair Oak Farm. Reaching the buildings, waymarks direct you left at the rear of the buildings to join a track away. A short distance along, just before a gate, bear off right on a rough track. It eventually swings sharply right to end at a gate and stile.
5 Keep going with the curving boundary on your left to reach a ladder-stile over which, bear right across the shoulder of New Laund Hill. There is a superb backward view along the wooded Laund gorge before the path begins to fall down the hill, where the head of the valley then grabs your attention. Through a gate keep straight down making towards Burholme Bridge which now appears in the middle distance. Eventually pick up a stony path that leads down to New Laund Farm. Go right back to the stepping stones across the river.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Preston
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 14 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North west
