Just half an hour's drive from Sabden, over 'The Skaithe' and through some of the most beautiful countryside and picture perfect villages, stands Slaidburn, nestled between the banks of the River Hodder and Croasdale Brook in the Forest of Bowland.
Similar to many of Lancashire's other smaller villages, Slaidburn has it's manor house, church and rectory, country inn, school and cornucopia of traditional stone houses, and frankly, looks as though it has been there forever, tucked between the moorland and the riverbank. In fact, most of it's architecture dates back to the 17th century, with the church, inn and the courthouse even older, and an unusually high proportion of the buildings are listed. The complete absence of moden buildings gives the village a timeless quality, only the passing traffic and tourists giving any indication of twenty first century life. Every place has its own history and stories, but I have a feeling that Slaidburn, still owned by the Squire of the Slaidburn estate, has a lot of tales to tell.
Today, however, is a bank holiday so that will have to wait for another day, and for now we pass through the village and park in the car park next to the inn, which we hope will be open when we return.
We plan to complete a circular walk from Slaidburn to Newton-in-Bowland and back via the curiously named Pain Hill. Our OS map promises a walk taking in the riverside, farmland, woodland and views of the moorland, although we are aware that sometimes the paths on the maps are not really paths, just rights of way, and bearing in mind the recent wet weather they are likely to be less trod and therefore less defined - some map detective work may be needed!
We set off along a waymarked path beside the River Hodder. The path hugs the river and is running a fairly direct course at this point, until we reach the sewage works. We divert from the river path, following the direction of the fence to skirt around the obstacle, the ground sodden from the recent rain, and crossing a small stream which I suspect wasn't there a few weeks ago. Picking our way across the boggy field on the other side, we rejoin the river path until we reach a bridge crossing the river and signposted to Easington. We never actually reach a settlement, however, the path winding its way through sparse woodland between pools of water and eventually back to the river where it follows a rocky path until we reach the three-arched bridge at the sleepy village of Newton-in-Bowland.
Newton is well worth a visit, being home to a 17th century chapel, quaker burial ground and the 14th century Foulscale Hall Farm which is the oldest dwelling in Bowland, as well as a lovely country inn which is unfortunately closed today after the busy Christmas and New Year period.
We follow the road through the village and past the inn, taking first a left fork and then a right fork to follow a bridleway running past some houses, finally crossing a stile to leave the village behind. The path is not well defined, but the directional arrows on the waymarkers guide us uphill, crossing several fields until we reach Crawshaw Farm. We make sure to stop and turn every so often to take in the views, which become ever more expansive as we gain height.
Past the farm, we cross some more fields and pass a small copse, ignoring a sign towards Slaidburn, and instead following a path alongside the wall and parallel to Burn Fell until we reach the farm at the top of Pain Hill. Here the path takes us over a stile and clockwise around the farm buildings through a field where we were up to our ankles in what I hoped was mud, but suspected wasn't, until we reached the main farm track on the other side. The gravel road runs along the ridge of Parrock Head giving us lovely views of Burn and Dunsop Fells to our left with the view stretching out in front towards Gisburn Forest.
On reaching the road, we could have turned right and followed it back into Slaidburn, but instead decide to cross into the field on the other side of the road and down the hill to walk back alongside the Croasdale Brook.
I am so glad that we took this route as the woodland is magical, with algae, moss and lichen covering the drystone walls, rocks and treetrunks like a glistening emerald blanket and the brook babbling along at pace until it cascades down the weir to join the Hodder on the other side of the village; we are even treated to a small waterfall making its way noisily down the hillside to join the brook.
Rejoining the road, we make our way through the village, only to find that the pub is not open. Never mind, we have enjoyed a delightful walk and now have a good excuse to return another day and explore further.
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