as could be. Many parts of the area are managed specifically for walkers, especially those parts around the reservoirs.
There are few, if any, other places in Britain that provide such a wealth of walking potential for so many, so easily. Make the most of it.
Earnsdale Reservoir and Darwen Tower (Walk 13)
Walking Safely
The walking on the West Pennine Moors ranges from short, simple outings not far from civilisation, to tough moorland routes. The many valley walks are within the ability of anyone accustomed to recreational walking. The longer walks on the moors, however, demand a good level of fitness, and knowledge of the techniques and requirements necessary to travel safely in wild countryside in very changeable weather conditions, including the ability to use map and compass properly.
Safety
The fundamentals of safety in upland and moorland areas should be known by everyone intent on walking on the West Pennine Moors, but no apology is made for reiterating some basic dos and don’ts.
Always take the basic minimum kit: sturdy boots, warm, windproof clothing, waterproofs (including overtrousers), hat or balaclava, gloves or mittens, spare clothing, maps, compass, whistle, survival bag, emergency rations, first aid kit, food and drink for the day, all carried in a suitable rucksack.
Let someone know where you are going.
Learn to use a map and compass effectively.
Make sure you know how to get a local weather forecast (see www.bbc.co.uk/weather).
Know basic first aid – your knowledge could save a life.
Plan your route according to your ability, and be honest about your ability and expertise.
Never be afraid to turn back.
Be aware of your surroundings – keep an eye on the weather, your companions, and other people.
Take extra care during descents, even gentle ones.
Be winter-wise – if snow lies across or near your intended route, take an ice axe (and know how to use it properly).
Have some idea of emergency procedures. As a minimum, from any point in your walk, you should know the quickest way to a telephone. You should also know something of the causes and treatment of, and ways of avoiding, hypothermia.
Respect the moorland environment – be conservation minded.
Using this Guide
Each walk description begins with a short introduction, and provides start and finish points, as well as a calculation of the distance and ascent. The walks are grouped largely within the traditional areas of the moors.
Distances
Distances are given in kilometres (and miles), and represent the total distance for the described walk, that is, from the starting point to the finishing point.
High Bullough Reservoir (Walk 9)
Ascent
The figures given for ascent represent the total height gain for the complete walk. They are given in metres (and feet, rounded up or down).
This combination of distance and ascent should permit each walker to calculate roughly how long each walk will take, using whatever method – Naismith’s Rule (see below) or another that you find works for you. On the West Pennine Moors, however, allowance must be made for the ruggedness of the terrain.
Naismith’s Rule
The ‘time allowance’ given in a guidebook provides a useful approximation, but it does no harm to work things out for yourself. ‘Naismith’s Rule’ is a useful method of working out an individual estimate:
allow 1 hour for every 5km (3 miles) of distance
add half an hour for each 300m (1000ft) of height gain.
Note ‘Height gain’ and ‘ascent’ are potentially confusing. Height gain is the amount of height you have to climb on a walk, and is the sum total of all the up sections, not just the difference between the starting point and the top of the mountain.
The diagram illustrates the point. Height gain is the sum of the height difference at each of the three points A, B and C.
Naismith’s Rule has been in use for years and is a good guide, but it is a worth keeping notes over a period of a few months and assessing the time your walks actually took against Naismith’s calculation. You may find that you are 10 per cent faster than Naismith, or 15 per cent slower. The value of this is that you can then apply Naismith’s Rule to your walks, and make an adjustment for your personal abilities.
Maps
1:50000 – all the walks in this book can be found on Ordnance Survey Landranger Sheets 103 (Blackburn and Burnley), and 109 (Manchester).
1:25000 – of greater use to walkers on the West Pennine Moors is the Ordnance Survey Explorer Sheet 287 (www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk), which covers all the walks in this book.
Paths
Not all the paths described in the text appear on maps, and where they do there is no guarantee that they still exist, or remain continuous or well defined. With only a small number of exceptions, paths are signposted, but not always waymarked.
RIVINGTON AND ANGLEZARKE
Old boundary line above yarrow Reservoir (Walk 8)
WALK 1
Around Anglezarke Reservoir
| Start/Finish | Rivington (SD628140) |
| Distance | 11km (7 miles) |
| Height gain | 185m (605ft) |
| Terrain | Field paths, good tracks, some road walking |
This circuit of the Anglezarke Reservoir (constructed in 1857) uses parts of a number of paths used in other walks, and is typical of the scope for invention that the area around Rivington allows. A pair of binoculars would be useful, as you spend a deal of time close by the water, with the prospect of spotting birdlife. There is ample parking in the many side lanes that branch from the main road through Rivington, if the Great House Barn car park is full.
Wherever you park, head for the small green at Rivington village, taking a moment first to inspect the stocks that held the miscreants of yesteryear.
