All was well, we had steaming mugs in paw, and Grizzly and Little Eric's cakes on our plates.
"The flapjack is scrumptious, Little Eric", said Southey, as he helped himself to another piece.
"So are the cherry and ginger scones, Grizzly", said Tetley.
"That was a great walk last weekend getting well on with the Pendle fells, said Little Eric. "Let's hope we can make some more progress this weekend."
Allen picked up the iPad, and checking the diary said, "Dad is not at the shop, so either day is available." Then after a pause he went on, "the weather is good for either day, but I guess Dad will want to go on Saturday, to give him a day rest before he and Uncle Brian go to Elaine's on Monday."
Putting his mug down Shaun spread out the map saying, "I have not been idle, and have worked out a route from Barley. Out past Black Moss Reservoirs and on to summit of Wheathead Height then round to return over Stang Moor Top."
Tetley said, "looks good to me."
"Bearing in mind that we are leaving Pendle Hill to the end, that then just leaves Weets Hill", remarked Allen.
"It seemed that we would have to go to Barnoldswick to do that, on a separate walk", remarked Shaun. "But, I have again been looking at the map, and pointing, he said, "look the Pennine Bridleway runs below it, but the problem is where Dad could park."
After a little thought, Grizzly remarked, "the Pennine Bridleway crosses Stocks Lane, by the house called Lane Side, I wonder if there is anywhere there?"
Allen is quite the computer wiz and said, "we can use Google Street View to see."
He brought up the app, put in the search parameters, and zoomed in on Stocks Lane. Taking us along it he soon said, "here's Laneside Farm." Then taking us just past it said, "look the track of the bridleway is wide by the house and surely enough room to park."
"Well done pal", said Tetley patting him on the shoulder. "Now all you have to do is convince Dad."
"OK, I'm off", but fill my mug up for when I get back."
"Will do", replied Shaun.
It was a few anxious minutes, but the smile on his face when he returned was good to see. "Dad is fine with both walks and agrees that there looks to be ample space by Laneside Farm for the climb to Weets Hill. Oh and as I thought we are going on Saturday"
"Yippee", cried Little Eric and Southey. "Bring it on."
The Walk
WHEATHEAD HEIGHT & STANG TOP MOOR
"As the walks involve different start points I want to set off at 08:00", said Dad
So we made sure we were up early and ready. As he drove off, Allen asked, "Are we going the same way as last week?"
"Yes lad, just the same, except that once on the road round Padiham, we will go on further to get to the turn off for Barley."
The village is dominated by the brooding presence of Pendle Hill. This was not our objective today, and was just as well, because as we came to the car park there were cars everywhere, and marshals directing drivers.
"What's going on?", Dad asked.
"There is a relay race up Pendle Hill involving about 900 runners from various clubs", was the reply.
We headed in and fortunately Dad managed to get one of the last few parking places in the large car park. He was soon ready and this was the scene as we set off.
"We go right through the village", instructed Shaun.
There were people everywhere, as we strolled the main street, passing the substantial building of the Pendle Inn.
At the point where the road went sharp left, Shaun said, "we take that tarmac lane off right signed Blacko-footpath only."
Now we left most of the people behind, just having a group of youngsters with large packs in front of us.
"I guess they are doing the Duke of Edinburgh award", mused Tetley.
"Probably", agreed Dad.
In a short distance they took a path off left, leaving us and one other gentleman in splendid solitude. The lane led on taking us past Lower Black Moss reservoir.
Here it turned left to Foot House Gate Farm. "We keep right", advised Shaun.
The track was more roughly surfaced taking us past Upper Black Moss Reservoir and finally to Black Moss Road.
"We go straight across on the access to Mountain Farm", was Shaun's instruction.
"The sign is a similar design to the one we saw on the last walk at Hill Top Farm", said Tetley.
There were various paths here and Shaun had planned to go round left on a grassy footpath but Dad said, "it seems most sensible to follow the access road."
This we did bringing us to the buildings at the right side, and then keeping on ahead followed the waymarked route along a grassy trod that climbed steadily and giving a fine view of Pendle Hill. Despite it being in view quite a lot, we never saw a sign of any of the runners.
"Hmph", grumped Allen, "and lots of sheep too."
Dad paused a few minutes later to take this shot, Tetley saying, "that bare ridge to the left above the reservoirs is Stang Top Moor, the second summit on this walk."
From the map we could see that the path we were on joined another path from the farm.
"The plan is to meet that other path, and then go round in a loop to approach Wheathead Height from the north", said Grizzly, who was looking intently at the map.
As it turned out however with Dad intent of heading up to the highest ground, we drifted right with the wall ahead, and coming to a gate at a corner."
Glancing at the GPS, Shaun said, "well, it seems we have cut off that proposed loop and are actually at the summit of Wheathead Height."
"That's great", cheered Southey.
Armed with the grid reference, through the gate, we soon found the grassy mound by the wall, that was considered to be the unmarked summit. Another very uninteresting top, so Dad kindly got the flag out to brighten the picture.
"You know", said Shaun studying the map, "the spot height is actually shown on the far side of the wall."
"There can't be much difference in height and the barbed wire topping the wall prevents any access", pointed out Grizzly.
We got settled and Little Eric said, "which way now?"
"On along by the wall to join the footpath and go right", replied Shaun.
It was but a short distance, to find the stile.
The path on the bank through the long grass descended to soon join a cross track that leads left to Jackson House Farm.
"We go right", said Shaun.
The track descended steadily passing through some gates to Wheathead Lane. This was crossed to then walk the access track to Briercliffe Farm.
Off the track this young heifer posed for Dad. "At least it's not a sheep", said Allen happily
After the farm, waymarks diverted us across the pasture below lovely house of Higher Briercliffe. Here again, more by accident than design we deviated from the original plan, and took the simpler route along the drive to the road, rather than across the fields. Had we not done so, we would not have seen this amusing sign on the gate.
"No disputing what we are supposed to do here, then", laughed Grizzly.
Reaching the road Shaun advised, "we go left up hill, passing a house on the right and then shortly go right on a bridleway."
This was clearly signed, and soon brought us in sight of the brightly painted trig point at Stang Top Moor.
"We've visited many trig points on our adventures, but never have we seen one painted so brightly", remarked Tetley.
"This is not the summit", reminded Allen. "It is over the wall to the right in the access land, through that gate I guess."
The gate was well and truly tied up, so Dad nimbly climbed over, and then struck half left on an intermittent path towards the rise that is the highest point.
Again this was unmarked but we had a grid reference, so once at the spot, we hopped out and settled for the picture. Dad again kindly got the flag out.
He then trekked back, climbing the gate again. "You will take us sitting on the trig point?", asked Little Eric.
"Of course lads, otherwise we cannot say that Stang Top Moor is well and truly bagged", replied Dad.
Now it was just a case of following the bridleway down. Below was the hamlet of White Clough, our objective, set amongst these wonderful autumn colours.
"What a beautiful scene", breathed Southey.
The path forked. "We should take the left", said Shaun.
This crossed the contour passing this sheep that posed for Dad.
"Oh darn", said Allen, "now there is properly no sheep picture free story.
Southey just laughed mischievously.
The path came to a gate, and beyond continued to a road that took us past the White Clough Outdoor Centre and on down to the hamlet, where there were more nice autumn colours.
Just beyond we came to a path going right. "This is the Pendle Way and we follow it back to Barley", commented Shaun.
Through woodland at first, then into the village passing by these cottages.
These were once workers houses for the nearby Narrowgates Mill.
This was a water-powered cotton-spinning mill, built by the Hartley family of Barley in about 1799. A steam engine was added during the first half of the 19th century. The main mill building burnt down in 1867 and was rebuilt in stone rubble as a three-storey, seven-bay long, three-bay deep building. Since its closure in 1967, the attached waterwheel house has been demolished, as has a two-storey block and the engine and boiler houses. The stone chimney with its tapering square shaft survives. The mill itself is now a private dwelling.
So then, just a short stroll to the car park. All the cars still there, but it was quiet with most of the runners up on the hill.
"Right that's two out of the way, now for the last summit of the day", cheered Little Eric.
WEETS HILL from LANESIDE FARM
"We have to go first to Roughlee, which is the road left from the car park", said Shaun.
It was a measure of how many cars were associated with the race, that they were parked along this road for a long way.
"In Roughlee, it is then along Blacko Bar Road", Shaun told Dad.
"Here it is to the left", said Dad, as he paused to get his bearings.
Along this we reached the main A682, where we turned left. "We are looking for Stocks Lane, that is the first turn right in about two miles", said Shaun.
We kept an eye on Dad's Satnav, and Grizzly piped up, "it is not far now."
Setting his right indicator going Dad swung into the lane, driving on to Laneside Farm.
"The house is coming up", called out Tetley. "The bridleway runs at the far side."
The track was wide, as Allen had said, and there was plenty of space to park on the opposite side from the house.. "Well done pal", said Southey, giving Allen and hug.
Crossing the lane the way was south along the Pennine Bridleway.
The tarmac persisted until it turned left to Higher Clough Farm. We continued ahead through a gate and climbing steadily along the made soil and stone track, with our objective Weets Hill now to the left. Our approach is described below, but for the sake of some variation we made the descent down the flank in the picture below.
Through another gate the path continued climbing relentlessly to Weets House Farm.
"We now go left along the Pendle Way", instructed Shaun.
Still climbing we then after a little way took a path forking left, and very soon the trig point came into view.
"A shining white beacon, in contrast to the one at Stang Top Moor", commented Little Eric.
As we scrambled out, Dad warned, "it is too windy to sit on top."
"Wow", called out Tetley, "what a superb view across Lancashire and to the Southern Bowland Fells."
"That is Barnoldswick down to the right", pointed Allen.
Here we met a gentleman who had run up from Barnoldswick with this dogs. Dad had a chat with him for a few minutes, remarking, "what superb views."
"Yes", he agreed, then pointing west to pick out distantly Blackpool Tower.
He then sat a little way from the trig point for a few minutes before running off down. Meanwhile we had settled in the rucksack and Dad started back. As we intimated earlier to cut off a corner, Dad made the descent on the steep narrow path down the south-west flank to regain the Pennine Bridleway.
The sunlight was catching some of the hills where distantly we could see unmistakable outline of Pen-y-ghent.
Then it was just the case of reversing the outward route to the car.
"Magic", cheered Allen. "That is all the outlying Pendle Fells completed. So there is just Blaze Moss to bag, before coming back to Barley to climb Pendle Hill and complete the challenge."
"so what now, Dad?", asked Tetley. Tea?"
"Absolutely lad, and I am going to Elaine's as it is no further to go that way home, than via the motorways."
The good thing too is that we got to go in as usual.
Here he had a pot of tea, a fruit scone with butter and jam and a delicious piece of caramel shortbread. Yummy!
It was quiet and so he had a nice chat with Elaine and later with Sharon, rounding off a perfect day.
