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We started our walk at the Wycoller car park on Lancashire Moor Road, Laneshaw Bridge and it's new Panopticon - is this a monstrosity or a work of art?
Then its down the old pack horse road down into Wycoller - as used by hundreds of weavers not to mention Charlotte Bronte
These vaccary walls are found all over this area. They are possibly not as old as is popularly believed but only a couple of hundred years or so being cheaper than the usual dry stone walls.
Into Wycoller we have the first of three old bridges - the Pack Horse Bridge - built in either the 13th or 15th century
The next one is the Clapper Bridge, probably built around 1800
Wycoller Hall - Charlotte Bronte's Ferndean Manor - at the turn of last century it was almost all down to ground level but has been somewhat rebuilt over the last fifty years
Then there's a more modern bridge - recently rebuilt, legend has it that the stones originally came from the hall or it's ice house
And the last of the historical bridges - the Clam Bridge further up Wycoller Dene is at least 1,000 years old - it was swept away in 1989 and 1990 and repaired a year later (you can see the break)
Carrying on up Smithy Clough there's this pretty small waterfall
The track ahead takes you to the open moor and a signpost for the Bronte and Pendle Ways. You want neither of these but straight on up the broad ridge ahead over rough moorland possibly passing posts, the Dove Stones, and small white plastic sticks indicating grouse salt licks. None are helpful. Just keep plodding upwards - it's about a mile and a quarter but will take you an hour or so before you reach Crow Hill's undistinquished summit.
That's Pendle behind my companions but this is the long ridge leading to Boulsworth summit about two miles away - keep to the highest ground, the odd white stick is quite helpful, at least you know someone has been there before you. You'll also get there a lot quicker than you got up the hillside
Unless you take too long looking at all the wierd and wonderful rock formations
The guys behind the last formation are on the summit. I'm afraid you've missed (as we did) the Elk & Bison - Pendle's oldest man made relic - or a 200 year old fake?
On the way back it's up to Fosters Leap. I last jumped it 20 years ago and it looks very formidable to me now! I think the gap is getting slightly wider every year
