Nick Burton’s latest route takes you from a pretty village to moorland beyond

THANKFULLY overlooked by the busy roads that surround it, the hamlet of Wiswell (commonly pronounced as wizzel) has many interesting buildings including the old village school.

Wiswell Hall Farm is close to the site of the lost Wiswell Hall, the home of the Paslew family. This was probably the birthplace of the last abbot of Whalley Abbey, John Paslew, who came to an unfortunate end when he was executed in 1537 and his severed body parts put on show in the fields around Whalley.

This walk climbs to the wireless mast on Wiswell Moor, the south-western spur of the Pendle massif, and there are spectacular views from here in all directions.

At the car park entrance facing the road junction, join the path on the left that starts at a gate/stile (behind the ice cream van usually parked here!). The path runs up the left boundary of the golf course along the edge of the wood. It soon leaves the golf course on the left by crossing a footbridge. Follow the waymarked stiles across fields, climbing quite steeply uphill alongside a fence to reach a stile in a wall corner at the top of the hill. Cross this then a stile on the right to follow a path keeping the house and garden of Clerk Hill on the right. The path crosses another stile leading to the driveway to the house. Turn left along this to join a lane.

Turn left along the lane and follow it gradually uphill. There is a view over to the right to the Sabden Valley and Padiham Heights. After cottages are reached on the right, turn left along a signed footpath which goes through a gate and keeps a wall on the left. This climbs steeply up to the top of Wiswell Moor, although the climb can be made easier by following the old quarry track which winds its way uphill — this is an open access area. At the top of the hill with the mast on the right there is a great view of the Ribble Valley and Bowland.

To continue the walk drop down towards the Ribble Valley side and look for a stile in the right wall corner. Cross this stile and with a brook and wall on the immediate left the path drops quickly downhill and swings right to cross another stream in a woodland. The path can be boggy in places here. Continue downhill and cross another stile to join an access track. Just continue downhill to reach the lane in Wiswell village.

Turn left along the lane (Pendleton Road) and pass the old village school on the right. When the phone box and bench are reached on the left, turn left up the adjoining lane (Moor Side Lane).

This climbs quite steeply to a farm. Turn right behind the farm and go through a metal gate. When the stony track swings left leave it via a stile/gate into a field on the right.

The path crosses the field and enters a woodland at a ladder stile/gate.

Follow the track straight through the woodland.

This can be boggy after wet weather. On the far side of the wood follow a field edge path with the boundary fence on the left and there is a good view down to Whalley and Spring Wood. When the fence line turns left drop down to the right to reach the stile in the field corner encountered earlier in the walk. Cross this and retrace your steps downhill, crossing the footbridge and following the edge of the golf course back to Spring Wood.