ONE of the country’s biggest walking festivals has opened in Pendle, an event which will see more than 1,500 people heading for East Lancashire.

WIth 77 different walks over nine days, the Pendle Walking Festival has become a major part of the walking calendar, attracting visitors from all over the UK and beyond.

All the walks are graded from easy to very hard and vary in length from around four miles to 15 miles. They are led by highly-experienced volunteers, many of whom book holidays to take part in the festival.

“Without the volunteers there would be no festival,” said Pendle tourism officer Mike WIlkins. “We are indebted to them every year.”

Planning the nine-day festival begins every spring with Mike and countryside access officer Tom Pembridge phoning round the walk leaders from the previous year to check their availability.

“Because the festival is well-established we have a routine now which we follow,” said Mike. “There may be one or two who can’t do it but we always have a batch of new volunteers getting in touch.

“From there we organise a pie and peas supper and invite all the volunteers to come along and discuss the programme.

“Tom plots all the walks on a map which then allows us to see where the gaps are in the festival. We need to get a fairly even spread of walks in terms of degree of difficulty and also make sure that the whole of Pendle is well covered.

“We take the map and we’ll talk through the areas with the volunteers and see if anyone could lead a walk in a particular area. We have to do it in a balanced way.”

From humble beginnings, the festival has grown into the major event it is today.

“It is certainly one of the biggest free walking festivals in the country,” said Mike.

“It is very important in terms of bringing people to Pendle as our figures show that around two-thirds of those taking part come from outside the area.

“These visitors stay in the area, many of them taking a week’s holiday to enjoy the walks.

“We have some regular visitors who come from Germany and this year a group are coming over from Creil in France, Pendle’s twin town.

“We often get phone calls from people who can’t make the festival but who have read about it and ask for details of some of the walks so that they can come at a different time of year.”

With walks covering most of the Pendle area, renowned for its wildlife and history, there is plenty for those taking part to enjoy.

“Some of our walk leaders know so much about the route they are on that they often give a virtual running commentary about various sights or the flora and fauna,” said Mike. “Particularly on the shorter routes groups may stop occasionally to be told something about the area they are walking through, which they really seem to enjoy.”

Of the 77 walks on offer this year, all but two are free.

“The only two with a charge are both challenge walks,” said Mike. “One of these is the Pendle Way in four days and we have to cover the cost of a minibus to get walkers to and from the start and finishing points each day. And the other is Pendle’s own version of the Three Peaks next Saturday, which is 28 miles in a day and is organised by Pendle Leisure Trust.

“But the beauty of the festival is that you can choose a walk to suit your abilities and interests. It is all about enjoyment and exploring some of the wonderful countryside that Pendle has to offer.”

Walkers are encouraged to wear the correct clothing and footwear to tackle any of the routes.

“It’s very rare that any of the walks are cancelled,” said Mike. “The walk leader will take that decision on the day using their experience of the area. People should be sensibly attired and if you’re not sure we tend to refer people to the ramblers' website (www.ramblers.org.uk/info/practical/gear).

The festival is now under way, with eight different walks scheduled.

For the full programme of walks, see the official webtie www.visitpendle.com