TWO men who helped create a 51-mile walk to mark the 400th anniversary of the Pendle Witches trials have written a book on the route.

Ian Thornton-Bryar, of Clitheroe, treasurer of the North East Lancs Area Ramblers, and John Sparshatt, chair of the Long Distance Walking Association, created the route two years ago. The book includes detailed directions, Ordnance Survey maps, a short history and advice for people tackling the route.

Ian said: “It has been a labour of love. It’s a popular walk and when we’ve done it at walking festivals people have loved it.

“It’s a route that has not been walked very often.”

The walk was recently included in the Clitheroe, Bowland and Pendle walking festivals.

The route starts in Pendle, then moves into the Ribble Valley before finishing at Lancaster Castle.

The book has been published this week and should be in walkers’ shops and visitor information centres in time for Christmas. It is also available on Amazon and the Long Distance Walking Association website.

Ian said: “The detailed route descriptions, supported by many photographs and all the necessary parts of the Ordnance Survey maps, make finding the way easy. There are also several hundred waymarkers on the route.

“For those still tentative of their navigation skills, GPX files, which should be loadable into any GPS mapping system, are also available to purchasers of the book. So even the leaders can relax and fully enjoy the very varied countryside.”