DRIVE AND STROLL - Slaidburn

HOW TO GET THERE: SLAIDBURN does have a bus service but it is essential to consult timetables. There is parking in the village and, as it recovers from the traumas of last year, we should support the communities pubs and shops. From Clitheroe, Slaidburn is reached via the B6478 or from Long Preston by turning off the A65 and onto the B6478.

MY WALK:

AT LAST all of my favourite walking places are now free of foot and mouth disease. The Hodder is a lovely river from its source above Slaidburn to its confluence with the Ribble between Hurst Green and Whalley.

Does the name Slaidburn refer to a battle stone by the River Hodder which was once a memorial to the Anglo-Saxon who fell in battle against the invading Danes?

I prefer the translation which suggests that the word means "a sheep fold close to a river."

What is certain is that there are terraced fields called lychets close to the church.

These were typical of Anglo-Saxon settlements.

The church is beautiful and among the items of furniture is a set of dog tongs which were used to remove troublesome beasts.

At one time people walked many miles to attend church, which was compulsory, and they often brought their dog as protection.

This area is a joy for naturalists right from the source of the Hodder, which is close to the Cross of Greet. From there the river flows into Stocks Reservoir.

This takes its name from the village which was submerged during the 1930s to create a reservoir to satisfy the thirst of the Fylde coast resorts.

When Stocks was flooded some of the stones from the church were removed at the villagers' insistence and a new church was built alongside the road and overlooking the water.

It is a strange feeling to watch birds floating on the waves knowing that beneath is a village, gone but not forgotten.

Inside the "new church" are photographs and newspaper articles depicting the story of the flooding.

Many people wonder why Stocks church is part of the diocese of Bradford.

Until the boundary changes of 1974 the Slaidburn area was in Yorkshire.

So were Gisburn, Barnoldswick, Waddington and others.

I wonder if any Lancashire Evening Telegraph readers have their own memories of these boundary changes.

Here you are in Lancashire but do you still consider yourself to be a Yorkshire Tyke? After my long stroll around Stocks Reservoir I was ready for a bite to eat and a quiet exploration of Slaidburn.

The Hark to Bounty is one of the most famous pubs in the area and at one time it was just called The Dog.

The name change came when the Master of the local hunt heard his eager hound barking in eager anticipation.

He called Hark to Bounty and the name stuck.

Upstairs at the inn is the 19th century courthouse complete with bench, a space for the jury and a public gallery.

Social functions are now held there, adding a whole new meaning to the phrase "called to the Bar."

I completed my stroll back at the church with its 17th century three-decker pulpit.

Next door is an old grammar school, built in 1717 but now part of the village primary school.

I have sadly missed Slaidburn and will make a point of coming back in the spring and summer, watch sheep in the field and listen to the birds singing over the moors.