HIDDEN down the back lanes between the villages of Barley, Newchurch and Roughlee is one of Lancashire’s gems — the Clarion House, established in 1912 by the Nelson Branch of the Independent Labour Party Generations of walkers and cyclists have stopped here for a brew and thanks to volunteers you still can stop here for refreshments on a Sunday.
This is the last remaining Clarion House and was one of several founded to promote socialist ideals and encourage workers from the towns to get out and improve their physical health in the fresh air of the East Lancashire countryside.
This walk follows the stream of Pendle Water towards Thorney Holme, passes the Clarion House, and returns to Barley via the Hidden Valley and Newchurch-in-Pendle, the “witch country” village known for its gift shop and associations with the Demdike family.
Walk to the far side of the car park in the opposite direction to the toilets and join the track signposted with the distinctive witch waymarkers of the Pendle Way footpath. This leads between cottages and goes through a gate following a track with the stream of Pendle Water on the right. Continue straight ahead along this track and when the houses at White Hough are reached on the left just continue straight ahead until the access road bends sharp right over the stream.
Leave the lane here as waymarked footpaths point to paths straight ahead on either side of the stream. Cross the stream and join the path following the right hand bank of the stream. This is a pleasant stream side path passing a farm on the right. It soon joins a lane at a gap in white railings. Turn right along the lane back to a crossroads. Join the lane almost opposite, Jinny Lane, which soon leads to the Clarion House on the right hand side.
From the Clarion House simply go back and turn right along Jinny Lane and follow this quiet narrow road into Newchurch. The lane climbs steeply as you reach the village with a conifer plantation to your right. At the road junction turn left if you want to visit the village church but to continue the walk turn right uphill passing the Witches Galore gift shop on the left.
Continue uphill along the lane and on the brow of the hill turn sharp right along the tarmac farm access road signed as a footpath. Ignore the path forking right off this leading alongside a woodland but continue along the access road to the farm buildings.Pass the first farm and stables on the left and as you approach the second set of buildings at a crossroads of paths turn left and join the path that follows a left field edge downhill along a wall side. There are good views to Pendle Hill from here. In the bottom left corner of the field cross a stile and join a stone road.
Turn left along the stone road and it drops downhill to a lane. Turn right along this past Barley village hall on the left. Turn right at the lane junction, crossing the stream again, to return to the car park on the left.
Nick Burton’s ‘Wainwright’s Way’, an exploration on foot of Alfred Wainwright’s life from Blackburn to Buttermere (Frances Lincoln, £13.99).
START: Barley village car park, situated by the cafe and toilets in the centre of the village.
DISTANCE: 4 miles (allow 1½ to 2 hours)
MAP: OS Explorer OL41 Forest of Bowland
It is advisable for anyone who plans to follow the walk to take a copy of the relevant Ordnance Survey map.
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