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This video shows a Pendle Hill circular walk from the unspoilt village of Downham over the hill synonymous with the Pendle witches. The stunning panorama from the summit includes Southern Lakeland fells, Yorkshire Dales, Ribble Valley, and Trough of Bowland. The entire walk has been filmed in 4K, allowing walkers to see the entire route, including where to park, eat, and drink.
Today's walk is Pendle Hill from Downham, a village in the Ribble Valley in Lancashire. Before we start, let's have a look at where we'll be walking today. We leave Downham and head through fields alongside Longlands Wood, which affords views across to Pendle Hill. Before arriving at Worsaw Hill, much of the 1961 film Whistle Down the Wind was shot at Worsaw End Farm.
After climbing up alongside Burst Clough, we then climb across Worston Moor, which affords great views out across the Ribble Valley and across to the Yorkshire Three Peaks. Even Blackpool Tower is visible from here on a clear day.
We continue on past the Scout Cairn, and then on and past the weather shelter. From the gate just past the weather shelter, there are again extensive views all across the Ribble Valley, out to the Southern Lakeland Hills and across to the Yorkshire Three Peaks. We then head along a wide grassy path, and then up a gravelled path to reach the Trig point on the summit of Pendle Hill.
With Pendle being an isolated hill, there are fantastic panoramic views towards Blackpool out in the West and around to the lower Lakeland Fells and then the Yorkshire Three Peaks. And then, as you look further around, you've got Barley just down below.
We then descend, gently at first, on a wide grassy path before it descends more steeply. After crossing Pendle Road, we head back down through fields towards Downham. Stay watching until the end to see more of Downham and where to eat and drink after the walk.
Back to the start, the walk begins in the Downham Village car park, which is currently free. There are toilets and a small unmanned information centre in the car park. It's worth spending a few minutes there before embarking upon the walk to learn about the area's history and what is nearby.
There is a plaque on the wall in association with the British Film Institute, marking the fact that Bryan Forbes' classic Whistle Down the Wind film, starring Hayley Mills and Alan Bates, was filmed in Downham in 1961. The next board shows things to see and more about Ribble Valley Tourism, and then next to that are Downham circular walks.
Moving along, the next board shows George Fox and the Assheton family, but more on them later in the video. The board in the corner gives you some information about Downham, showing the Assheton Arms, the parish church and the stocks that we'll see towards the end of the video. There is some information about the Ribble Rivers Trust in Downham, and then the board in the corner is a Pendle Hill story map.
To learn more about Pendle Hill, check out our ultimate guide to Pendle Hill, the link for which is in the description below. The final plaque is another one about George Fox. We will see the same plaque near the summit of Pendle Hill and learn more about him then. Head out of the information centre and across Downham car park, following the route you drove into it, assuming you drove here.
Downham lies at the foot of Pendle Hill in the southern part of the Forest of Bowland, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Forest of Bowland was designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty back in 1964, and is split into two areas, with the detached southern part known as the Forest of Pendle, separated from the main part by the Ribble Valley.
Pendle Hill lies in the detached southern part. Upon meeting the road, to the left, the road heads into the centre of Downham village.
And then to the right, West Lane, as it's called, eventually heads around to the nearby village of Worston. We meet up again with this lane further on into the walk. For now, we ignore the lane and just turn right down the walled track just before it, following the public footpath sign. Walk straight ahead to the wooden gate just to the right of the house, and then follow the yellow waymarker arrow to pass through the gate.
Once through the gate, continue ahead on the footpath down the side of the field. Shortly afterwards, the path continues with trees on both sides. Head along the side of the field, through another gate, and again alongside this next field with the trees on your right-hand side. This field affords views over to the left of Pendle Hill, and the climb that we will be doing shortly.
The trees to our right here as we head along the path are those in Longlands Wood. Pass through the gate in the corner of the field and just continue straight ahead. I'm sure you'll be glad TV does not smellavision yet. The slurry here at the moment smells quite delightful.
Generally, slurry, if you are wondering, is a mixture of cow muck and water which farmers spread over their land as a natural fertiliser. Walk on along the side of the wall. As the wall bends around to the right, leave it continuing on in roughly the same direction across the field, where you'll pass just to the right of some trees in a fenced area.
Keep walking in the same direction. Over to the right here is Worsaw Hill. The path leads down the left-hand side of the fence to reach a gate in the corner of the field. Pass through the stile just to the right of the gate and follow the yellow waymarker arrow pointing diagonally right. But just before we head right here, straight on is a view of Pendle Hill and Burst Clough in front of it, which we will be climbing shortly.
Following the yellow waymarker arrow from the kissing gate, we head along the footpath that keeps to the right of the hedge. The path soon reaches a wooden kissing gate where the footpath splits. Straight on here at Worsaw End, you meet the lane we left earlier. We ignore that for now and head right through the wooden kissing gate again, following the yellow waymarker on the gate.
Once through the gate, keep ahead and head along the right-hand side of a hedge and then a wall. Continue along until you reach a wooden gate in a wall by the buildings at Worsaw End House. Pass through the gate.
Looking behind, back over the gate is Worsaw Hill. Downham was one of the locations used in the 1961 film Whistle Down the Wind, starring Hayley Mills and Alan Bates. Much of it was shot at Worsaw End and included local schoolchildren.
Head downhill now, away from the gate, heading towards another gate about 20 yards away. Pass through the kissing gate to the right-hand side of this gate, and then head along the track for a few yards before turning right to pass through a metal gate.
Once through that gate, keep ahead and then turn left about 20 yards further on, through a gate in the left-hand fence. From here, head across the field towards Pendle Hill, ahead to reach a wooden stile in the corner of the field. On reaching it, pass over the stile.
From the stile, turn right along West Lane. If you walked along the lane from Downham, or dropped onto the lane at Worsaw End and turned right, this is where you would have rejoined the walk. Follow West Lane for just over 100m, and then, as the lane bends around to the right, keep straight on following the cul-de-sac and Moorside farm signs. And then follow this lane for about 150m.
Where the lane bends around to the left to head over a cattle grid, just ignore that and head straight on up the narrow path that is enclosed by trees. Most of this path is fine, but in late summer like this, it can get a little overgrown.
Walk along this path for about 200m until you reach a wooden kissing gate. Pass through the kissing gate, and ahead lies Burst Clough. A clough is generally a steep-sided gorge or a narrow ravine. So even though this is not the longest or the deepest, it is aptly named.
From the kissing gate, the path heads diagonally right here to climb up the right-hand side of Burst Clough. If you enjoy these videos, please click the like button and subscribe to our channel to see more of our walks. It's free to do so, and your likes and comments really do help promote our walks.
The path flattens with the stone way marker just ahead. Even with a short amount of climbing, the view behind now is much improved, with Pen-y-ghent and Ingleborough visible on the horizon, just to the right of Worsaw Hill.
And then around to look at the rest of the Ribble Valley. Continue on and follow the path around to the right at the stone waymarker. Ahead, slanting up diagonally from left to right, the path can be seen that we will use to climb across Worston Moor up onto Pendle Hill. The path from here can be a little bit boggy underfoot at times, or quite a lot of the time, so definitely this one is a walk for walking boots. The reeds ahead also give an indication of that even before we get there.
The footpath is intermittently marked by these stone waymarkers. If you want to know our walking boot recommendation or just want to know what kit you need generally for hiking, check out our links down in the description below.
The path for a section pulls in close to the left of this wall. As the wall bends around to the right, the path also bends around to the right before starting to head diagonally away from the wall. The onward path further up can clearly be seen.
With this additional height gain, there is now a more expansive view across to the Ribble Valley towards Longridge Fell in the Forest of Bowland, then around to Clitheroe and then around to the Yorkshire Dales with Ingleborough and Pen-y-ghent both visible on the horizon.
Follow the path as it starts to climb and slowly move away from the wall. The route of today's Pendle Hill from Downham Walk is set out on an Ordnance Survey map, along with a free GPX download for your mobile or GPS device on our walks4all.com website, the link for which is down in the description below.
After about 150m, the path to be followed swings to the left as the path splits and then heads directly uphill for a short section before turning right to head along the cutting just to the right of the line of reeds. The path then climbs to the right of the reeds.
After about 250m, when the path begins to flatten and the cairn appears ahead, there are two paths off to the left, a more sketchy path and a wider path here that we will follow. In poor visibility, if you reach the cairn, you've gone a little too far and you will need to retrace your steps for a short distance back to this point.
But before we head on, take time again to take in the view behind. On a clear day, Blackpool Tower is visible from here out to the west. We will now take this left-hand path and start heading mostly uphill, with a cairn just visible on the horizon ahead.
Pass that cairn and then on towards another one, before arriving at the Scout Cairn. Unfortunately, it is looking a little worse for wear at the moment, as some of the stones have fallen off the top. Our onward path to the weather shelter on the horizon can clearly be seen.
I assume it's named the Scout Cairn after the various Scout-related plaques embedded into it. If you look around to the right, there is a path that heads down towards the Nick of Pendle. We won't take that one today, but it is used in our Pendle Hill from the Nick of Pendle Walk.
From the Scout Cairn, we follow the path heading slowly uphill for about 500m to reach the weather shelter. Again, you have the same wide-ranging views over Clitheroe and the Ribble Valley towards the Forest of Bowland and the Yorkshire Dales.
There are some seats inside the weather shelter if you want somewhere to stop and enjoy a drink or a sandwich out of the wind, which today has been getting stronger and stronger as we've been going around the walk. To continue on, we just keep walking along in the same direction, past the weather shelter, to reach a wall just a little further on.
Pass through the metal kissing gate in the wall, and then we're going to head away from it diagonally right. Just before we do, we'll take in this fantastic view once more. We head away now from the wall diagonally right along this wide grassy path. We follow this wide grassy path for about three-quarters of a mile until we reach another wall.
Over to the right on this stretch, the trig point on the top of Pendle Hill can just be seen. Just before the wall is a stone marker that we will return to once we have visited the Trig point on the summit, signed Nick of Pendle in the direction we walked from, and Downham directly away from the wall.
For now, though, we will just pass through the kissing gate in the wall. To the left is a path that comes from Barley, which we use on our Pendle Hill from Barley walk. Straight ahead is the onward path up to the summit, and then just around to the right, there are a couple of seats built into the wall where you can stop and shelter from the wind.
Next to the seats is a plaque dedicated to George Fox, the one that we saw in the information centre earlier. Pendle Hill holds a unique place in the history of the Quaker movement due to its association with George Fox, the founder of the Religious Society of Friends, more commonly known as the Quakers. In 1652, George Fox had a profound and spiritually transformative experience whilst on the slopes of Pendle Hill. During this moment of solitude and reflection, he felt a divine calling and an inner illumination that would ultimately shape the course of his life, the Quaker faith and the Quaker movement.
From these seats, we're going to head away from the wall, heading up the wide gravel path that takes us up to the summit trig point on the top of Pendle Hill. George Fox climbed Pendle Hill on that fateful day, seeking spiritual clarity and communing with the divine. As he walked towards the summit, as we are doing today, he was overcome by a powerful spiritual revelation, which he described as a direct encounter with God's presence.
This experience, often referred to as the Pendle Hill Vision, served as a pivotal moment in his life. Pendle Hill is 557m high and, because of its isolation from other hills, offers wonderful panoramic views.
The path away from the hill's edge between the cairn and the stone waymarker heads towards Ogden Clough and is used on two of our other walks, Pendle Hill from Barley via Ogden Clough and Pendle Hill from the Nick of Pendle. There is a wonderful panorama from the summit of Pendle over the Ribble Valley, towards the Trough of Bowland and Blackpool out in the west, and then around towards the southern Lake District, and Ingleborough and Pen-y-ghent in the Yorkshire Dales.
On a really clear day, although I've only seen it once, the Snowdon mountain range can be seen. If you wander towards the edge, you get a good view down of the Black Moss reservoirs and the Pendle Sculpture Trail in the trees just behind it, and then Barley and then around to Lower Ogden Reservoir to the right.
To continue the walk, head back to the Trig point. We then just walk back down the path that we used to walk up to the summit on. Just to the right of the metal kissing gate that we will pass through shortly, you can see two signs for the Lancashire Way and the Ribble Valley Jubilee Trail. This return path to Downham forms part of both of them. The Ribble Valley Jubilee Trail is a stunning 65-mile circular walk that meanders through the picturesque rolling hills and breathtaking uplands of the Ribble Valley in the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Created in 2022 to commemorate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, the trail begins in Whalley and is divided into seven manageable sections. Along the way, you'll pass charming villages such as Downham, Slaidburn, and Hurst Green, as well as scenic spots like Stocks Reservoir and Pendle Hill. The Lancashire Way is an extensive 396-mile walking trail, divided into four sections and loops, that takes you on a journey through Lancashire's history, landscapes and notable figures.
This trail highlights the beauty and diversity of the county's scenery, offering a rich exploration of its past and natural wonders. We head directly away from the wall, following the Downham sign on the stone waymarker that we passed earlier.
The path descends gently at first before swinging around to the left to descend at a steeper rate. Parts of this path are uneven as the path is worn deeper into the hillside. Stop occasionally to take in the views as the path makes its way across Downham Moor. Down to the right are the trees of Hookcliffe plantation that we will walk down the right-hand side of shortly, with Downham beyond.
Keep on walking down the path. Upon reaching a small stone marker, the path swings around to the right, with the onward path clearly visible below. After about a further 75m, at a wooden marker, the path swings back to the left, before then arriving at another stone marker where the path swings to the right to head in an almost straight line downhill, heading directly away from Pendle Hill.
Head down the path, which, after rain, can be boggy in places. At the fence, pass through the gap between the two small sections of wooden fence, following the yellow marker arrow.
Stop occasionally to have a look behind, and to take in the surrounding view. Continue walking down the path to pass over a stile over a low wall, and then just keep on in the same direction, heading down the hill.
Upon meeting a wooden kissing gate, pass through it and then head down a few yards onto and across Pendle Road. Left here down Pendle Road does head down into Downham, but we are going to follow the footpath parallel to the road to avoid walking on it.
The road to the right here eventually reaches a crossroads, where you could turn right and head on into Barley.
Cross the road and pass through the wooden kissing gate, and then follow the path that heads directly away from the wall. A short way along the path, it heads down a few steps before heading on to arrive at a stile to pass over a fence.
Ahead can be seen another fence. Head over to it and then turn left onto the path, heading up alongside the left-hand side of the fence. Over to the left, as the path flattens, there are a couple of benches where you can rest next to a building.
We are going to head over to the wall opposite the building, and then pass over the stone stile built into it about ten yards to the right of a metal gate. From here, we head away from the wall down the side of the field, keeping to the left of the trees.
Upon meeting the wall at the bottom of the field, pass over another stone stile and head away from the wall, again keeping to the edge of the field. At the bottom of the field, pass through the wooden kissing gate. Turn left along the road for a few yards, before turning right to pass through another wooden kissing gate just before the wooden gate.
Once through the gate, follow the narrow path initially gravelled that heads along the right-hand side of a fence, keeping very close to it. After a while, cross over a wooden footbridge and keep on in the same direction, heading across the field ahead, just to the left of a fence.
In the corner of the field at the junction of the hedge and trees, pass through a wooden kissing gate just to the left of the stone stile and head away from it, following the yellow waymarker arrow along the right-hand side of a fence. Just through some trees, the path then arrives at another kissing gate.
Pass through the kissing gate and then head directly away from it, across the field towards the tall tree, keeping the fence over on your right, parallel with you. Just before the tree, the path pulls in alongside Downham Beck.
Walk alongside the beck. Pass through the wooden kissing gate onto a road by some houses, and then head along the road. Over to the right is an old bridge over Downham Beck. Keep on past that, and then, upon meeting Pendle Road, turn right there and on to another bridge over Downham Beck.
In summer, you often see children paddling in the beck here.
To head back into the car park where we started, we just have to head along the road, away from the bridge, past the ice cream shop, and then turn right back into the car park. Before we do that, though, let's have a look at what you can eat and drink after the walk. Head over the bridge and up the road into the centre of the village.
The BBC1 series Born and Bred, which was set in the fictional village of Ormstom and initially starred James Bolam and Michael French, was filmed here in Downham. Then in 2012, the BBC drama The Secrets of Critchley Hall, featuring Suranne Jones and Tom Ellis was also filmed here. As we arrive here at the top of the hill opposite St Leonard's Church, you'll find the Assheton Arms.
They serve light bites, have a main menu and a range of wines and ales from the nearby Bowland Brewery. They also have accommodation and are dog-friendly.
Previously, it has been awarded the Lancashire Tourism Awards Pub of the Year and also the Lancashire Life Dining Pub of the Year.
The Assheton Arms was originally a farmhouse that brewed beer for its workers. In 1872, it became the George and Dragon, and in the 1950s, it was renamed the Assheton Arms in honour of Sir Ralph Assheton for his contribution to the government during the Second World War. The Assheton Arms also featured in the Born and Bred TV series as the Signalman's Arms, and if you can catch the weather, you can sit out in the sun and enjoy views across to Pendle Hill.
Across the road is St Leonard's Church. If you follow this road out of Downham for about 400m, on the right-hand side is Greendale View Tea Room. I've no video of it today, but I know from past visits it serves a good range of cakes, breakfasts and all-day brunch. It has four bedrooms and is again dog-friendly. According to their website, it's currently open five days a week and closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Back to the church. If you have time, have a look around St Leonard's church. Much of the current church dates from 1910, with only the tower remaining from the original 15th-century church. It is believed, though, that a church has existed on this site since the 13th century. Downham itself is one of the most beautiful, unspoilt villages in Lancashire, with wonderful views, as you can see here towards Pendle Hill.
The history of Downham has been linked to that of the Assheton family since 1558, when they bought the lordship of the manor, and it has passed through a direct male line of the Asshetons since 1680. The Assheton family is responsible for keeping the village and the surrounding estate in its present, unblemished condition and, if you have noticed as we have been going around, the views are unspoiled by satellite dishes, overhead wires, yellow lines, road signs and TV aerials, which is why it has being used as a location for films and TV series. None of the properties anywhere on the estate is privately owned.
In front of the pub are the Downham Stocks. The stocks were used as a form of punishment, although the Downham stocks are now incomplete as they are missing the wooden boards that held the offender's hands and feet.
Upon leaving the church and the stocks, we can head back down the hill where many of the grey stone cottages were built in the 18th and 19th centuries, during the heyday of the handloom weavers.
Head back down to the bridge, where we turn right to head back to the car park. If you did want another pub, if you actually went straight on here and you had a car, you could go back up Pendle Road to the crossroads, turn right and head to Barley. Where you can see on our Barley walks, you've got the Pendle Inn and the Barley Mow.
Before reaching the car park, on the left is the Downham Ice Cream shop. As per the sign on the door, it closes for winter, from November to March. Once past the ice cream shop, we turn right back towards the car park. Before we end today's walk, we've put together a short fly-through using the Ordnance Survey app to give the walk and the area a little more perspective.
We left the car park and turned right through the fields, past Longlands Wood and Worsaw Hill. Then we turned left and passed Worsaw End House to pass out onto West Lane, which we briefly followed before leaving it to head along the track and path towards Burst Clough.
We headed up the right-hand side of Burst Clough before heading across to pull in close to the wall. We followed the path around the corner of the wall before ascending up and across Worston Moor towards Pendle Moor. We then followed the path to the left, and to the Scout Cairn before heading on towards the weather shelter.
Once past the weather shelter, we passed through a wall and then headed along the grassy path towards the wall three-quarters of a mile ahead. We passed through the wall and headed to the Trig point on the top of Pendle Hill to take in the wonderful panoramic views.
From the summit, we then returned to the wall. Once through the wall, we headed away from it and downhill towards Downham. The path swung to the left before a short zigzag and then in a line towards Hookcliffe plantation.
We passed by the trees and then crossed over Pendle Road to head on down alongside the field. We briefly crossed over a road near Clay House and then continued again down the side of the fields.
When we reached the old bridge in Downham Village, we turned left past the ice cream shop and then right back into the car park. That ends our walk for today.
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