~Pendle Hill~
14th April 2020
Molly on top of Pendle Hill
The country has been on lockdown for three weeks as the Covid-19 virus spreads rapidly through the population. We are urged to stay at home and protect the NHS, thus saving lives. Little thought is given to the mental health burden which the change in circumstances brings upon the working and walking population. I have chosen to stay within the law laid down by the Statutory Instrument and chosen to exercise close to home and use my car to facilitate such.
Sunset April 13th
The most important aspect for me is to stick to the Social Distancing Rules and with that in mind, I travel to a remote parking spot and start the walk at 0730hrs. Travel time from home 12 minutes.
Footpath Black Hill
A public footpath runs down the field to Sabden from the parking spot. Unbeknown to me, a herd of cows populated the field and soon we had to escape to the tarmac for our route into Sabden.
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Sabden nestles in the dip between Black Hill and the Nick of Pendle - where the road runs between Clitheroe and Sabden. The cows were about one minute away from us when we jumped the fence.
Top Row
I walked through Sabden and crossed the road whenever someone was walking towards me on the same pavement. On the way out of Sabden, the last row of houses is Top Row and a footpath leads out into the countryside from the end of the lane.
Badger Well Water
The footpath heads for the fell with Badger Well Water running down to the right of the tree. Fortunately I have not had to pass any "countryside closed" signs, but I would have walked past them had they been there. No Sabden residents have been put in any danger at this early stage by my prescence and the possibility that I might be carrying the virus; equally I have been also been kept safe.
Apronfull Hill
Steamy Sheep
The sheep is letting off steam like some of the paranoid jingoists on social media. If I'd been walking around near home, I'd have been close to several others by now.
Path Repairs
Hessian is being used to help stabilise the path. We are heading for the Scout Cairn
The Scout Cairn
Clitheroe
Clitheroe and Longridge Fell.
Pendle
The final approach to the summit having walked the long way round the back.
Pendle Summit
The Flags
To Ogden Clough, by the way, the Social Distancing plan is still working - we've not seen a soul.
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Ogden Clough |
Bifurcation of Paths |
Part way down the Ogden Clough route, the paths split and we take the right fork - usually we take the left fork and return to Barley.
Apronfull Hill
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30 mph into Sabden |
The White Hart, Sabden |
Funny world, this is; I can be castigated and maybe charged with High Treason for taking a quiet walk in the countryside but several vehicles raced down the hill and into Sabden at a speed far in excess of 30mph. Speed cameras? No; Spies? No, they have other things on their mind. I saw one car at the Nick with a leaflet attached to the windscreen.
Essential Journey?
Essential? Reasonable? Local? All words open to individual interpretation.
Black Hill Woods
Back Lane
A gentle stroll along a public road and back to the car. I am, of course, expecting to find the same note on my car as was on the other one.
<<Photo Removed>>
Spies!
By a local resident. He was pottering around in a non-essential manner taking photos of people's cars. Yes, his well-populated Facebook group of 15 members has other car photos on there. I didn't break the law and I didn't get a fine, I don't object to the Police doing their job under very difficult circumstances, the notice was very politely written. I know that I reduced the risk of transmitting any viruses by setting off early, walking quiet routes and keeping good distances from anyone else I saw - all of which were in Sabden. The countryside is Open! Take care and keep your distance. Sabden, or Royston Vasey?
All photos copyright Richard Ratcliffe 2020 ©
Take me back to the start ....