August - Downham
We have reached the month when summer is experienced in all its glory - full, ripe, ready for picking, ready for harvest. Where else to go but Downham, one of the most attractive villages in Britain. This walk does not require you to go up Pendle Hill but instead routes you in the other direction - down to the River Ribble at Sawley.
Start: Village car park. From the M6 junction 31 take the A59 to Clitheroe. Keep on it as it by-passes Clitheroe and after passing below a road bridge in a cutting turn left towards Chatburn onto Sawley Road. On reaching Chatburn turn left again towards Downham, crossing over the A59. The car park is at the "bottom" of the village on the right.
Summary: Distance: 10k 6m
Time: 2 1/2 - 3 hours
Summary: Mainly easy but with steady ascents out of Downham and up to Rimington, with a long upward climb from Sawley.
Map: OS Outdoor Leisure 41: Forest of Bowland.
Directions: Downham to Rimington: 3k 2m. From the car park walk up the hill towards the church and turn right past the Assheton Arms.This leads past cottages to a footpath. Turn left, pass through a pair of gates about 50m apart and ascend the ridge in front.
Just over the ridge fork right onto a far from distinct path and descend diagonally to a gate in a hedge, giving out onto a farm track.
Left leads to Rimington Lane, but the way here is right. The track leads down past the old Downham Mill. beyond its yard follow the footpath to the right of a stream.
Cross the stream at a wooden footbridge and turn right with the stream on your right. Keep ahead on the path between the stream and steep hawthorn studded slopes until you reach a stile in a hedge just after a plank bridge.
After crossing this ascend the slope before you to arrive at a second stile.
From here a concessionary path, forks diagonally left, way marked by guide posts will bring you to a farm drive below Stubs Wood. Turn left onto the drive and then cross a stile on the right. This has a helpful sign pointing diagonally up hill.
Follow it and you will arrive in Rimington.
Rimington to Sawley: 4k 2 1/2 m. The name Rimington may ring a (church) bell with some you. It is the name given to the hymn tune composed by Francis Duckworth who is buried in the churchyard at Gisburn. Walk along the main street and immediately past the Black Bull turn onto a footpath leading rather disconcertingly along the drive of the property.
It leads down to a gate, and a ginnel. On meeting the track cross it to a stile and continue a gradual descent with the hedge on your left. After crossing Stankill Beck keep ahead until just before a gate.
Here turn left and follow the field boundary until a footbridge is reached. Cross this and follow the path as it crosses beneath (a seldom used) railway line.
The path leads you onto a farm track and to a stile in a fence.
Here the sign post is somewhat misleading pointing straight up the hill. You need to take a more diagonal line to the tree lined boundary. This will bring you to a wooden gate with a more helpful marker pointing left diagonally upwards.
After a stile in a fence turn right at the far corner of a strip of woodland. Keep ahead past the wood to arrive at a complex of properties around Sawley Grange.
Waymark signs will assist your way through these ans will put you on the very busy A59. Cross the road to a stile next to the gate and begin to drop with a hedge on your right.
After the remnants of a farm building, bear left to reach a stile in the far corner of the field.
Cross this and then turn left over a stile in a wall. Keep ahead with the impressively large farm complex of Dockber on your right. At the end of the wall take the footpath on the right leading up to Dockber.Turn left onto its main track and follow it until you reach the edge of Sawley. In fact you are on the Ribble Way.
Close to Sawley this crosses a bank to bring you down to a lovely reach of the river.
Sawley to Downham 3k 2m.
Opposite the Spread Eagle and before you come to the impressive ruins of Sawley Abbey, turn left into a tree shaded car park and then bear right to cross a stile leading into pasture behind the abbey.
Keep ahead and after a kissing gate, cross a drive to enter woodland by a stile.
After a small stream the path continues up emerging into an overgrown pasture next to the A59. Cross the road to a farm track opposite. After crossing a stile, keep ahead to reach a metal gate.
From here bear left, cutting the corner of a field to reach a stile.
Keep ahead with the hedge on your left. Depending on when you try this walk the next field could be problematic. Unusually in this part of the Ribble Valley, it is given over to cereal growing.
The right of way goes straight across, but we advise keeping to the field boundary if confrontations with farmers are to be avoided. At the far side follow the footpath as it drops down to a very attractive packhorse bridge.
Cross the bridge and turn left and then after climbing over a stone stile turn left to follow a path than will bring you to the (seldom used) railway.
Passing below it bear left on the far side aiming diagonally for a hedge. At a gate cross into the adjoining field and keep ahead with a hedge on your right.
This footpath will bring you onto Rimington Lane. Turn right. After 200m look for a footpath sign on your left.
This path will lead onto another near the edge of the field. Turn left and cross the ridge into Downham.