Start: Fellfoot Lay by Startifants Lane End 2 miles north west of Chipping. From junction 31a M6 follow signs for Longridge on B 6243. As you reach Longridge at mini roundabout keep straight on B6244. Follow signs for Chipping. On reaching the T-junction in the village, turn left, then immediately right past the church. Follow the lane to the left and then, after ¾ of a mile bear left again into Fish House Lane. As the lane reaches the top of a rise turn right. Parlick fell is directly before you. Park close to the next junction.

 

Summary: Distance: 16k 10m

                  Time: 4 - 5 hours

                  Terrain: Apart from the approach to Saddle Fell no part of this walk can be described as easy - just some parts are less tough than others.

 

 

Map by kind permission of the Blackpool Gazette.

 

Directions: Fell Foot to Langden Castle: From Fell foot follow drive towards Wolfen Hall close to the junction.

 

 A footpath diversion will take you around the hall and bring you to a steep sided clough.

 

 Descend to the footbridge and climb up the far side. Follow waymark posts across pastures, often very boggy underfoot anytime of the year, to lead you to a small plantation. Keep ahead through this and bear right to a stile.

 

 After crossing it turn left and walk through the yard of Saddle End Farm.

 

Keep ahead through a gate and along a track which soon leads to the open fell. Once on the fell the track becomes less definite and at times confusing. When in doubt aim to keep centre.

 

 By the time the ground levels out, any semblance of a path has disappeared but before you will be the reassuring sight of a boundary fence.

 

If anything the next part of the walk is harder. First you need to pick up marker posts which will put you on a peaty path.

 

This will bring you to the head streams of Bleadale Water. After a steep descent you will reach a narrow rocky path that follows the stream down to its confluence with Langden Brook.

 

 Along this section it will not be easy to achieve a walking rhythm as you negotiate rock, water, peat and mud on the downward route.

 

 Here the sense of remoteness and isolation will be most keenly felt; so that when Langden Castle comes into view you may feel like giving a cheer! However you will have to cross Langden Brook to reach it and it may not be possible to do it dry shod.

 

 

Langden Castle to Fell Foot. Langden Castle is a castle in the same sense that the Forest of Bowland is a forest, i.e. it's not a castle at all - it's a shooting hut. At the Castle your way is left. At first on the track and then on a boggy path leading off it keep ahead for 800m.

The path will bring you back to Langden Brook which you will have to re-ford.

 

Once across begin the climb to Fiendsdale Head. The path will take you to the very source of Fiendsdale Water along a steep sided valley. (Photo looks back from way you came.)

 

 As it levels out it crosses saturated moorland to arrive at a ladder stile and a boundary fence.

 

 Do not cross the stile but instead turn left and follow the fence for the best part of 1500m to the nondescript cairn that marks the summit of Wolf Fell.

 

The only conditions that would make this straightforward would be found after a 10 year drought! Suffice to say that you will have to do a fair bit of bog trotting. From the cairn continue to the junction of fences ahead and effect a right turn by going over two stiles. With a fence on your left begin the crossing to the trig point of Fairsnape. There is not much of a path here but when the fence turns distinctly left bear slightly right to reach the summit of Fairsnape.

 To complete the round head left for an exhilarating ridge walk that will take you over Blindhurst Fell to Parlick followed by a steep descent to Fellfoot.

 

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