Distance: 10k 6 miles
Time: 2 ½ - 3 hours
Terrain: Half the walk is by the river and is easy. The rest is devoted to crossing Birkett Fell, of modest height 50m/735ft) of which 2 Km is up and 3 Km is down, the final descent into Whitewell being particularly steep. [Over Birkett Fell dog restrictions apply]
Start: Car park Dunsop Bridge. From junction 31a on the M6 follow signs for Longridge (B6243) From Longridge follow signs for Trough of Bowland and Whitewell. Dunsop Bridge is two miles after Whitewell. The car park is through the village on the left.
Map by kind permission of the Blackpool Gazette
1. Dunsop Bridge to Marl Hill (5 Km or 3 miles: 1¼ - 1½ hours)
As described on a previous page (See "From the Centre of Britain") the telephone box opposite the car park is BT's acknowledgement that Dunsop Bridge is close to the geographical centre of Britain as defined by the Ordnance Survey. You'd better have your photo beside it before you start.
From the telephone box, walk away from the village to turn right into the handsome tree lined drive of Thorneyholme Hall.
Crossing the bridge over the Hodder turn left through a metal gate.
With the wall of the hall on your right and the river on your left walk to a gate at the end of the wall. After passing through this cross a stile on the right and following the direction of a waymarker cross two fields to reach a grassy track. This track will bring you to Mossthwaite and its cluster of farm buildings. Keep ahead through these and on a substantial track pass the impressive Knowlmere Manor on your left to come to Giddy Bridge about 40 mins after setting out.
Cross the bridge and after a slight incline swing to the right to reach the farmsteads of Lower and Higher Birkett. Keep ahead at Higher Birkett crossing a farmyard and through a pair of metal gates onto a worn track.
After dipping to a brook, the way begins to climb up the fellside. As it gains elevation it will come closer to a wall on the right.
After crossing a ladder stile you will find yourself on a moorland where keeping on track is more tricky. Look for an isolated waymarker post some way ahead to the left. This will bring you to a stream 150m below the shell of a stone ruin. After fording the stream climb up the fellside on a more definite track. Views open out and soon another waymarker post will confirm the direction.
The path turns towards a wall and after crossing it leads up through pasture to reach a lane close by Marl Hill.
2. Marl Hill to Dunsop Bridge (5 Km or 3 miles: 1¼ - 1½ hours)
Turn right and at about 500 metres (8mins) turn right onto farm track.
This leads down to Crimpton. You are not obliged to use the diversionary track around Crimpton, but since the property owner has gone to a lot of trouble creating it, perhaps out of politeness it should be followed.
Beyond the farm complex the track takes you through a conifer plantation. A ladder stile will put you onto the open fellside beyond it.
The path is far from clear here, but keep the first clump of trees to your left and keep to the left of the next enclosed plantation to reach a wooden stile. The path leads down to a lane.
Cross the lane and enter a large pasture that drops away towards a wall and a metal gate.
Below, the property of Seed Hill will be seen. Aim to the left of this. Cross the track beyond it aiming to the left of a row of handsome red beech trees. A little way further on will place you on a lane by Whitewell. At Whitewell turn right and locate concessionary path on left of road.(This will necessitate shimmying over the roadside wall.) After a wooded section, the path crosses a footbridge into meadows.
Keep to the fence until a stile is reached that puts you onto the road. Here exercise caution. The road can be very busy at weekends. Walking on the right turn onto a track leading to Burholme. Pass through the farm and cross a brook by a footbridge. Keep ahead to reach a field and follow the path with Hodder on your left all the way back to Dunsop Bridge.
The Inn at Whitewell
The Inn is in the style of an up-market coaching house. The floors are of stone/slate and the place has the feel of 'old-fashioned quality'. There is nothing old fashioned about the food and drink which we have sampled on more than one occasion.
On this visit they were serving 3 different cask ales: Copper Dragon IPA (4.6%), Bowland Brewery's Sawley Tempted(3.7%) and Timothy Taylor Landlord(4.3%).
We opted for the Sawley Tempted which has never let us down having a great taste and keeping its condition well.
For lunch we had spicy ham sandwich and a ploughmans. This sounds like simple fare but is food of a high standard when served here.
The Inn at Whitewell is too good to be missed in our humble opinions. If time does not allow during the walk then it is well worth a drive out in its own right!