Start: Mellor village centre. From junction 31 M6 follow A59 towards Clitheroe. After Bae Samlesbury turn right at Mellor Brook and follow signs for Mellor.               

 Fact file: Distance: 8k 5 miles
                  Time:  2 - 3  hours
                 Summary:  Mud alert. This undulating route contains some serious patches of mud after wet weather. Either go after a dry spell or when there is hard frost on the ground.          
               Map: OS Explorer 287 West Pennine Moors

Map by kind permission of the Blackpool Gazette

Directions: Walking along Mellor Lane pass the Millstone Inn on the left

and after the war memorial turn right

to reach a metal gate leading out on pasture. Bear right on a path leading over a brow and then dropping to a stile in a corner. 

Continue downhill to reach another corner. Here turn right to quickly reach a farm drive.

 Turn right. This leads  to Abbot Brow.

 Turn left and then after 100 metres turn right onto a footpath leading uphill.

After crossing a wooden stile

aim for a direction finder built to celebrate the millennium. The trig point is nearby.

At just 223 metres this is a fine viewpoint over the Ribble Valley and Fylde Plain.
Pendle Hill now provides a useful guide for the next part of the walk. Cross a wooden stile beyond the trig point

and bear diagonally left to reach a stile in a wall at the far corner.

(Sometimes guarded by a cow!) Continue on this line to cross a drive by a pair of stiles

and then bear right to reach a stile by a upright stone flag.

Cross this and then turn left through a stone squeeze stile to aim to the right of cottages. Cross the lane to a wooden footbridge

and on entering a large garden  follow waymark signs around a sunken lawn turning right over a stile on the far side.

Immediately turn left through a metal gate and follow the path with a brook (hidden by trees but audible) on the left.  A stile and footbridge leads out to a more open aspect then path leading to another stile set in holly.

Across a gully some limbo dancing may be needed to scramble under a fallen tree.
Cross the next meadow to a stile and then in the next field bear left on a path dropping towards Midge Hall. 

About 100 metres from the edge of the property turn right cross a shallow gully and continue to a holly enclosed stile.

 After this turn left towards another property and then right along a green lane. 

 As this enters open land keep ahead passing an isolated oak tree to a wooden footbridge.

 

Cross this and the next field and then turn right

to follow the fence around to Hagg Hall.

At Hagg Hall Follow the farm drive

 as it leads uphill past dilapidated huts to reach Ramsgreave Hall. Keep ahead through the yard and turn right through a wicket gate

onto a footpath leading round to a stile by the drive. Do not cross but turn left to cross the field to Higher Ramsgreave Road.

On the lane turn left and then after 50 metres right onto a narrow path

 that soon leads downhill. Keep on this with the field boundary to the left.

After the path dips to cross a brook  climb to a stile and then turn right. Not far away you will be aware of the busy Blackburn ring road to your left.

 

 For the next half hour or so you will follow a parallel course to this. The path leads past Blackburn RFC to reach Lammack Lane.

 Here turn right and then left over a pair of stiles leading to a large field.

 Bear left to follow the field boundary to the rear of Bullion Moss.

Despite encouragement to think otherwise the right of way leads through the yard and onto Whinney Lane.

Turn right.

After 100 metres turn left onto a farm drive.

This leads down to a large improved property

and then on a deteriorating track to a large unimproved property.

 Pass this bearing right on a track leading uphill. After a stile follow a watercourse with a fence on the left.

 Hereabouts we encountered serious mud on checking the route. It may be best to follow the gully to its right

 until you arrive at the brow before Ottie Green Farm.

At the farm go through a gate onto its drive and follow round to the left

to reach Nickey Lane.

Turn right for the village centre.