Start: Sawley close to the Spread Eagle Hotel.

From Junction 31 follow the A59 towards Clitheroe and then Skipton. After passing Clitheroe turn left towards Sawley .

Factfile: Distance:  10k 6 miles
                 Time: 2 ½ - 3 ½ hours
                 Summary: From Grindleford there is a steady ascent which eventually takes you to Beacon Hill. From here it is downhill all the way.
                 Map: OS OL 41 The Forest of Bowland

Map by kind permission of the Blackpool Gazette

Directions: From the hotel walk along the road to Sawley Bridge

 and cross the River Ribble.

 On the farside turn left onto a footpath that crosses to Sawley Road.

 

When you reach it turn left and continue along the lane passing Bowland High School on the right. Where the road bends sharply to the right take a footpath to the left.

This is on the Ribble Way but owing to river bank erosion there is a diversion in force. Cross the field to a small ladder stile

and then drop towards a wall.

 Here turn right along a green lane

which after passing Fields House

will lead into Grindleton village.

 Turn left and then at the Duke of York right onto Main Street.

Walk up through the village reaching Top of Town. Here on the edge of Grindleton turn left into White Hall Lane onto a bridleway.

 This leads round to the farm complex of Whitehall.

At a T junction turn right onto a bridleway.

 On a rougher track

this leads to first to Cobb House Barn,

and then Cobb House. 

Still on the bridleway keep ahead through a gate and follow a grassy track to another.

With a wall on your left continue along the track to the next gate.

 This leads onto open access land following the edge of a small valley to the left.

Keep on the track until you reach a metalled lane.Turn left. Here you find yourself on the edge of an extensive conifer plantation that covers this side of Grindleton Fell.

5 minutes walk (300metres) will bring you past the front of an isolated property ( a good place to hide from the Russian Mafia!). Immediately after its drive turn right onto a forest track. 

 After this bends to the left turn right onto a footpath close to an isolated oak tree on the right of the track.

 Follow this up the hill side beside a walk.

Follow the path as it bends to the right between two walks with tall trees to the right and middling size trees to the left.

 The path leads round to a stile.

 Cross this and continue the climb with pastures now on the right. After another stile

 the path leads to a metal gate close to the summit of Beacon Hill.

Walk up to the trig point for one of the best viewpoints in the north.

The route continues to the north of the trig point dropping to a metal gate

and then following a fence

leading down to a lane.

Turn right and then after 200 metres left onto a footpath

that follows the hedge to the far left corner.

 Here cross a stile dropping down to a farm lane.

 Turn left.  Follow the lane as it leads round to Till House

 and then continues to  Rod Hill.

 

 Here the public footpath crosses the garden of the property 

 on a way marked trail to reach a stile on its far side.

 

After this continue downhill with a fence on the right.

On reaching open pasture keep ahead to reach a footbridge.

A short way beyond this turn left through a thick hedge

 and walk up a rise aiming for a pair of stand alone trees.

 After crossing the rise continue to a field corner and then with hedgerow on your right.

Cross a stile.

This leads to another to enter a patch of woodland 

 leading down to the rear of a property close to a lane on the left.

 The lane leads down to Sawley.