Fact file: Distance: 8k 5 miles
                  Time: 2 - 3 hours
                Summary: Easy walking through pastureland. Prepare for mud
               Maps: OS OL 41 The Forest of Bowland & OS Explorer 287 West pennine Moors

Map by kind permission of the Blackpool Gazette

Directions: From the car park turn left towards Chipping. After 50m turn right onto the drive of Little Town Dairy.

Keep on the track as it passes to the right of the main complex of buildings. Turn left in front of the farmhouse and then with a large cattle byre on the left cross to a wooden gate.

Through this and follow the field round to the right until you reach a wooden stile (not in view until you almost reach it).

Across this and keep ahead walking towards Longridge Fell until you arrive at the far side of the field. Turn left and though there are no signs to indicate it you are on a footpath. With hedgerow on your right cross to a metal gate in a very muddy corner.

After this continue in the same direction crossing two more fields to reach a stile in a corner leading onto Chipping Lane.

Turn right.

Though not on the road for very long take care - cars have a tendency to take the corners fast! In less than 200m turn left onto the drive of Lee House Farm.

Keep on the drive as it leads through the complex. After passing a large chicken shed on the right

 follow the track as it leads onto Knott Farm. Keep ahead through the farm, go through a metal gate

and follow the track as it dips down to an open area.

 Here keep ahead through a metal gate. Beyond it bear left to a stile in a hedge.

 Cross this  and in the next large field cross in the direction of Black Moss House. On the far side go through a metal gate and turn right towards the house.

 As you near it turn right through a metal gate

 and then continue with hedgerow on your left. At the corner of the property turn right to cross a grassy field.

After the next stile,

 now with a fence on your left, the path dips down to cross a culverted stream and then rises gently towards Hesketh End. 

 With Hesketh End to the right turn left at a metal gate.

Now on a track, for a short while, bear right to the next gate  and then left to cut a corner of the field.  Keep ahead and aim for a gate

in the fence to the left roughly in line with Parlick Fell a prominent hill.  Immediately after the gate turn right. With a hedge on your right the footpath will bring you onto Hesketh Lane.

Turn left. Walk along the lane for 200 metres and then turn left over a stile next to a gate. 

Almost immediately cross the next stile and turn right. With a fence on your right continue to a wooden footbridge.

After crossing it begin a gentle ascent towards Crow Trees Farm. The footpath crosses the farm drive

and then enters a plantation of young trees.

 

 

Continue along a track to where it dips down to a metal gate. 

Keep ahead in the next field picking up a hedge on your left. Just before a wood turn left over a stile and then enter the wood by another on your right to drop down steeply to a footbridge. 

 Exit the wood by a second footbridge. The footpath traverses a pasture to reach Gib Hey farm. After a double metal gate pass the farm house

 and cross a stile on the left.

 This next section will take a degree of determination to complete. The right of way passes through a thicket of dense gorse to reach a field corner near a barn.

The path drops down on a track to cross a brook before climbing up to the farm of Elmridge. 

 Go through a metal gate that leads into the yard. The drive quickly leads down to a lane.

Turn left.

 

After 400m turn left into the drive of Black Moss Farm.

 After 250 yards turn right onto a rutted track.

This leads down to the restaurant complex of Ferrari's.Passing the main buildings on your left continue along the drive

crossing the River Loud and soon arriving on Longridge Road.

Turn right for the Derby Arms a short distance along on your right.