Members: Laura Collier, Jim & Sandy Gregson, Kate Harvey, Bob Kelly, Iain McCallum, Dave Shotton, Brian Taylor, Dave Wylie.

Guests: Nicoletta Bobola, Jon Fallon, Martin Guit, Matt Richardson.

The group (a regulation witches’ coven of 13, comprising a mix of familiar faces and some welcome novitiates) assembled in the mists of Barley car park and performed an ancient mug-raising rite inside The Cabin tea room adjacent. Setting off just after the appointed hour of 10, the meet leader immediately displayed otherworldly ways by leading the party out of the car park via a strangely circuitous route (and in a decidedly widdershins direction!).

Leaving Barley along a lane next to the Village Hall, they went up the icy track past the two Ogden Reservoirs, and then continued along the footpath up Ogden Clough. There was some consternation as Dave Wylie appeared to have become lost in the mist, but it turned out he was far ahead and was waiting for the others towards the top of the Clough at the turn-off point for the path to the summit of Pendle Hill; this provided a convenient location for a noontide snack break, during which the mist cleared and the sun came out for a brief spell.

The party then followed the route of the icy flagstones (often easier to walk beside them rather than on them!) over Pendle Hill to reach the summit at Big End at about 12.30pm, by which time the mist had closed in again. After a brief stop, they descended past Hookcliffe Plantation, crossing the Pendle Road (where a modern-day archer in camouflage was flexing his longbow), and walking on a short distance to Lane Head, where two benches next to a barn provided a handy lunch spot.

After lunch the band headed in the vague direction of Twiston village for a while, traversing fields past Hecklin and Brownlow Farms, crossing Barley Lane and heading past dwellings at Coolham. (A display of dead moles on a barbed wire fence en route prompted an enlightening discourse by Bob on the social history and customs of mole-catchers). They then turned off to follow the route of a walled track straight back across Twiston Moor, then down lanes past the Black Moss Reservoirs to Barley (although no sign was seen of the ‘witch’s cottage’ with entombed cat recently reported to have been discovered in the vicinity of the lower reservoir). The group arrived back at Barley car park a little after 3.30pm, just in time for more refreshments from the tea room (although via the outside serving hatch only, as closing time was imminent).

Total distance covered was a little over 9 miles (or around 15 km) in 5½ hours – relatively short for a KMC walk, with somewhat slow progress especially on icy tracks. Apart from the brief sunny period around noon on Pendle Hill, visibility varied from hazy to misty for much of the walk, with quite thick fog on the drive home. There was some snow on the ground especially higher up, although temperatures stayed above freezing during the day.

This is a variation of a walk I led in 1998 (with a slightly different end section that should see us keeping more to footpaths than roads) but I hope enough time has now elapsed that the ground won’t feel too familiar for either old hands or newcomers alike! This is an atmospheric area with lots of historical interest – a ‘witch’s cottage’ complete with entombed cat has recently been discovered near the start point (see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-16066680)!

Start point: Barley car park (grid ref SD 823403).

Start time: Meet at 09:45 for a 10:00 start.

Map: OS Explorer sheet OL41 (Forest of Bowland & Ribblesdale); alternatively Landranger 103 (Blackburn & Burnley).

Distance: 10-12 miles depending on route taken. The walk can easily be shortened according to weather or inclination. Bring a headtorch just in case.

Route: Barley - Lower Ogden Reservoir - Upper Ogden Reservoir - Ogden Clough - Barley Moor - Big End (summit of Pendle Hill) - Hookcliffe Plantation - Twiston - Twiston Moor - Rimington Moor - Black Moss Reservoirs (various routes possible around these last few stages) - Barley (refreshments available).