Pendle Sculpture Trail (Barley) — Attraction in Borough of Pendle

We found this on some website saying it was one of their top 5 walks in Lancashire.

Don't get me wrong, it's pleasant enough but it's not a top 5 walk. Well, perhaps it's good if you don't actually like walking. It only takes about 30 minutes to mosey gently around the actual sculpture trail. We went round twice because we'd climbed the hill to get there and that was more effort than the walk is worth! There's not really any option to go off the beaten track to anywhere else so the circuit of the sculpture trail is about it.

The sculptures were few and far between. Most looked like they'd seen better days and I'm sorry but some of them just looked like someone had pulled them off of one of those rides you used to find outside supermarkets.

The areas around every sculpture were impassable having no hard standing, recent rain and clearly everyone wants to go up to the sculptures to look so the ground was incredibly soft and unless you want to be 2 foot deep in mud you should proceed with caution.

There's also no information about the artists or the names of the "sculptures" which made it quite boring.

No facilities either. No toilets, bins or benches. We found a wet log to eat our packed lunch on.

There's nowhere great to park nearby.

Wouldn't...

We visited this place at first weekend of January as it has been recommended to us by a friend. We left the car at spacious car park, pay to honesty box, there is a cafe and toilets facilities which is very helpful if you travel with children. The cafe staff is helpful and serves a good quality food, freshly made and not too expensive. The walk up to the beginning of the forest and the trail isn't difficult and takes you through quite road next to two lakes. Once in the forest there is a steep walk uphill so be aware, kids may complain and get discouraged quickly;) adults may find it a little difficult too ;) it makes you breathe heavily;) once you get through that it is easy going through the forest. We had a small map with us which is a part of a leaflet, you can find it on the website and you can print it for your use. It comes handy as kids can follow it as a treasure map/hunt. The sculptures are beautiful, but if it is wet and muddy you could do with a pair of wellies to get closer to some of them;) it doesn't take long to walk round, maybe an hour if you stop to take photos, some of the sculpture have a small description, good for storytelling for kids;) Overall, a good day out and we will definitely come back when the weather...

Well worth the effort. And it does involve effort. From the moment you leave the village of Barley and set off towards the forest, where the sculptures are located, it is uphill. And steeply so when one enters the wood from the approach road. The sculptures are varied and worth the effort though I had expected rather more of them than there were. When we visited in March the areas around the individual sculptures were, in some cases, very muddy and could not be approached closely. The Barley Picnic area where one parks has a very good restuarant and..a RARE find these days...a public toilet, well maintained. Well done Barley. Voluntary donations, as little as 20p, are requested to cover the annual maintenance costs of £7000. The local authority had intended to close it but the village kept it open. A very reasonable request in my view. Parking is also cheap at £1.50...