Pendle Hill — Local services in Borough of Pendle

Monday 24th March 2025. Pendle Hill is in the east of Lancashire, England, near the towns of Burnley, Nelson, Colne, Brierfield, Clitheroe and Padiham. Its summit is 557 metres (1,827 ft) above mean sea level. It gives its name to the Borough of Pendle. It is an isolated hill in the Pennines, separated from the South Pennines to the east, the Bowland Fells to the northwest, and the West Pennine Moors to the south. It is included in a detached part of the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The name "Pendle Hill" combines the words for hill from three different languages. In the 13th century, it was called Pennul or Penhul, apparently from the Cumbric pen and Old English hyll, both meaning "hill." The modern English "hill" was appended later, after the original meaning of Pendle had become opaque. Neolithic and Bronze Age burial sites have been discovered at and around the summit of the hill. There is an ancient local legend that the Devil once jumped from Hameldon Hill to an outcrop overlooking Sabden on the southwest slope of Pendle, leaving footprints in the sandstone. Here, he gathered rocks in an apron and, after proceeding the short distance to Apronfull, threw a boulder aimed at Clitheroe Castle. At that moment, the apron string broke, causing the boulder to land near Pendleton and creating the pile of rocks atop the slight prominence there. The hill is famous for its links to three events which took place in the 17th century: the Pendle witch trials (1612), Richard Towneley's barometer experiment (1661), and the vision of George Fox (1652), which led to the foundation of the Religious Society of Friends (Quaker) movement. It was a lovely day, the weather was warm and sunny 🌞. It was a very short gradual walk up to the start of the trail, opposite the kiosk, which serves ice cream and snacks, which wasn't open at the time. Then, I started a very steep assent to the summit 😳. I needed to stop at least twenty times and rest on the way up 🥵. I wouldn't say that I was totally unfit, but you really do need to be reasonably fit to attempt this climb. As you will see from the photos, an ambulance 🚑 was present with paramedics attending an elderly lady that had collapsed, a third of the way up, due to raised blood pressure. However, on the way up and certainly at the top at the trig station, the views were really good 👌. I recommend this walk. Suitable for families, not under fives, however, please make sure you have the correct clothing, take some water and snacks, and you are reasonably...

Been on my hit list for some time and finally made it up there on Monday. I got to the location early, so plenty of car spaces in the lay-by. The Cauldron snack shack was not open for refreshments. Due to various issues, not least the fact that it was scorchios, I opted to ascend via the 'gentle moderate' left hand side of the hill and descend via the more challenging route on the right. Glad I did it that way round! Still needed pauses for breath on route up, but was good excuse to take lots of pix. Stunning panoramic views all around, you see both the upper and lower Black Moss reservoirs, as well as Aitken Wood, where the sculpture trail is. Lots of wildlife if you look, plenty of kestrels. It took me a slow ponderous half an hour to get to the top and then it's a pleasant, gentle stroll to the trig point and more vistas. Litter!!! Mrs Angry Of Mayfair speaking now..... if you're one of the lazy arsed folk who dumps your food and drink litter wherever you like, then what are you doing even considering coming out to enjoy nature and the countryside???!! So much rubbish discarded on Pendle Hill. Confectionery wrappers, heaps of plastic water and drinks bottles, tin cans, it's shocking, insulting and totally out of order. Take your rubbish home with you. Gordon Bennet. If you have a pocket or rucksack that the water bottle came out of, then you certainly have the space to carry the empty containers back with you instead of nonchalantly leaving it to endanger wildlife and to pollute our planet. One person obviously thought that in tucking their tin can and a plastic drinks bottle down a small soil hole, then that didn't count as littering as it was a bit more hidden and less brazen. Wrong! Ostrich, can't see, doesn't exist....pfahhh! Same to the person who did the same thing of dumping their two drinks containers in a hole in the wall by the stile - you are still litter louts. And three blue plastic forks dumped and abandoned in the grass up by the trig point..... these behaviours and attitudes are depressing..... Nature is sacrosanct. Treat the planet with respect. You will get the future you deserve, mark my words. And.... off me orange box with me. The steep, arduous route was extremely popular and busy on my descent. Folk were struggling in the heat. Steep it may be, but it's a fairly decent path with stone steps most of the way, not much scree or rubble. Recommended for the views and everything else that one climbs...

Tiring but enjoyable walk and climb. The route we took was around the reservoir, through the woods and up the side of pendle hill. It was nice cool day for the walk. It definately tests your knees and stamina on the climb and the descend.

The total distance was around 6 miles, the ascend around 1100 feet. For me the best bit was it was equivalent to climbing 150 flight of steps and you then literally decended down the same at the other end.

The views on the way up and at the top are brilliant. I understand on a clear day you can see Blackpool Tower from the took.

On the way down we opted to take the steep uneven steps route. That was also challenging as you had to concentrate all the way down.

I had been meaning to do this climb for some months, but had been deterred by the steepness of the climb. But it was totally worth the effort and in the end it wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be.

There is parking on barley lane in the village almost across the Road from the starting point. It cost £3 for over three hours. There is a nice picnic area around the car...