AS it's Halloween next week, what could be more appropriate than a ramble in Lancashire Witch Country.

This moorland walk follows the distinctive witch waymarkers of the Pendle Way for most of its length and takes in the lofty summit of Pendle Hill, Lancashire's most celebrated "mountain". It isn't quite a mountain by Lake District standards, but at over 1820ft high, Pendle Hill is an impressive sight and can be a foreboding hilltop, requiring serious navigation in misty weather. A torchlight procession traditionally climbs Pendle from Barley village on Halloween. Choose a pleasant day and the views to the Yorkshire Dales are worth the ascent alone and this walk takes the more gradual climb to the summit via the Ogden Valley, before descending the steep stone steps from the Big End to Barley village. Hidden down the back lanes north of Padiham, Barley and neighbouring Newchurch are two settlements closely linked with the 17th century superstitions which led to the executions of Old Demdike, Chattox and Alice Nutter for witchcraft. They put this part of Lancashire on the map and they even have the roadside gift shop at Newchurch to celebrate their misdeeds.

DISTANCE: 5 miles (allow 2-3 hours)

START: Barley village, visitor centre car park and picnic area (OS Grid Ref S23404). If entering the village from the south, cross a road bridge and turn right at a minor road junction. The car park is then on the left hand side and clearly signposted. Barley village itself is best approached from the A6068 or A682 north of Fence. Leave the M65 at Junction 13.

Use these route directions in conjunction with the relevant OS map (0L 41 Forest of Bowland).

AT the car park entrance turn right along the road to return to the junction by the bridge over the river. At the junction look directly across to Barley village hall on the far side of the road. Cross over to the hall and join the narrow lane (also signed as a bridleway) running alongside it. The lane passes cottages on the right and the entrance to the ornate Nelson Waterworks. It continues to climb gradually up the valley and runs along the north side of Lower Ogden reservoir which soon comes into view on your left below a wooded hillside. The road becomes rougher and at the lop end of this first reservoir the Pendle Way joins the access road via a kissing gate on the left.

Continue along the road up the valley to the higher reservoir. The road soon splits into two but take the left fork heading directly to the dam wall. Cross the stile in the wall and follow the path running along the north side of Upper Ogden reservoir. Beyond the reservoir the path bears right up the wilder valley and the path soon splits off in various directions. This walk keeps to the waymarked Pendle Way as the path now climbs the back end of Pendle. At the junction of paths bear right diagonally uphill above the stream. The path climbs and follows Boar Clough. Occasional waymarkers point the way northwards and eventually a well-used path and a line of cairns help guide the way to the trig point summit of Pendle Hill.

After taking in the views, the walk continues in the same direction northwards from the summit towards a wall on top of the plateau. Bear right as you reach the wall and join the well-used stone path climbing steeply down from Pendle with Barley village in view in the fields down below. The stone-stepped path zig-zags down to a track by the farm buildings of Pendle House. Turn right then left beyond the farm to follow the waymarked path through fields leading downhill to more farm buildings at Brown House. Turn right and left again around these buildings and continue downhill along the access track leading to Ing Ends. Go straight ahead along the access road beyond the buildings but when the road bends sharp left, cross the footbridge on the right over a stream and a path leads back to Barley village. Turn right and follow the lane through the pretty stream-side village. After passing the inn on the right, gates on the left of the road lead to a grassy short cut back to the car park alongside the stream.

COUNTRY CLIPS

The 79 mile long Wolds Way is a National Trail running from the River Humber to Filey Brigg. It is now 21 years old and to celebrate the occasion the long distance footpath is having a change of image and being renamed as the "Yorkshire Wolds Way". There will be new signs along this route which passes through the gentle chalk hills of North-East Yorkshire.

One of the most eroded upland footpaths in the Lake District has recently been restored. The popular zig-zag path up Dollywagon Pike has been worked on by BTCV volunteers to improve the route and prevent the further scars of erosion in the future.