~Thieveley Pike~
24th April 2020
Thieveley Pike Summit
Another of my crowd avoidance plans. A short car journey to Cliviger allowed for a start time of 0740hrs and an early ascent of Thieveley Pike in East Lancashire. Government guidance now allows for persons to use the car to facilitate a walk as long as the car journey time is shorter than the period of exercise to be taken. I think an element of common sense has reached the beaurocrats who write the guidance; the law as written into the Statutory Instrument re. restrictions of movement never barred a car journey for such.
 |
 |
Cliviger Gorge |
Walk Start |
I don't climb to the top of Thieveley Pike as often as I should, although Peter joined me for an ascent a few weeks ago on a less glorious day than this one. The walk down the lane and past the farmhouses is pleasant enough; officialy the footpath goes through one of the gardens, but it makes sense to walk around the buildings on the track.
Under the Railway
Pendle Hill
A great view of the railway and almost a timeless image, but back in the day there would have been telegraph poles. It's good to get such a good view with no tall steel fences to spoil matters. Sunday timetable during "lockdown", but then everyday is like Sunday for us non-key workers - I have never felt so undervalued. All that hard work, income tax paid and then paid again on dividends and finally again on corporation tax. It's ok, we don't matter and the bale out for small businesses barely touches the sides. Next year, Mr.Chancellor, no income, no tax, no corporation tax.
Buckley Wood
 |
 |
It's another beautiful day in this exceptional April; one benefit of the restrictions is that I never have to consider where to drive to at the weekends and I don't miss the driving one little bit. The steep gradient of this climb eases above Buckley Wood.
Burnley
Another kind-of benefit of lockdown in April is that there are not many cows in the fields. I like Ordnance Survey mapping and I now use the App on my phone - that's been a long time coming - but rather than knowing where the nearest phonebox or church is, I would like to know which fields have cows in them.
Thieveley Pike 1,474ft asl
Here we are at 0825hrs and not seen anyone just yet.
Deerplay Moor
More Moor
I chose to follow the footpath along Deerplay Moor to the A671 before picking up The Pennine Bridleway as a descent route.
Easden Clough
The bridleway stays on the near side of Easden Clough. The A671 runs along the flank of the hill and hidden in the trees below the road is the site of fly-tipping on an industrial scale. You have to see it to believe it and I can't imagine how it will be cleaned up as the cretins who dumped the rubbish chose a very steep hillside to chuck it down. I'm not sure who owns the land upon which the rubbish now resides.
Farmhouses
~~~
River Calder
Nearly back at the car, the infant River Calder heads into Burnley to meet The Brun and hence The Ribble near Whalley.
Burnley Road
The plan to maintain at least 2 metres of social distance has worked, I didn't see anyone on this walk.
2 hrs over a distance of about 5 miles; 1084ft of ascent throughout the walk.
All photos copyright Richard Ratcliffe 2020 ©
Take me back to the start ....