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After a couple of postponements due to health stuff, we finally got to meet up for our hike! Of course, the days we had to cancel ended up being the ones with perfect weather. Today was not as warm as we would hoped, but we were just happy it did not rain. It was a nice, gentle hike to ease back into things—definitely not as hilly as what we usually go for, but a great first one back.
Total Distance: 7 Miles
Steps: ~20,000 Steps
Highest Point: 1209 Feet
Total Realistic Time: ~3 Hours
Crawshawbooth is a small village located on the edge of the Pennines in England, just north of the market town of Rawtenstall, Lancashire, and south of Loveclough. It is situated in the Rossendale Valley, which was once an ancient royal hunting ground. The majority of the surrounding land consists of farms and moorland.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crawshawbooth
We decided to meet at this car park, even though it only had a 3-hour limit. We figured it would be a good spot to meet and then sort out parking from there. Turns out, we didn’t need to worry—there was plenty of off-street parking nearby with no time restrictions. There aren’t any public toilets there, but there are some pubs and shops close by if needed.
Here’s the route we ended up doing! My friend had it from a book, and since neither of us had been to this area before, we thought it would be fun to try something new.
The route started in a cute little village called Crawshawbooth. Just off the Main Street, there’s a path that leads towards Loveclough, and it’s well-marked with footpath signs. The beginning of the walk is really nice—lots of green, grassy areas along clear paths.
As you go further into the walk, you’re surrounded by even more greenery, and you’ll come across friendly sheep and horses along the way. They just pop up at random parts, which adds a nice little surprise!
Towards the end of the walk, we hit a small boggy section through some farmer’s fields, and a few parts were a bit overgrown, so we had to take a little detour. The funniest part, we spotted a small plane tucked away in one of the barns—totally random!
It was a nice, leisurely flat walk with lots of greenery and a mix of terrain. It felt really peaceful, as we only came across a couple of dog walkers the whole time.
When we got back to Crawshawbooth, we were ready for our usual post-walk coffee and cake, but unfortunately, the local cafés had already closed by 2pm. Luckily, just a 5-minute drive towards Rawtenstall, there were plenty of cafés to choose from. We ended up at the first one we saw, Do Dahs. The atmosphere was super friendly, and they had a great selection of hot food and cakes. We went for the caramel cheesecake and coffee—it hit the spot!
Conclusion:
This walk was much flatter than our usual hikes, which made it perfect for a leisurely chat without all the puffing and panting uphill! If you’re looking for a nice, easy hike, this is definitely one to try.
GENERAL EQUIPMENT
- Apple iPhone 15 Pro (for taking photos/videos and mapping using OS Maps)
- Comfy walking shoes (most important)
- Flask with Hot/Cold drink (a good cuppa is always welcome)
- ibuprofen (helping hand if you have any aches and pains)
- Food and snacks (fuel to keep you going)
- Waterproof jacket (luckily we did not need it today 😮💨)