Cowling Pinnacle

Today is the first day in ages the day has started bright with blue skies although it was a cold wind.  Still was good to get out and blow the cobwebs away.  Parked up by the village hall in Cowling and set off.  The first part of the walk is straight forward – turning up a small road and head off through a gate and field to bob out onto Dick Lane. 

  From here it was a straight walk up over the moor heading towards the pinnacle.  Half way up the moor there were some young lads messing about on motorbikes – scrambling.  As I got near the top you could see the car park behind the pinnacle was fairly full with cars and there were quite a few families up on the tops.

Why do some people bring their iPad with them?  Seems odd to me.  It was really windy now and noticeably cooler than lower down the hill.  I left the pinnacle behind and walked across the Cragg to the tower.

I spent a few minutes at the bottom then thought I’d go up to the top of the tower.  It was blowing a gale up there.  As I  stood  at the top two young cyclists came up too.  Well one came up – the other bobbed his head up through the hole in the floor – said that was enough for him and disappeared back down the steps.  That’s the tricky part, going back down the steps – you can hardly see the steps it’s so dark until you get near a small slit window in the tower every so often.

Anyway I got down safely and made my way back down the hillside.  The next bit I got lost on.  I turned down the drive to a farm instead of taking the path into the field next to the drive.  I had to walk all the way back up to the drive entrance.  Then I went down two field lengths before I realised I should have been in the next field along. 

I had to go all the way back up two fields to a small wall stile on the left.  I finally made it back down on to the main road.  From here it was a muddy field bottom walk back to a small farm yard onto road back to the car.  A 3 ¾ mile walk which I managed to make into a good 5 mile walk with all my up and down fields looking for the right paths.  My ears were cold, my eyes were runny and my hair looked like I’d been dragged through a hedge backwards but it had been good and the views from the top had been excellent.  I could even see Pendle Hill in the distance.