THE Pendle Way is a 45-mile circular footpath ranging from limestone meadows to rugged millstone grit moorland.

It goes through hamlets, villages and towns associated with the Pendle Witches and the Bront?s.

At its heart is the Pendle Hill, which is steeped in mystery and folklore, much of it connected to the famous witchcraft trials of the 1600s.

The well-signposted path is divided into eight sections and this linear walk follows the first seven miles - from the Pendle Heritage Centre at Barrowford to the Bancroft Mill Museum in Barnoldswick, both of which are worth a visit.

En route, highlights include Higherford Mill, built as a water-powered mill in 1824; Blacko Tower, built around 1890, by local grocer and landowner Jonathan Stansfield; 17th century Admergill Hall; and Weets Hill, which provides beautiful views of Pendle Hill and the Three Peaks in the Yorkshire Dales

The walk has been provided by Pendle Council and other local walks, including further sections of the Pendle Way, are available from visitpendle.com

Step by step

1. Start in the car park across the road from Pendle Heritage Centre. Go through the gate and follow the river to emerge at the road. Go left over the

bridge, cross the road and turn immediately right by Higherford Mill. Follow the road past the last house on the right where you take the path alongside the river. The path takes you to Watermeetings, the confluence of Blacko Water and Pendle Water.

2. At Watermeetings turn right over the bridge then immediately left. Follow the track round to the right and go over the footbridge. Veering right, cross the field to a stile on the skyline. Blacko Tower is visible to the right. Go straight over the field to a stile, continue across the field to the next stile then follow the open field on your right to the farm. Skirt to the left of Blacko Foot Farm to reach the road.

3. Turn right down the road until just past the bridge. Turn left and follow the river on your left, crossing two stiles then emerging through a small wood up to a lane.

4. Go left over the bridge then turn right down some steps to cross a stream. Keeping Admergill Water on your right, carry on for some 300 metres, before bearing uphill to a stile. Cross this field and the next, until you reach a stile, leading into the grounds of the house at Lower Admergill. Use the bridge on the right shortly before the house. Keep to the right of the house and turn left when you reach the lane.

5. Pass in front of Admergill Hall and continue along the lane, going straight on over a stile at the bend. Cross two fields, bearing right at the end to a stile and cross the stone bridge. Climb uphill, bearing left near the top to reach Gisburn Road.

6. Cross the road to the stile on the left. Proceed diagonally left uphill and follow the stone wall to an iron gate. Keep the farm to the left and climb the

stone stile ahead. Follow the old track to the top then cross the next field to the stile in the wall ahead. Turn left immediately and follow the wall for

700 metres bearing right at the end to emerge onto Gisburn Old Road.

7. Turn left on the lane and continue for half a mile to Weets House Farm. Through the gate, turn right along the track. To your left is the triangulation point at Weets Hill.

8. Follow the wall downhill, crossing three stiles. Just before the end of the last field turn right over a stile onto a lane. Turn left and carry on to reach a modern housing estate. Opposite Elm Close turn left and immediately left again through a gate. Climb two stiles before the track bears left to another stile. Go straight over the field to the corner and turn right into Esp Lane. Carry on down into Barnoldswick turning left into Westgate.

9. Turn right before the car park opposite John Street. Follow the path past the former Ouzledale sawmill, later an iron foundry. At the end, turn right up Forty Steps. The path emerges on Colne Road opposite Bancroft Mill.

Fact file

Start: Pendle Heritage Centre, Barrowford

Finish: Bancroft Mill, Barnoldswick

Distance: Seven miles (11 kilometres)

Terrrain: Varied, with some muddy stretches

Refreshments: Barrowford and Barnoldswick

OS map: Landranger 103