Ball Grove to Wycoller (approx 5½ miles)


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Maps: Sheet OL21 South Pennines .
View Wycoller in a larger map
Start: SD 908401. Ball Grove Car Park at Winewall. There are alternative car parks off Ball Grove Drive which allow you to start the walk close to the route described. There are also two alternative starting points on or close to the route with car parks at SD 926395 and SD 936393. There is a bus stop on Keighley Road at its junction with Bent Lane from which you can walk down Ball Grove Drive and through the park to join the route.
Route: Click here to view the route superimposed on GoogleEarth (GoogleEarth must be installed on your computer in order to view - click here to download GoogleEarth).

There is a variety of interest along this route: historic, architectural, natural history and sculpture. The walk takes you through the hamlet of Winewall then over rough pasture and down to the unique village of Wycoller. From here the route leads along the valley, up the opposite hill to the Atom (one of the East Lancashire Panopticons) and the back down to the village. The return to Ball Grove follows the stream down through a local nature reserve and back to the park. Parts of the walk can be very muddy. The route can easily be shortened, or split into two separate walks.
More info: Ball Grove Park (from Pendle Borough Council) Wycoller (from Wikipedia) The Atom (panopticon - from Mid Pennine Arts)
Refreshments: Wycoller Craft Centre
Cotton Tree Inn, Winewall (outside opening hours when we passed).
Route profile: route profile
car park at Ball Grove Park Leave the park walking back towards Winewall.



Rosley Street, Winewall Turn left over the bridge and walk up the hill, passing the Cotton Tree Inn on your left.
Lane Top, Winewall Follow the road round to the left in front of the post box.
Lane Top, Winewall A little further up the hill the road bends to the right. Look out for a small footpath sign on a metal post at the right of the road. It points across the road through wooden gates in the fence above the house pictured. Walk along the gravel driveway…
off Lane Top, Winewall … on to the grassy path shown above. The path curves to the right and then follows a stone wall above a disused quarry on the right. The path leads through a gated stile into a field which provides splendid views with Boulsworth Hill in front of you and Pendle Hill behind.
Souteril Laith Leave this field by climbing a sturdy stone stile, hidden at first behind the dog-leg in the wall on the left. Cross the minor road (Keighley Road) and climb the stone stile opposite. The footpath runs to the left of the drive. Where a footpath sign on a wooden post points to the right, cross the drive…
Souteril Laith … and walk between outbuildings on the left and the house on the right. Go through the metal gate pictured, turn left and pass through a wide metal gate.

Bear right across the field to a stile close to the far corner. Climb the stile …
between Souteril Laith and Slack … and follow the line of a post and wire fence on your left. Leave this field by way of another stone stile. Cross a footbridge and walk up to a stile in the wall on the right (just before a gateway and cattle grid). Cross the drive and …
between Slack and Wycoller … bear left into a very wet, muddy field. The path isn't clear on the ground, but the map shows it running close to the wall on your left. Leave this field by walking through a narrow, rickety gate. In the next field…
between Slack and Wycoller … the wall is on your right. Continue ahead and pass through the gap in the wall shown in the photograph. Leave this field and turn left to follow the narrow road.
entrance to Wycoller Car Park Turn right to enter car park. Keep left in the car park to join footpath down to village. (We walked through the car park and found picnic bench to sit at whilst eating our lunch).
path from car park to Wycoller The cobbled path leaves the car park and runs close to the road.
path from car park to Wycoller The roadside path ends at a junction of footpaths with the road. We climbed the wooden stile straight ahead. We continued in the same direction to walk through a gap in the vaccary stone wall (Wycoller is noted for walls of this type, constructed from upright stone slabs). Bear slightly to the left, looking for …
path from car park to Wycoller … the wooden stile pictured above. After crossing the stile the path descends fairly steep steps to emerge in a yard at the side of a cottage. Go through wooden gates and turn right…
Wycoller … to walk along the surfaced road. This leads past the craft centre/tea room, a packhorse bridge, a ford and a clapper bridge. We stayed on the right of the stream to follow the path shown …
willow sculpture, Wycoller … which lead past and through willow sculptures created from living saplings in 2004. At the end of the tarmac footpath we turned right to walk along a stony track.
clam bridge, Wycoller Follow the track alongside Wycoller Beck until you reach the clam bridge pictured above. Go through gate and stile to cross the bridge and turn right at the far side.
between Wycoller and Parson Lee Farm The track crosses the stream and leads to the junction pictured above. Keep left, following the way markers for Parson Lee Farm.
opposite Parson Lee Farm Close to the farm buildings (which are on the right), take the footbridge on the left and pass through a wooden gate. Once through the gate bear left, making for a post with a waymark.
Foster's Leap Farm Head toward the front of buildings at Foster's Leap Farm. Foster's Leap is the name given to the rock outcrop above the farm, reputedly named after Foster Cunliffe, (a relative of the Cunliffes of Wycoller Hall). He made a daring jump across the gap in the rocks. Leave this field via a gateway (very muddy area when we completed this walk). Follow the arrows around the building and …
Foster's Leap Farm … through gateway. Follow the yellow arrows along the driveway and …
leaving Foster's Leap Farm … then down to the left of a pond towards a wooden kissing gate in a stone wall.
between Foster's Leap Farm and the Atom Follow the path round the side of the hill, passing through a series of gates
approaching the Atom The path leads to the edge of a car park and to the Atom, one of a series of sculptures across Pennine Lancashire.
leaving the Atom Leave the Atom by following the path which leads north west. Pass through a gate in the stone wall and bear left, following the sunken lane down the hill.
path down to Wycoller, showing vaccary wall Continue downhill until you reach a sign pointing left to the aisled barn. Turn left and then right …
Wycoller Aisled Barn … to explore the barn (if open).
Wycoller Hall After leaving the barn, explore the ruins of Wycoller Hall (reputed to be the Ferndean Manor in Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre).
Wycoller, ford and packhorse bridge From the hall, follow the path alongside the beck and cross the clapper bridge, the ford or the packhorse bridge. Follow the road past the craft centre/tea room. Continue along the road as it crosses and then recrosses the beck.

Immediately after the second bridge (where the road turns sharp left) …
leaving Wycoller … take the track on the right, past the houses pictured. The track bears right and crosses the beck once again. Continue along the track, crossing a stile by a house on the right.
Ferndean Way, between Wycoller and Ball Grove The path continues through an area newly planted with hundreds of saplings. Along this section there is a kissing gate to pass through, followed by a short paved section of path.
Ferndean Way, between Wycoller and Ball Grove At the junction of paths shown above, go left through the wooden gate. The path leads through further gates and crosses a narrow road.
Ferndean Way, between Wycoller and Ball Grove Cross the bridge pictured, and after 150 metres cross another bridge. Follow the path up stone steps and then down to cross a wooden footbridge.
Nature reserve, Ball Grove The path passes through a local nature reserve - the lodge pictured is the higher of two. The water from these once served one of the largest tanneries in Europe (demolished in 1970). The path continues past the lower lodge and back to the car park.

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