February
Start: 10:30am
8.5 miles /13.5 km with 1010 ft / 310 m Total Ascent
Meet outside the Memorial Hall, Avenue Road, Hurst Green (Sat Nav: BB7 9QB), ready for the usual start time 10:30am. There is street parking in Hurst Green. The hall has a car park costing £3, which I think we can use, unless there is an event on.
We start by following a lovely section of the Ribble Valley Jubilee Trail north west until we reach the road, where we follow a forest track, eventually reaching the trig point on Longridge Fell. We continue in an easterly direction towards Hare Hill, avoiding an area of large, fallen trees by taking a path slightly further south through smaller trees. This leads to another forest track, which we follow to the road near Bleak House. We then head south across fields, past the front of Stonyhurst College and back to Hurst Green.
Most of the paths are good, although there are some muddy parts, and rocks and tree roots on Longridge Fell. The climbing isn’t as steep or slippery as for my Nicky Nook walk in November.