A walk through York....in Lancashire A walk of approx 5 miles, one or two short climbs that take just a few minutes. A really good local walk, starting and finishing at the the large lay-by on Harwood Lane. To get here, turn of the Blackburn Ring road on to Whalley old Road, at the top of the hill you reach the “curry house” formerly New inns bear left, then immediately right in to Harwood Lane. The lay by is a further half a mile on the right. From the lay-by, walk towards Great Harwood (just a few metres), then take the signed footpath on the left just before the plantation that leads down to Dean Clough Reservoir, pass through a stile with the plantation on your right and head towards the res. Walk alongside the res with great views ahead to Pendle Hill. Go through two sets of kissing gates with the res wall on your left. Follow the broad track that leads  through a gate, bends to the right and on to Goldacre Lane, The shapely hill ahead is Bowley Hill. Turn Left and walk down the lane, downhill past Bradley Hall farm. The lane bends to the right and climbs steadily. Pass a large white house on the right (Wellsprings) and continue to a cottage on the left. (Shawcliff). About 100 metres past Shawcliff take the stile on your left and make the short climb to another stile in a low wall. Cross the path and take the stile directly opposite on to a narrow path that runs left with the steep Sunny Bank on your right hand side. This path can be a bit muddy and soon passes through gorse bushes before emerging into open country after a few minutes. Follow the path straight on through a couple more stiles with Dean Clough reservoir now appearing again to your left. Keep on the higher ground avoiding the temptation to drop down towards the res. Passing through a further stile you approach the stone wall leading up from the res. Turn right and follow the wall up hill, the wall will be on your left. Avoid the stile half way up and continue to a metal gate at the top of the wall. Cross the stile in to a field with rocky outcrops and bear diagonally right. A stile at the top of the grassy rise leads in to a field usually occupied by Shire horses. The view ahead is now right across the Ribble Valley, with village of York, just a short walk downhill in front of you. Walk in to the village, turn left past the Lord Nelson pub and follow the road out of the village. After a hundred yards or so passed the village sign of York, take a stile into the field on the right and make the short climb to the top of a small hill. The view from here is terrific, taking in most of Lancashire. Follow the path straight on, there is a wooden marker post in the middle of the field directing the way although it’s fairly obvious. The path emerges on to a road, directly across, take the the track leading down towards Little Snodsworth Farm. Just before you enter the farm yard, there is an obvious gravel track on your left. Take this and carry straight on until the track ends at a gate and stile. Again straight on,bearing slightly right, following the fence line to emerge on the road with a junction of lanes at a stile in the wall. Cross both roads to take the stile directly opposite the one you’ve just left and bear left, dropping down towards the res that has now come back into view. Drop down towards the reservoir, through a kissing gate stile then, instead of following the obvious path around the res shore, bear right uphill and climb the narrow path with a ditch on your right. This is perhaps the longest climb of the walk. Keep on up in a straight line until the path reaches a broad grassy track. Bear left and follow this track back to the road and lay-by where we started.