Burnley Way
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The Burnley Way is a 40-mile (64 km) long distance footpath in
Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
,
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. As a circular walk it can be walked from any point, but it is common to start and finish at the
Weavers' Triangle The Weavers' Triangle is an area of Burnley in Lancashire, England consisting mostly of 19th-century industrial buildings at the western side of town centre clustered around the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The area has significant historic inter ...
Visitor Centre in
Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Bru ...
. It covers a range of terrain from canal
towpath A towpath is a road or trail on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat, often a barge. This mode of transport ...
s to open
moorland Moorland or moor is a type of habitat found in upland areas in temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands and montane grasslands and shrublands biomes, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils. Moorland, nowadays, generally ...
. The path is waymarked by a letter "B" and a bird symbol. It was created in 1993 and updated in May 2008.


Route

The route is described in a series of six sectional leaflets, updated in 2008, which are available from Burnley Tourist Information Centre. The first section begins at the Manchester Road canal bridge (where the
Weavers' Triangle The Weavers' Triangle is an area of Burnley in Lancashire, England consisting mostly of 19th-century industrial buildings at the western side of town centre clustered around the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The area has significant historic inter ...
Visitor Centre is located), and follows the
towpath A towpath is a road or trail on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat, often a barge. This mode of transport ...
of the
Leeds and Liverpool Canal The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , crossing the Pennines, and including 91 locks on the main line. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal has several small branc ...
over the
Burnley Embankment The Burnley Embankment is an Embankment (earthworks), embankment carrying the Leeds and Liverpool Canal across the River Calder, Lancashire, Calder and River Brun, Brun valleys in Burnley, Lancashire. Also known as the Straight Mile, the embankm ...
to Thompson Park. It then follows the
River Brun The River Brun is a river in eastern Lancashire. It is approximately long and has a catchment area (not including the River Don) of . Course Thought to begin at the confluence of Hurstwood Brook (draining Wether Edge, Hameldon and supplying ...
through Bank Hall Park and past Heasandford House where it joins the route of the
Brontë Way The Brontë Way is a waymarked long-distance footpath in the northern counties of West Yorkshire and Lancashire, England. Route The Brontë Way starts at Oakwell Hall in Birstall, West Yorkshire, and finishes at Gawthorpe Hall in Padiham, Lan ...
out of Burnley, almost to Lea Green Reservoir. It then passes the ruined Extwistle Hall and over the River Don to
Queen Street Mill Queen Street Mill is a former weaving mill in Harle Syke, a suburb to the north-east of Burnley, Lancashire, that is a It was built in 1894 for the Queen Street Manufacturing Company. It closed on 12 March 1982 and was mothballed, but was ...
Textile Museum in
Harle Syke Harle Syke is a small village within the parish of Briercliffe, situated three miles north of Burnley, Lancashire, England. It was the home to eleven weaving firms, working out of seven mills. Queen Street Mill closed in 1982, and was converted t ...
. The second section crosses
Todmorden Todmorden ( ; ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Upper Calder Valley in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England. It is north-east of Manchester, south-east of Burnley and west of Halifax, West Yorkshire, Hal ...
Road, passing a number of farms and over Thursden brook. It then follows the road up the Thursden valley and crosses into
West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...
, descending to Widdop Reservoir. Joining the
Mary Towneley Loop The Mary Towneley Loop is a circular route that forms part of the Pennine Bridleway National Trail, along the borders of Lancashire and Yorkshire. The loop was opened in 2002, the first section of the Pennine Bridleway. It is named in memory ...
section of the
Pennine Bridleway The Pennine Bridleway is a National Trail in Northern England. It runs roughly parallel with the Pennine Way but provides access for horse riders and cyclists as well as walkers. The trail is around long, extending from Derbyshire to Cumbria. ...
at the Gorpe track, it moves back into Lancashire and past Hurstwood Reservoir to the
Elizabethan The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The symbol of Britannia (a female personifi ...
hamlet of
Hurstwood Hurstwood is a rural hamlet on the eastern outskirts of Burnley in Lancashire, England. It is in the civil parish of Worsthorne-with-Hurstwood and the borough of Burnley. History The Old English word is thought to mean a wooded prominence, as ...
. The third section rejoins the Mary Towneley Loop, going through some of the new woodland created by the Forest of Burnley project and crosses Sheddon Clough into
Cliviger Cliviger is a civil parish in the Borough of Burnley, in Lancashire, England. It is situated to the southeast of Burnley, and northwest of Todmorden. According to the 2011 census, the parish has a population of 2,238. Although the whole parish ...
(There was a limestone
hushing Hushing is an ancient and historic mining method using a flood or torrent of water to reveal mineral veins. The method was applied in several ways, both in prospecting for ores, and for their exploitation. Mineral veins are often hidden below ...
operation here in the 17th century). It then joins an ancient road called The Long Causeway, and passes Coal Clough Wind Farm before descending into the Cliviger Gorge toward the village of
Portsmouth, West Yorkshire Portsmouth is a village on the A646 road in the Calderdale district, in the county of West Yorkshire, England. Nearby settlements include the towns of Burnley and Todmorden and the village of Cornholme. History Though it was historically part ...
. Section four ascends the opposite side of the gorge to Heald Moor, and onto the highest point of the route at Thieveley Pike (). Here part of the path follows a
Medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
saltway A salt road (also known as a salt route, salt way, saltway, or salt trading route) refers to any of the prehistoric and historical trade routes by which essential salt was transported to regions that lacked it. From the Bronze Age (in the 2nd ...
route that ran from
Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...
via
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
to
Knaresborough Knaresborough ( ) is a market and spa town and civil parish in the Borough of Harrogate, in North Yorkshire, England, on the River Nidd. It is east of Harrogate. History Knaresborough is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as ''Chenares ...
and
Wetherby Wetherby () is a market town and civil parish in the City of Leeds district, West Yorkshire, England, close to West Yorkshire county's border with North Yorkshire, and lies approximately from Leeds City Centre, from York and from Harrogat ...
. And next to the
triangulation station A triangulation station, also known as a trigonometrical point, and sometimes informally as a trig, is a fixed surveying station, used in geodetic surveying and other surveying projects in its vicinity. The nomenclature varies regionally: they a ...
are the remains of what is thought to be an ancient
beacon A beacon is an intentionally conspicuous device designed to attract attention to a specific location. A common example is the lighthouse, which draws attention to a fixed point that can be used to navigate around obstacles or into port. More mode ...
, possibly reusing the site of upland
round barrow A round barrow is a type of tumulus and is one of the most common types of archaeological monuments. Although concentrated in Europe, they are found in many parts of the world, probably because of their simple construction and universal purpose. ...
. The path then steeply descends back into the valley toward Holme Chapel before reconnecting with the Mary Towneley Loop over Easden Clough. At this point walkers are offered a choice between two paths: one passes Dyneley Hall, the home of Lady Mary Towneley (late wife of Sir Simon) in whose honour the local section of the Pennine Bridleway is named, while the other passes a wooded hillock called the Fireman's Helmet. At Walk Mill the route continues on to Barcroft Hall and then to the
Towneley Hall Towneley Park is owned and managed by Burnley Borough Council and is the largest and most popular park in Burnley, Lancashire, England. The main entrance to the park is within a mile of the town centre and the park extends to the south east, cov ...
museum and park. Section five again climbs the hillside into
Habergham Eaves Habergham Eaves is a civil parish in the borough of Burnley, in Lancashire, England. The parish consists of a rural area south of Burnley, and suburban areas on the outskirts of the town, including a large industrial estate in the north-west co ...
where a choice is offered of crossing or bypassing the golf course at Burnley Golf Club. After crossing Crown Point Road the route descends into
Dunnockshaw Dunnockshaw or Dunnockshaw and Clowbridge is a civil parish in the borough of Burnley, in Lancashire, England. The parish is situated between Burnley and Rawtenstall. According to the United Kingdom Census 2011, the parish has a population of 1 ...
and Clowbridge Reservoir before summiting
Hameldon Hill Hameldon Hill is a Carboniferous sandstone hill with a summit elevation of , situated between the towns of Burnley and Accrington in Lancashire, England. It is listed as a "HuMP" or "Hundred Metre Prominence", its parent being Freeholds Top, a ...
. As well as the old
rifle range A shooting range, firing range, gun range or shooting ground is a specialized facility, venue or field designed specifically for firearm usage qualifications, training, practice or competitions. Some shooting ranges are operated by military o ...
on the
common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally com ...
at Higher Barley Green, the descent into Hapton passes the Hameldon Hill Wind Farm. This is also the site of Hapton Tower around which, in the late 15th century, Sir John Towneley was given licence to create a deer park of 1,000 Lancashire arces. From Mill Hill Lane it shares the route of the Hyndburn Clog and Huncoat Trail through Castle Clough Wood before crossing the Railway,
M65 motorway The M65 is a motorway in Lancashire, England. It runs from just south of Preston through the major junction of the M6 and M61 motorways, east past Darwen, Blackburn, Accrington, Burnley, Brierfield, Nelson and ends at Colne. History The ...
and the canal near Shuttleworth Hall. The sixth section descends to the River Calder, and enters
Padiham Padiham ( ) is a town and civil parish on the River Calder, about west of Burnley, Lancashire, England. It forms part of the Borough of Burnley. Originally by the River Calder, it is edged by the foothills of Pendle Hill to the north-west ...
through Memorial Park. At
Padiham Town Hall Padiham Town Hall is a municipal building in Burnley Road, Padiham, Lancashire, England. The town hall, which was the headquarters of Padiham Urban District Council, is a grade II listed building. History Shortly after it had been created in 18 ...
it follows the Calder out of the town on the Grove Lane Greenway, with views of
Gawthorpe Hall Gawthorpe Hall is an Elizabethan country house on the banks of the River Calder, in Ightenhill, a civil parish in the Borough of Burnley, Lancashire, England. Its estate extends into Padiham, with the Stockbridge Drive entrance situated there. ...
and
Burnley FC Burnley Football Club () is an English association football club based in Burnley, Lancashire, that competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football, following relegation from the 2021–22 Premier League. Founded on 18 M ...
's training ground. To cross the Calder, the route again joins the Brontë Way and at this point connects to the
Pendle Way The Pendle Way is a Recreational Path in the South Pennines of England which encircles the borough of Pendle. It was officially opened in 1987.Paul Hannon. Walking Country: Pendle Way. Hillside Publications (Preston) 1997, 2006. The circu ...
for the
Forest of Pendle The Forest of Pendle is the name given to an area of hilly landscape to the east of Pendle Hill in eastern Lancashire, roughly defining the watershed between the River Ribble and its tributary the River Calder. The forest is not identical to ...
and
Pendle Hill Pendle Hill is in the east of Lancashire, England, near the towns of Burnley, Nelson, Colne, Brierfield, Clitheroe and Padiham. Its summit is above mean sea level. It gives its name to the Borough of Pendle. It is an isolated hill in the Pe ...
. Passing through
Ightenhill Ightenhill is a civil parish in the Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a population of 1,975. Since its creation as Ightenhill Park in 1866 the parish has seen a number of boundary changes. The modern civil parish includes Gawth ...
, the route again joins the canal towpath to pass over the M65 aqueduct and return to the old
cotton mill A cotton mill is a building that houses spinning (textiles), spinning or weaving machinery for the production of yarn or cloth from cotton, an important product during the Industrial Revolution in the development of the factory system. Althou ...
s of the Weavers' triangle.


Media gallery

Image:Leeds and Liverpool Canal - geograph.org.uk - 1469736.jpg, Towpath of the
Leeds and Liverpool Canal The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , crossing the Pennines, and including 91 locks on the main line. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal has several small branc ...
in the
Weavers' Triangle The Weavers' Triangle is an area of Burnley in Lancashire, England consisting mostly of 19th-century industrial buildings at the western side of town centre clustered around the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The area has significant historic inter ...
Image:Bank Hall Park - geograph.org.uk - 679384.jpg, Following the
River Brun The River Brun is a river in eastern Lancashire. It is approximately long and has a catchment area (not including the River Don) of . Course Thought to begin at the confluence of Hurstwood Brook (draining Wether Edge, Hameldon and supplying ...
through Bank Hall Park Image:Extwistle Hall - geograph.org.uk - 1535213.jpg, Extwistle Hall,
Briercliffe Briercliffe (historically Briercliffe-with-Extwistle) is a civil parish in the borough of Burnley, in Lancashire, England. It is situated north of Burnley. The parish contains suburbs of Burnley (including Harle Syke and Haggate), and the rur ...
Image:Queen Street Mill - geograph.org.uk - 528581.jpg,
Queen Street Mill Queen Street Mill is a former weaving mill in Harle Syke, a suburb to the north-east of Burnley, Lancashire, that is a It was built in 1894 for the Queen Street Manufacturing Company. It closed on 12 March 1982 and was mothballed, but was ...
Textile Museum,
Harle Syke Harle Syke is a small village within the parish of Briercliffe, situated three miles north of Burnley, Lancashire, England. It was the home to eleven weaving firms, working out of seven mills. Queen Street Mill closed in 1982, and was converted t ...
Image:Minor road at head of Widdop valley - geograph.org.uk - 1257208.jpg, Heading into West Yorkshire at Widdop Reservoir Image:Gorple Road, head of Rams Clough - geograph.org.uk - 1256607.jpg, Gorple Road crossing back into Lancashire Image:Spenser's House - geograph.org.uk - 494506.jpg, Spenser's House,
Hurstwood Hurstwood is a rural hamlet on the eastern outskirts of Burnley in Lancashire, England. It is in the civil parish of Worsthorne-with-Hurstwood and the borough of Burnley. History The Old English word is thought to mean a wooded prominence, as ...
Image:Burnley Way, Heald Moor - geograph.org.uk - 164288.jpg, Waymarker on Heald Moor,
Cliviger Cliviger is a civil parish in the Borough of Burnley, in Lancashire, England. It is situated to the southeast of Burnley, and northwest of Todmorden. According to the 2011 census, the parish has a population of 2,238. Although the whole parish ...
Image:Towneley Hall.jpg,
Towneley Hall Towneley Park is owned and managed by Burnley Borough Council and is the largest and most popular park in Burnley, Lancashire, England. The main entrance to the park is within a mile of the town centre and the park extends to the south east, cov ...
Image:Crown Point Road - geograph.org.uk - 694329.jpg, Crossing Crown Point Road in
Habergham Eaves Habergham Eaves is a civil parish in the borough of Burnley, in Lancashire, England. The parish consists of a rural area south of Burnley, and suburban areas on the outskirts of the town, including a large industrial estate in the north-west co ...
Image:Clowbridge Reservoir - geograph.org.uk - 24451.jpg, Clowbridge Reservoir,
Dunnockshaw Dunnockshaw or Dunnockshaw and Clowbridge is a civil parish in the borough of Burnley, in Lancashire, England. The parish is situated between Burnley and Rawtenstall. According to the United Kingdom Census 2011, the parish has a population of 1 ...
Image:Shuttleworth Hall, near Padiham - geograph.org.uk - 11423 (cropped).jpg, Shuttleworth Hall, Hapton Image:21 to 29 Mill Street, Padiham - geograph.org.uk - 661271.jpg, Mill Street,
Padiham Padiham ( ) is a town and civil parish on the River Calder, about west of Burnley, Lancashire, England. It forms part of the Borough of Burnley. Originally by the River Calder, it is edged by the foothills of Pendle Hill to the north-west ...
Image:Bridleway bridge over River Calder - geograph.org.uk - 1364637.jpg, Bridge over the River Calder at
Ightenhill Ightenhill is a civil parish in the Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a population of 1,975. Since its creation as Ightenhill Park in 1866 the parish has seen a number of boundary changes. The modern civil parish includes Gawth ...


See also

*
Brontë Way The Brontë Way is a waymarked long-distance footpath in the northern counties of West Yorkshire and Lancashire, England. Route The Brontë Way starts at Oakwell Hall in Birstall, West Yorkshire, and finishes at Gawthorpe Hall in Padiham, Lan ...
* Hyndburn Clog *
Mary Towneley Loop The Mary Towneley Loop is a circular route that forms part of the Pennine Bridleway National Trail, along the borders of Lancashire and Yorkshire. The loop was opened in 2002, the first section of the Pennine Bridleway. It is named in memory ...
-
Pennine Bridleway The Pennine Bridleway is a National Trail in Northern England. It runs roughly parallel with the Pennine Way but provides access for horse riders and cyclists as well as walkers. The trail is around long, extending from Derbyshire to Cumbria. ...
(
National Trail National Trails are long distance footpaths and bridleways in England and Wales. They are administered by Natural England, a statutory agency of the UK government, and Natural Resources Wales (successor body to the Countryside Council for Wa ...
) *
Pendle Way The Pendle Way is a Recreational Path in the South Pennines of England which encircles the borough of Pendle. It was officially opened in 1987.Paul Hannon. Walking Country: Pendle Way. Hillside Publications (Preston) 1997, 2006. The circu ...


References


External links


Long Distance Walkers' Association: Burnley WayWalking in BurnleyRoute guide 1
Weavers' Triange to Queen Street Mill
Route guide 2
Queen Street Mill to Hurstwood
Route guide 3
Hurstwood to Portsmouth
Route guide 4
Portsmouth to Towneley
Route guide 5
Towneley to Hapton
Route guide 6
Hapton to Weavers' Triange {{Borough of Burnley Footpaths in Lancashire Long-distance footpaths in England Transport in Burnley