A pint of tea for 50p in Lancashire!

[Globalti]

Britain is a country of eccentricities and curiosities and anybody who finds themselves on a Sunday near Pendle Hill and fancies a tea break could do worse than to divert to the Clarion House, which is an amazing little place built in 1912 to encourage mill workers to enjoy the benefits of fresh air and exercise. It has a tradition of welcoming cyclists and counts some real characters amongst its regulars. We visited today and found it busy with walkers and cyclists, with a coal fire burning in the grate, which was doing a good job of providing a warm, fug-free atmosphere on a damp drizzly afternoon. The views down towards Nelson and Colne are superb.

Here: http://www.clarionhouse.org.uk/

The ride from here back along to Whalley is absolutely stunning, a singletrack road meanders though rolling countryside and peaceful beech woods until it drops down gently to a dramatic river crossing, past the golf club and on to Spring Wood where Colinj's rides often start.

Well worth the effort if you fancy a hilly 21 mile tour of Pendle Hill with 2189 feet of climbing, starting and finishing in Whalley and passing through some stunning scenery with amazing views and a visit to the village of Downham, location for Born and Bred.

 

[MontyVeda]

...

Well worth the effort if you fancy a hilly 21 mile tour of Pendle Hill with 2189 feet of climbing, starting and finishing in Whalley and passing through some stunning scenery with amazing views and a visit to the village of Downham, location for Born and Bred.

nice Post Globalti.... could you post some details of your 21 mile route.. it sounds idyllic

 

[Globalti]

Yes.... start in Whalley and head out along Wiswell lane to Wiswell and along to Pendleton. The pub in Pendleton does proper beers and has a nice garden. Continue NE until you meet the Clitheroe to Sabden road, turn left, drop down and cross the A59 at a very dangerous junction then 50 yards later turn right on the old disused road that parallels the A59, east. When this runs out re-cross the A59 and carry on along the cycle path, which takes you into Worston. From Worston head east, up narrow lanes and over a low col to the village of Downham, which is all owned by Lord Clitheroe (see the big house) and very well preserved with no TV antennae or wires. Downham has a pub, the Asheton Arms and a cafe but the bloke who runs the cafe is a miserable character.

From Downham head SE up Pendle road, which climbs around the northerly flank of Pendle hill. At the top of the climb turn right to drop down into Barley, there's a pub and a couple of cafes, the one in the park isn't bad.

After Barley you are heading south to Newchurch in Pendle but the easiest way is to turn left at the bridge, past the car park and follow Barley New Road east through the woods for about 1200 metres. At the first junction turn right up Jinny Lane and the Clarion House is a short distance up on your right. Open Sundays only. After your 50p pint of tea continue up the steep hill to Newchurch. Bear left downhill then immediately right on Well Head Road towards Sabden Fold. After Sabden Fold, drop down slightly then bear right on Stump Hall Road, which becomes Back lane. Follow this along a glorious rolling ridge south west then through beech woods for about 3 miles, turning right on Old Roman Road until it drops down a very steep hill with a bad surface to cross Sabden Brook. Climb up a little and follow the road down past the golf club to Spring Wood and thence back down into Whalley.

Do not park in the big car park behind the pub in Whalley without paying, the thieving shysters who own the private car park, cleverly disguised as a council car park, will rob you of £60.

 

[Globalti]

Slight amendment to the above: Misery cafe in Downham is closed and you can now head half a mile down towards Chatburn to find the excellent Greendale View Country Kitchen, run by Trevor and Louise, formerly proprietors of Puddleducks in Dunsop Bridge and bakers of the best scones in Lancashire.

 

[martint235]

I know the area well and have spent many a long hour in the Pendle Inn in Barley. There's another pub in Barley although it doesn't look like one, it's about 50 yards before the Pendle Inn on your route, on the left hand side, called the Barley Mow. It's owned by the same chain that own the Assheton Arms in Downham.

 

[Nibor]

THere is quite a lot of free parking on the road called the sands near the abbey gates if you get down early.

 

[Oldfentiger]

I live about 1/2 mile from the Clarion, and one of my ambitions this year is to climb Jinny Lane without stopping.
The missus and I were in the Pendle Inn last evening, enjoying a pint and a Pendle Pie.

 

[Globalti]

Yes Jinny Lane is an absolute killer for the last few yards isn't it! There ought to be oxygen and a defibrillator outside that witchy shop.

 

[Levo-Lon]

My Gran and Grandad used to live at the back of the Red Rock Pub ' closed now'just down from there in Padiham..and Slade Farm.

loved it there for hollidays..many a day around the area and up Pendle Hill with Grandad.

 

[Globalti]

Ah the Red Rock.... that was our fave place for dinner when we lived on Padiham Road. It was made from three old cottages knocked together. The chef and proprietor was a bloke named Geoffrey Beetlestone, he was quite a character and a really good instinctive chef; his food was robust, flavoursome and unpretentious and he loved using local ingredients. He kept a good pint as well. Sadly his personal hygiene was terrible as his nails were always black and he had an old lurcher with a hideous weeping tumour on one eye that used to, er, lurch around the bar. It may have been this and his rather overbearing personality that caused the business to fail. We have looked for him but he hasn't popped up anywhere locally.

 

[Oldfentiger]

Yes Jinny Lane is an absolute killer for the last few yards isn't it! There ought to be oxygen and a defibrillator outside that witchy shop.

Haha - there IS a defibrillator mounted on the wall of the public loos, which are next door to Witches Galore!!

 

[Globalti]

Blimey. I'll check it out next time I'm there bent over the bars gasping for breath.

 

[Oldfentiger]

Careful - Maureen from the Witches shop might give you the kiss of life

 

[Levo-Lon]

My Gran was the house keeper for the Starkies..grandad was the milk farmer..
After the place behind the Red Rock they moved to Slade Farm opposite the turning into Padiham..very steep hill down to the town centre,i used to cycle down that ..after peterborough it seemed like a mountain,so fast lol.
the 2 farm houses were part of the Starky estate..very cold in winter but bliss in summer with 2ft thick walls..
When did you live in the area @Globalti ?

 

[Globalti]

We lived on Padiham road from 1998 to 2004. Had to move in a hurry when a violent drug dealer moved in next door and life suddenly became rather unpleasant. We live in the Ribble Valley now, don'tcha know old chap!