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INTRODUCTION

Although Lancastrians might like to claim it as their own, the River Ribble actually springs from limestone high on Cam Fell in the heart of Three Peaks country, in the Yorkshire Dales. Gathering water from the countless streams that spill from this sombre upland, the river quickly asserts its identity as it forces a passage between high, rugged moorland hills. Eventually breaking free to meander through gentler countryside south of Settle, it still has another 10 miles (16.1km) to go before broaching the boundary with Lancashire. And Yorkshire folk with long memories will remember an older border between the rival counties that ran south of Sawley, and they might say that the river remains in Yorkshire for a further 10 miles (16.1km).

By then the river has assumed a completely different character, winding lazily through alternating pasture and ancient woodland, where old manor houses and early-18th-century cottages offer a welcome contrast to the all-too-pervasive tide of modernity. At Preston the river encounters the only sizeable conurbation along its course, but even here it remains largely isolated from the commerce and industry of the city. It flows instead below the elegant Victorian parks that were laid out for the recreation of the thousands of workers brought in to operate some of the first factory mills built in the country, replacing what had previously been a cottage industry.

Looking beyond the Ribblehead Viaduct to Pen-y-ghent (Chapter 7)

The River Ribble beside the De Tabley Arms, Ribchester (Chapter 3)

Beyond Preston the river changes dramatically yet again, now running straight to the Irish Sea through an almost featureless plain that was once regularly inundated by the tide. Dykes and drainage ditches have turned what was once a virtually dead-flat waste into productive arable fields, although further to the west a vast expanse of the salt marsh still remains, attracting huge populations of birds, particularly in winter, which find a rich and plentiful source of food in the shallows and mud.

THE RIBBLE WAY

The idea for a long-distance footpath along the course of the River Ribble originated in the 1960s with the members of the Preston and Fylde group of the Ramblers’ Association. The original survey suggested a mainly riverbank route from the mouth of the Ribble, where it flows into the Irish Sea, to its source far above Gearstones, a former drovers’ inn beside the moorland between Ribblehead and Widdale. This plan immediately ran into difficulty, however, as more than half the proposed way relied on the use of private fishermen’s paths. Further progress was thwarted by a storm of local objection, and it was not until the 1980s that an alternative route adopting existing rights of way attracted official support. The first leg of the path, covering just over 40 miles (almost 65km) between Longton and Gisburn Bridge, was opened by Mike Harding, president of the Ramblers’ Association, and Derek Barber, chairman of the Countryside Commission, on 1 June 1985.

The start of the Ribble Way at the edge of the salt marsh (Chapter 1)

The final leg across Gayle Moor above Gearstones (Chapter 7)

Because the Ribble Way follows the south bank of the river, a coastal start to the walk was, and still is, frustrated by the lack of a convenient crossing over the River Douglas, which joins the Ribble on the same bank around 3 miles (4.8km) from the sea. The lowest bridging point across the Douglas is that spanned by the A59 some 5 miles (8km) above the confluence of the Douglas and the Ribble, so if the walk started from the coast, this would involve a good 10 mile (16km) detour up to the bridge and back to the confluence again.

You will always find ducks beside the river at Sawley (Chapter 4)

But as soon as the Ribble Way opened, it was extended in the other direction, beyond Gisburn Bridge, right to the source of the river. (The route was devised by the late Gladys Sellers, author of the first Cicerone guide to the Ribble Way.) Since then there have been several marked improvements to the way, including, for example, a new section of path at Hurst Green which skirts the woods above the river and avoids the need to climb onto a road. More recently a path opened through Gisburne Park, which in bypassing Gisburn eliminates a long and disagreeable walk along the busy A682. On the downside, however, one of the most picturesque sections of the route was lost to the public in 1999 when a landowner successfully contested the legitimacy of the riverside right of way between Sawley and Gisburn.

The riverbank at Cuerdale, just outside Preston (Chapter 2)

The 70½ mile (113km) route that has evolved does not always run right beside the river, as was first envisaged. Nevertheless, it remains within the broad confines of the valley, and proponents of the original scheme might concede that an advantage of this occasionally elevated course is the expansive views it offers over the surrounding countryside.

The Ribble Way moves from one side of the valley to the other, generally making use of road bridges to cross the river. However, at Hacking Hall, where the River Calder joins the Ribble, there used to be a ferry; but with the death of the ferryman in 1954, it ceased to operate. Although it would seem there had always been an intention to replace the ferry with a footbridge, by the time the path was opened the bridge was no nearer to reality, though many hoped that the establishment of the Ribble Way and the resulting increase in use of the riverside footpaths would help to revitalise the scheme. However, conflicting opinions as to whether the Ribble Way should be routed over the Ribble, the Calder, or the Hodder further upstream, not to mention a lack of financial resources, left the project on hold. The new century brought a ray of hope when an innovative design was unveiled for a bridge linking the separate paths at the confluence of the Calder and Ribble. Had the plan come to fruition, the need to detour via Lower Hodder Bridge would have been removed, and many new possibilities for local walks would have been created. Unfortunately, the economic climate changed and the plan was abandoned, but who knows? Perhaps one day…

There is still hope, too, that the landowners at Sawley may have a change of heart and once more admit walkers to a splendid section of the river. No doubt other changes will occur over the course of time, for like the river itself, nothing is constant.

LANDSCAPE

Despite the river’s relatively short length (75 miles/171km), it travels through a great diversity of landscape. The bleakness of the slate, grit and limestone hills that surround its source at Ribblehead is in sharp contrast to the richly green alluvial plains that fringe the watercourse amid the rounded slopes of central Lancashire, and the vast reclaimed marsh through which the river escapes to the sea gives no hint of the lush, wooded banks to be found further upstream. Although for much of its way the river squirms vigorously within the confines of a broad valley, its general course is relatively uncomplicated. After initially aligning almost with the meridian to break from the hills at Settle, later it is gently turned onto a westerly trend, in search of the open sea, by the outliers of the Pennine Moors. But today’s river is a mere shadow of the mighty torrent of meltwater that originally gouged out the valley. This meltwater was released as vast ice sheets began to retreat in the face of a warming climate, barely 12,000 years ago.

On the slopes of Park Fell climbing Ingleborough (Chapter 7)

Approaching Ribchester (Chapter 2)

INDUSTRY

In contrast to many of the fastflowing rivers that originate in the Lancashire and Yorkshire Pennines, the Ribble is hardly touched by the industry and conurbation of recent times. The only towns of any size on its banks, Clitheroe and Settle, appear to turn their backs on the river, and even the flourishing city of Preston largely ignores its presence. Things could have been very different, though, for in earlier times the Ribble was both a source of power and a means of transport.

The great abbeys of Fountains and Furness held extensive tracts of land in upper Ribblesdale, and throughout the medieval period wool production, as well as some mining in the surrounding hills, were important industries. Downstream the land came within the influence of the abbeys at Cockersands, Whalley and Hornby, and while sheep again prevailed on the higher ground, cattle, oats and hemp were farmed within the valley. By the 16th century an important linen industry had evolved, later switching to cotton as trade with the New World developed. Fulling and dyeing were cottage industries, carried out in small mills on farms and in villages by rivers, until the mechanisation of the weaving and spinning processes brought the advent of the factory system at the end of the 18th century. The water power of the river fuelled the developing factory system, and the construction of the Lancaster and the Leeds and Liverpool canals helped establish Preston, and even Settle, as industrial centres. Had the Leeds and Liverpool Canal been looped around Balderstone and Whalley, as initially suggested, it would no doubt have spawned a succession of factory towns along the Ribble east of Preston, but in the end the canal followed the Calder valley and Blackburn and Burnley grew as industrial sprawls instead.

The crucial moment of change occurred with the invention of the steam engine. This immediately demonstrated its superiority over the mill wheel and, even better, was not dependent upon the vagaries of the weather. Industry quickly regrouped around the coalfields, and along the canals and expanding railway network, where coal could be delivered relatively cheaply. Many of the early factory sites that were not so well placed gradually faded into obscurity, and consequently, unlike the neighbouring Colne and Calder valleys, that of the Ribble has remained largely rural – not a bad thing at all, and may it always remain so.

Geese on the Ribble near Alston College (Chapter 2)

WILDLIFE

But although the Ribble valley has remained rural, this does not mean it is a botanical paradise, for intensive agriculture and grazing have marginalised many wildflower species and the insects and other types of life they support. However, numerous stretches in the middle sections of the river are rich in natural woodland, with a few areas demonstrating continuity with the original ‘wildwood’. Here, particularly in spring, a variety of native tree and shrub species, such as oak, ash, alder, beech and hawthorn, shelter an abundance of flowers, while hedgerows and the limestone uplands also support a range of flora. Bluebells, ransoms and primroses are common, while violets, orchids, speedwell, cowslips and campions are among the many others you will spot.

Riverside meadows can become almost park-like in summer (Chapter 5)

Birds are a constant companion along the length of the path, from those congregating around the coast, to the hill and moorland species that inhabit the higher regions. In winter the marshes attract massive flocks of geese, while gulls are prolific throughout the year. Herons, guillemots, coots, moorhens and, of course, the ubiquitous duck are plentiful. Oystercatchers are common, and lapwing, curlew, plover and snipe haunt the higher reaches. Kingfishers are to be seen along the riverbanks, and in the woods and hedgerows you will find songbirds, many of which are familiar from our gardens. Fox and roe deer roam freely, although they are not always easy to see, for if they sense you first they will disappear quickly into the undergrowth. Should you be about during the late evening, there is also the chance of seeing a badger.

The Ribble is very much a fisherman’s river, noted for its salmon, which in autumn can present a fine spectacle in the shallower sections as they make their way upriver to spawn. Other species are common, too, such as trout and lamprey, and just about every type of coarse fish is present.

PRACTICALITIES

At just over 70 miles (113km) the Ribble Way is one of the country’s shorter ‘long-distance’ walks, and thus an ideal choice for newcomers to long-distance walking. It runs through countryside for virtually its entire length, but the path is rarely far from ‘civilisation’, and only in its higher reaches does it pass through a wild landscape. For the most part it is gently pastoral, although this does not mean that the challenge it offers should be underestimated. Countryside walking can be as physically demanding as hillwalking, particularly after heavy rain or during the summer at the climax of vegetation growth. Substantial boots, waterproofs, appropriate clothing and a comfortable pack are necessities, and gaiters are indispensable on wet days. Shorts are rarely a good idea unless you have hardy legs, and in summer remember to take suncream and a hat. Some route sections offer only limited opportunities for refreshment during the course of the day, unless you make a diversion, so food and drink should be carried, and it is also a good idea to have a small extra ‘emergency ration’ in case of an unexpected delay.

For convenience the route is presented here in seven legs, but the time taken to complete the walk from end to end will depend on personal choice and ability. No stretch of the Ribble Way is overly demanding, and most reasonably fit people should not experience any difficulty in completing a section. However, if you are unused to walking any distance on a daily basis, it is sensible to do some training beforehand.

Whernside, one of Yorkshire’s Three Peaks (Chapter 7)

Accommodation is reasonably scattered along the route, enabling a range of possible itineraries. The accommodation listing in the Appendix is neither exhaustive nor does it imply recommendation, but is provided to assist in planning daily stages for a linear walk. Bear in mind that at weekends, some establishments may not take bookings for a single night, but staying the extra day opens an opportunity to explore the surrounding countryside. Most places can offer an evening meal, or are close to a pub or restaurant, and may be able to provide a lunch pack if you ask in advance. There are four convenient camp sites along the way, but recent years have seen the opening of a small number of bunk houses. Further information is available at local tourist information centres, details of which are also included in Appendix 2.

When to walk the Ribble Way is also a matter of personal choice. Spring and autumn are perhaps the best times of year to enjoy the colours of the landscape, while a good summer can be idyllic. Winters are generally mild, although the higher reaches of the walk are subject to the extremes of British hill weather, and excessive rainfall can be a problem at any time of year. Very heavy downfalls or prolonged wet periods will raise the water level of the river, sometimes to the extent that the path in some of the middle sections becomes impassably flooded.

When planning any long walk it is a good idea to build in some flexibility, and as the countryside surrounding the Ribble Way offers many possibilities for exploration, you will have little difficulty in finding something satisfying to occupy a spare day. The way is also very well suited to day walking, as it enjoys good public transport connections and many sections offer a wide choice of other paths from which to create a range of circular walks. Suggestions for day walkers, highlighting available transport and possible return routes, are given at the end of each chapter, and ‘end to enders’ might find this information useful in allowing them to extend their stay to see some of the countryside beyond the way. Longridge Fell, Pendle Hill, Pen-y-ghent, Ingleborough and Whernside are obvious attractions, all readily accessible from the route, while any number of uncrowded paths range across the lesser hills.

Leaving Horton in Ribblesdale, the Ribble Way passes the Crown (Chapter 7)

The path from Horton in Ribblesdale onto Ingleborough (Chapter 7)

The Ribble valley is easy to reach from the national road and rail networks, with both the M6 motorway and the West Coast main line passing through Preston. A good rail service from Ribblehead simplifies getting home again at the end of the journey.

MAPPING

Route finding is not a significant problem and, particularly in Lancashire, you will have little difficulty in spotting the distinctive blue RW icon waymarks periodically used to sign the path. Elsewhere the general yellow footpath arrows and occasional informal markers identify paths, and you will need to refer to the text or a map to keep yourself on the correct route. The OS map extracts accompanying the text show the corridor containing the Ribble Way, but do not give the detail found on the 1:25,000 scale Explorer maps – for example, the path in relation to field boundaries. Day walkers and those wanting to appreciate the wider countryside through which they are travelling will find the large-scale mapping invaluable. The four relevant sheets are given below.

ORDNANCE SURVEY MAPS

Explorer 286, Blackpool & Preston

Explorer 287, West Pennine Moors

Explorer OL41, Forest of Bowland and Ribblesdale

Explorer OL2, Yorkshire Dales (Southern & Western areas)