Walking Maps

Calder Vale: Cobble Hey Legstretcher

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Walk Description

This route is waymarked with a green disc labelled ‘Calder Vale Walk Green 2’.

1. Head north from the cobble yard of Cobble Hey. Just past the farmhouse turn right through a gate and go past the animal pens and children’s play area to another gate. Continue through the field bearing slightly left of the wall on the right. The field dips by a stream where there is a gate, head for the gate.
2. After the gate, climb the field straight ahead, keeping the fence on the left, follow this to and through the next gate. Follow the fence on the right as it bends round to another gate at the start of a hedge-lined track.
3. Enter Higher Landskill farmyard and turn left just beyond the farmhouse and follow the farm road to Calder Vale.
4. As you approach the village the track passes along the back of a row of cottages, ‘Long Row’. At the end, take the footpath through the woodland up to St John’s Church.
5. Continue straight ahead through the churchyard and school playground. At the road junction turn right. The track passes through Lower Landskill Farm. Continue along the track, following it round to the right, down to Higher Landskill Farm.
6. At Higher Landskill turn left at the end of the first building on the left and walk between the buildings and farmhouse. Pass through the gate and rejoin the hedged track used on the outward journey. Follow the track to a gate into the field. Pass through and follow the left hand fence around to the left and pass through another gate. Turn right keeping the fence on the right until you reach a gate and pass through.
7. Continue straight ahead up through the field, heading for Cobble Hey farmyard.

About the walk

Cobble Hey has been a working hill farm for more than 150 years, and still farms sheep and beef cattle. The gardens were opened to the public in 2002. The farm is also a haven for breeding wading birds. During the springtime lapwing, curlew and redshank regularly raise their young on the surrounding fields.

Part of the route follows a series of stone waymarkers depicting wildlife of the Forest of Bowland. Members of the public attended a stone carving workshop to produce these beautiful pieces of art.

St John’s Church serves the village of Calder Vale, the hamlet of Oakenclough and the surrounding countryside. Local philanthropist and owner of the Bleasdale estate, William James Garnett donated the land for the church and the adjoining school in 1860. The foundation stone was laid in 1861, and the completed church was consecrated in August 1863. The church is built of white freestone quarried locally.

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