Pendle Hill

Pendle is a single ridge of gritstone rising to 557 metres, standing clear of the surrounding country so that it dominates the Ribble valley from every side. In 1612 twelve people from the villages around it were tried at Lancaster on charges of witchcraft in one of the best-documented English trials of its kind, largely because the court clerk published a full account; ten were executed, and the case has shaped the area's identity and tourism ever since, with a marked Pendle Witches trail through the villages. In 1652 George Fox climbed the hill and described a vision at the top of a great people to be gathered, which he took as the beginning of the Quaker movement; the ascent is still walked by Quakers. The Big End summit path from Barley is the standard route.

What you'll find

• The isolated ridge - a gritstone whaleback dominating the Ribble valley.
• The 1612 trial connection - villages and a marked trail tied to the case.
• The Fox summit - the top where the Quaker founder described his 1652 vision.
• The Barley route - a steep stepped climb of about three hundred metres.

When to go

April to October for the climb; Halloween brings very large numbers to the hill and the surrounding villages, and the path is congested. Clear winter days give the longest views over to the Dales and the Irish Sea.

Practical notes

The path from Barley is steep and stepped and gains three hundred metres quickly. The summit plateau is boggy and exposed with no shelter. Barley's car park is small and charged and fills at weekends. The witch trial is treated as tourism locally, which some visitors find uncomfortable given what happened.

Nearby

Clitheroe and its castle are close; the Forest of Bowland lies north.

Key facts