START: Downham village car park (near the toilets). This is at the bottom of the hill following the lane across the beck.

DISTANCE: 5 miles (allow 2-3 hours)

MAP: OS Explorer OL41 Forest of Bowland & Ribblesdale

THIS pleasant ramble explores the field paths in the pastures below the northern slopes of Pendle Hill and links the two historic village mills at Twiston and Downham.

These were both medieval water-powered corn mills. Twiston Mill was owned by the Cistercian monks of Whalley Abbey and operated as a cotton mill in the 19th century employing nearly 50 people.

The walk crosses a footbridge over Ings Beck, which prior to 1974 was the boundary between Lancashire (south side) and the West Riding of Yorkshire (north side).

In fact, the beck formed a much older frontier – the boundary between two ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.

At its greatest extent this was the Kingdom of Mercia’s northern frontier whilst on the north side of Ings Beck was the Kingdom of Northumbria stretching up to York and even Edinburgh.

The climb back over the hill to Downham at the end of the walk includes a crossing of the ridge top Roman road from Ribchester to York.

1.Come out of the car park entrance and turn left along the lane back to the village.

Do not cross the road bridge over the stream but turn right along the access track to the cottages with the stream (Downham Beck) on the immediate left.

At the track end go straight ahead through a kissing gate keeping the beck on your left and following waymarker posts.

At the top end of the field the path forks into two. Ignore the gate straight ahead but fork left through a gate/stile.

2. Cross the corner of the field to a nearby wall stile and in the next field bear left to cross another wall stile.

Enter a large field and bear right walking through the middle of it keeping left of a small fenced enclosure. Aim for the top left corner of the field.

A stile is difficult to see at first but you cross it and then a footbridge over Score Clough Beck.

Continue in the same direction in the next field aiming for the top left hand corner close to farm buildings.

Cross a stile and turn sharp right following the wall side on the right to cross another wall stile and reach a disused quarry.

3. Turn left here following the near wall side into another field. Then keep to the left hedge side until it reaches a gate/stile on the left.

Turn sharp left here along an enclosed track then sharp right in the next field following the right field edge downhill to Twiston Beck.

Turn right at the bottom to cross the footbridge then turn left following the stream side to a lane.

Turn right along the lane to reach the path that begins at the side of Twiston Mill.

4. Go straight ahead through the field with the mill on the right. The path goes through gates and keeps the beck on the left to reach a new footbridge.

Do not cross this but continue straight ahead with the conifer woodland on the left to reach another footbridge over the old boundary of Ings Beck.

Cross this and walk uphill to reach a waymarker post near the top of the hill with a great view of the little valley.

5. Turn left at the post and follow a faint track in the grass gradually downhill to cross a stile in a fence.

Go uphill through the next field along an obvious path in the grass to follow the top of a slope keeping a fence on the right.

As you approach a farm access do not go through it but turn sharp left steeply downhill to re-join the beck.

Turn right through the gate and through the next field to cross another footbridge over the beck. Continue straight ahead to reach the info board for Downham Mill.

6. The mill is straight ahead but you can fork left here uphill along the permissive route overlooking the mill. Continue straight ahead in the next field along a hedge heading for the large limestone crag on the hillside to the left.

Walk uphill through the gap in the hillside keeping the prominent crag on the left.

Facing the ridge continue diagonally gradually uphill to the far end of the ridge and climb the steep far end to woodland on the right.

Cross the Roman road on top of the ridge and head downhill with the wall on the right. Kissing gates lead back to the village behind the pub. Turn left down the lane to return to the car park.

Nick Burton will be leading the John Dixon Memorial Walk today. This is a free six-mile walk (approx. 3 hours) around the Black Moss Reservoirs. Meet at Barley village car park 10.30 am