THIS walk starts in the village of Trawden and passes some intriguing 17th century farmhouses.

It also takes in Lumb Spout waterfall - now a tranquil hidden gem, but in its heyday a popular beauty spot.

The full walk takes you to the summit of Boulsworth Hill so be prepared for uneven paths in this remote landscape.

It is dominated by wiry tussock grasses and also marsh thistle, bilberry, heather and purple moor grass. Its importance as a habitat for birds is recognised by its status as a Special Protection Area.

The walk follows an old moorland pack horse trail before dropping down to the hamlet of Wycoller with its Brontë associations.

Built in 1550, the crumbling Wycoller Hall is thought to have been used as a model for Ferndean Manor in Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre.

The return is through the attractive farmed landscape of Trawden Forest, which was described as a wasteland in the Domesday Book.

The discovery of primitive wooden mining tools bears out the theory that the earliest settlers in Trawden were farmers who mined their own coal from opencast sites around the village.

The walk has been provided by Pendle Council and more walks in the area are available from visitpendle.com

Step by step

1. Start in the centre of Trawden in the heart of Trawden Forest at The Trawden Arms and walk up the old tram tracks. When you reach the main road, take the signed path opposite just to the right passing the old Literary Institute. At the road go left and immediately left again down a footpath. Turn right and continue into a field. At the junction of footpaths turn left and go through several fields to reach the right hand side of Slack Laithe Farm.

2. Continue past the house uphill to a stone stile, cross the stile and follow the wall down on your left. Just before the enclosed lane turn right and follow the path which runs between walls on either side and continue to Higher Naze End Cottage. Continue on the well marked path past the house and continue through the next field until you reach a farm track. Turn left down the track to Oaken Bank. Turn right in front of the cottages and go up the path and through a gate. Turn left through a gate just before Alderhurst Head farmhouse and go downhill on the farm track.

3. At the bottom of the track turn right. Just after the houses to your left, turn left following the path down to the stream. At the bottom bear right ignoring the bridge on your left. Go over a stile and cross two bridges. Then follow the path up to the Lumb Spout waterfall. Continue passing the ruins of the old café and a bridge on your left.

4. Bear right to follow a shallow valley uphill and head for the stile at the far end of the field. Follow the wall on your right to a stone stile at the end of the next field. Go over the stile onto a track at the foot of Boulsworth Hill.

5. For the short walk, turn left onto the track and continue following the directions from 6. For the full walk, turn right onto the track then immediately left, following the marker posts which lead to the summit of Boulsworth Hill. Go down past the large Abbot Stone, down to the track and return to the start of this Boulsworth Hill loop.

6. Continue for just over a mile along the track which now forms part of the Pennine Bridleway National Trail. Just before the bridleway turns right to cross a large bridge, go straight ahead through a gate. Follow the path downhill, keeping the stream to your right. After another gate go on uphill to continue with the timber fence to your right. Go through a kissing gate and cross the bridge over the stream. Turn immediately left and follow the footpath to the lane. Go immediately left over a stile and down the field to a kissing gate reaching the lane again. Turn left and continue past the clapper bridge and into Wycoller Country Park.

7. Cross the stream at the stone bridge opposite Wycoller Hall and turn left up the lane. After 200 metres bear right up a flight of steps, through a wood to a pulpit stile. Continue in the same direction, pass to the right of Germany Farm and continue until you reach Little Laith.

8. Turn right and keep the stream to your right for two fields, cross the stream and continue with the stream on your left to reach a track. Follow this left into the farm yard of Near Wanlass. Turn right over the stile and cross the next field.

9 Go over a stile and stone bridge then turn left down the field just right of the trees until you reach Trawden Brook. At the stream turn right and follow the footpath to the road. Turn left to return to The Trawden Arms.