Two Walks in Lancashire - Fair Snape Fell and Longridge Fell

24 June 2003

A Ryanair flight from Stansted to Blackpool for £2.99 provided the opportunity for a day out on the southern edge of the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire.

A look back from the cairn Fair Snape Fell towards Parlick, the grassy ridge between providing a splendid walk. Although the large cairn, wall-shelter and trig point are here, the summit is about ten metres higher and a few hundred metres away from the edge of the escarpment.

Sheep on Fair Snape Fell looking north

The red peat on the summit is being deeply eroded

On the last of the descent from Parlick, tractors at work

Across the fields can be seen the afternoon's walk, Longridge Fell

From the concessionary footpath, looking back to this morning's fells

Parlick centre-left, curving round to Fair Snape Fell on the right

Looking past cotton grass in flower to the fells beyond.

The white-painted trig point on the top of Longridge Fell is very prominent from quite some distance away.

Looking across the broad valley of one of the tributaries of the River Ribble to the southern edge of the Forest of Bowland, from Parlick to Totridge, the whole shown on some maps as Sykes Fell.

One of the visitors to our guestbook has subsequently noted that "Quite apart from the name 'Sykes Fell' which you so interestingly pointed out has been known to be given to this entire range of highland , so prominent from M6 and M61 motorways when driving north through Lancashire , I can testify to the fact that locally , the 'apparent ridge' is well known variously as 'Bleasdale Fells' , 'The Trough of Bowland' (which actually runs BEHIND it) 'Longridge Fells', 'Preston Hills' and 'Fairsnape Fells'. I was actually born in a house with a view of these fells from the bedroom in which I was born , and have walked all over them many times. I scan the area almost every clear night through the best binoculars and spotting scope money can buy -- all of which I bought specifically by virtue of inspiration of the view. No photograph I have seen comes even close to doing justice to the beauty , majesty and occasional (depending on the weather) sheer AWE of the appearance of this range."