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Where to Ride: Hyndburn Greenway

Words and Images: Eddie Allen | Map My Ride Link

The Hyndburn area is a collection of small to medium sized post industrial towns, peppered with old mills and factories, intersected by a busy motorway and set amid a crumpled arm of the Pennines. Evidence of the area's industrial past is everywhere, old railway lines, quarry workings and canals criss-cross the area and form the geographical and historical canvas for the Hyndburn Greenway, a wonderful scenic and endlessly interesting shared use path that pieces together canal, quiet roads and former railways into a liberating and relaxing route which joins the towns of Great Harwood, Blackburn, Rishton, Accrington and Baxenden.

Above: the Greenway just outside Great Harwood.

You can pick up the greenway anywhere along its 6.5 mile route, but I chose to start in Great Harwood, the Greenway's northernmost point and headed south to the path's end at Rising Stones, a small village just south of Baxenden .

I began at Great Harwood's pretty town square, with its fine clock tower. From here it's a quick ride down the town's main shopping street, Queen Street, before turning right onto Clayton Street and following it all the way to the town green, where the Hyndburn Greenway is clearly visible, running left to right along the edge of town. I took the path right and followed the broad ribbon of tarmac, which immediately cast aside any hint of urbanity, weaving amid the trees passing the cemetery on the right. On a bright, sunny day, the path was alive with cyclists, walkers and horse riders. Soon, the blue Sustrans signage directed you through a gap in the trees and onto the Leeds and Liverpool Canal towpath. I turned left, keeping the canal on my right and headed under a bridge towards Rishton. Whilst still in the semi-urban belt of Great Harwood, Rishton and Blackburn, the towpath had an idyllic, rural feel, with ducks, swans, lily pads and brightly painted canal boats adding colour and life to an already blissful ride.

Above: The canal section of the route is pretty and full of colour, wildlife and interest.

Half a mile up the canal, there's a landscape interpretation board, illustrating the fine view from the canal, with the majestic Pendle Hill and the equally impressive Hamledon Hill dominating the panorama. From here I continued to follow the towpath until I met another fine old bridge and more blue Sustrans signage for Oswaldtwistle, Church and Accrington. The Greenway leaves the canal behind at this point (though Blackburn-bound riders can continue into the town on the canal) and heads through a farm and past a church into the centre of Oswaldtwistle.

Above: The point where the Greenway leaves the canal for Oswaldtwistle, with Pendle Hill in the far distance.

The greenway crosses the main road here and heads beneath the railway bridge at Oswaldtwistie station before turning left at a very-easily missed gap in the hedgerow and onto a tarmac shared-use path which follows the flank of the railway line all the way to Accrington railway station. Again, even though amid a belt of former industrial towns, the peaceful semi rural feel of the Greenway is maintained. Pretty soon, I branched right off the path just before Accrington Railway station and headed along Satcliffe Street, passing the magnificent mill building on the right before heading across the road, past Accrington's Globe Centre and onto what is perhaps the highlight of the route, the wonderful, post-industrial Causeway.

Once the path of the main line into Manchester, the area has been completely remodelled into a waterscape of lily pads and marginal plants, with an impressive backdrop of stylish new apartments and restored mill buildings. Intersecting the lake is a causeway carrying the greenway, with the stout red cast iron piers of the former railway serving as a reminder of the area's former use.

Above: The wonderful post-industrial causeway at Accrington Water Park.

Once past the causeway, the Greenway crosses another road and enters its final phase, once again its character changing, as it heads into the rural feeling Woodnook Greenway. The path passes alongside the river on a former railway bed, steadily rising past broadleaf woodland and pastures to its high point at around 750 ft at Rising Stones, whereupon it's time to turn around and head back home, enjoying a well earned freewheel back down into Accrington, perhaps stopping for coffee and cakes at Oswaldtwistle Mills.

Above: The shady, wooded final section of Woodnook Greenway, heading towards Baxenden.

Off-Road Loop over Hamledon Hill

Above: Pendle Hill from the Kings Highway bridleway.

However, if you're equipped with a suitable bike, a stout pair of legs and some off road skills (or are prepared for a spot of walking), you can add in a great off-road loop over Hamledon Moor. From the end of the greenway, follow signs for Rising Stones, which will lead you to Alliance St and the A680. Turn right and follow the road until you'll see an animal feeds shop on your left and a sharp, almost 180 degree left hand turn onto Northfield Road. This road then climbs the hillside, passing underneath the busy A56 before joining the ancient Kings Highway bridleway, a mixture of singletrack lanes, paved packhorse route and rocky, typically Pennine bridleway.

From the summit of the bridleway east of Accrington, there are superb views north over Great Harwood toward Pendle Hill and beyond, the Bowland Fells. From here there's a fast sweeping tarmac descent back to the road, where you can follow the Burnley Road downhill, back into Accrington, before picking up the greenway at the Globe Centre, and retracing your steps back to Great Harwood. Check out this Map My Ride link for further details of this off road loop.

Places of interest along the Greenway

• Haworth Art Gallery, Accrington - Just off the Greenway, this Edwardian mansion is set in nine acres of parkland. It also has a tearoom. Open afternoons from Weds to Sun.

• Accrington Water Park - An old mill lake on the fringes of Accrington town centre with a unique causeway crossing

• Oswaldtwistle Mills - A large mill factory shop, craft centre and cafe plus grounds and a wildfowl reserve. Children's donkey rides and other family oriented events in the summer

Further information

For full route information download the Hynburn Greenway Leaflet below (you will need Adobe Acrobat to view these downloads)

Hyndburn Greenway Leaflet (inside) - PDF download

Hyndburn Greenway Leaflet (outside) - PDF download

Link: Further route info on Lancashire County Council's Website